The Cowboys seem to have a running identity in mind. They want to use a lot of single-back sets with two tight ends and run the zone stretch. I always like when you can watch a team and identify some concepts they want to hang their hat on. It makes it seem like there’s a definite plan and direction. The problem in Dallas is that the Cowboys looked awful running the zone stretch, and I’m not sure their personnel is a good fit for what they want to do.
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I thought there were some very encouraging signs up front for the Cowboys despite this. They played as a unit in pass protection. The Giants ran a fair amount of games Sunday night, and the Cowboys line did a nice job of passing them off between each other. If you recall
my preview for the Cowboys in the preseason, my biggest concern was how disjointed the line looked at times. There were just too many unforced errors where guys would simply let rushers go thinking someone else was responsible for them. It’s too hard to protect the quarterback as it is; you can’t add to it by making mental lapses. On Sunday, Dallas looked like a much more cohesive unit.
