Back to run 1st league?

[DHCBF66]

I have to say that with all the high picks as of late it seems that the league is starting to revert back to running the ball 1st,

We snatched up Zeke with our #4 pick in the 2016 draft.

Next the Jags drafted Leonard Fornette with the 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

This year the Giants drafted Saquan Barkley with the #2 overall pick.

Even the Pats are getting into the action drafting Sony Michal 31st overall this year.

I for one miss the days of smash mouth football. I can only hope that we get back to it!

 

[Captain-Crash]

wonder if it's because they are fewer "elite" QB's.

 

[Silver Surfer]

....
I for one miss the days of smash mouth football. I can only hope that we get back to it!

I think teams are finding they need more balance on offense to be successful. Its easier/cheaper to find a good back than a good quarterback and by controlling the clock you can cover for your defense if its weak. I think it will remain a passing league. The rules are structured to give the advantage to the quarterback and receivers.

Besides, what are fans going to talk about if there aren't anymore "Dez caught it" controversies?

 

[CWR]

I have to say that with all the high picks as of late it seems that the league is starting to revert back to running the ball 1st,

We snatched up Zeke with our #4 pick in the 2016 draft.

Next the Jags drafted Leonard Fornette with the 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

This year the Giants drafted Saquan Barkley with the #2 overall pick.

Even the Pats are getting into the action drafting Sony Michal 31st overall this year.

I for one miss the days of smash mouth football. I can only hope that we get back to it!

I was thinking the same when NY took Barkley @ 2. Its funny because there were alot of people claiming you don't take RB that high when we took Zeke lol. Did we actually start a trend???? The Cowboys and Garrett being innovative? Ill duck now while tomatoes are hurled towards my head.

 

[KJJ]

wonder if it's because they are fewer "elite" QB's.

The rules have opened up the passing game. You don’t need an elite QB to throw efficiently or for big numbers. There were eight QBs pass for over 4000 yards last season. We’ve just had some really talented RBs come out lately that are not only great runners but are great in the passing game.

 

[DHCBF66]

wonder if it's because they are fewer "elite" QB's.

Not too sure about that, 5 QBs went in the 1st round this year!

 

[Thomas82]

I love having a dominant running game.

 

[SoupcanSam]

They can copy all they want. In the end the cowboys will win this horse race hands down. Best oline and RB combo in the league.

 

[roughneck266]

wonder if it's because they are fewer "elite" QB's.

I think they do go hand in hand.

 

[ShiningStar]

if Dallas can stick to it and make it work, than others will follow again.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Back to run 1st league?

I don't think that picking 3 or 4 teams that have drafted a RB early signals any kind of shift away from the pass happy fast break offenses we've seen in recent years.

 

[Verdict]

The pendulum always swings too far one way or the other. The league was so focused on passing defense that the defensive players as a whole became smaller (lighter) and faster to mirror receivers. That made them more susceptible to the run.

Raquon will be a good pass defending MLB but he will get worn out over time as a MLB unless he bulks up which is going to impact his quickness.

 

[Mr_437]

There was a lull n good-to-great RBs for some years when th passing league trend started up. Most of these defenses are built to stop th pass now, resulting n softer defense vs a run heavy teams.

DAL should run down every team on their schedule w/ all these big backs + Tavon. Dak should throw 25 passes/game for best results. That's th recipe.

 

[Melonfeud]

They tried that forward pass way back in 1876,,, but it was ruled illegal by the powers-that-be,yet after a concerted effort of getting the rules changed ,in 1906 the first "forward pass " was implemented into game play,,,and it's not been the same game since

It was totally going to a pure passing league as of late & rightfully so,from the quick scores, elevated excitement& awesome Showmanship,,,yet as stated by other posts by highly esteemed fellow members that BALANCED ATTACK in offensive prowess is what it's gradually going to revert back to

 

[Tabascocat]

You have to have an elite QB or elite run game to produce on offense. Dallas just so happens to follow the run route. Even if you have both, need a competent defense which we haven't had in awhile.

 

[SSoup]

We spent multiple first rounders on run-blocking interior linemen and a top 5 pick on a RB, and even we pass more often than we need to or ever should.

So: It’s still a pass-happy league.

A few teams going retro and spending unnecessary resources on the running game to position themselves to better take advantage of how finesse and pass-obsessed defenses are doesn’t really change that.

If defenses react by letting their cornerback depth suffer because they place less importance on their 3rd CB functionally needing to be a starting-caliber corner, the league will get even more pass-happy in a real hurry. It’s an entire generation of coaches now who came up during the pass-happy era. They’re always looking for excuses to pass more and ways to attack aerially.

 

[beware_d-ware]

This is still a passing league, no bones about it. I don't think it's so much as the league going "retro" or "run first" as they are looking to hide their QB.

With the dearth of franchise QBs out there, teams are pretty much stuck with the guy they have (or don't have) and are forced to find ways to prop him up. They've been signing and drafting the snot out of WRs to help their QB out, but the market price has been driven up to the point where some teams (like us) just don't care to compete any more. RBs are plentiful, and in a passing league, they come cheap, so of course teams are going to start looking more at them. Look how teams approached RBs this year - everyone drafted the primo passing-game positions early (blockers, pass rushers, etc) early, then dove into the RBs in the 40s because they figured they could get a good starter for less draft capital.

The other side of the equation is that the RB position went through a talent drought for a couple years from like 2011-2014. Trent Richardson hyper-busted and really scared people off of first round RBs, and there just wasn't much good talent coming out anyway. Yes, it's a passing league, yes, backs are devalued, but no one's going to spend a first rounder on schlubs like Bishop Sankey or Montee Ball.

That drought has kind of reversed now, and we've had like 4 years now where these blue-chip, potential 10,000 yard type studs have entered the draft, and I think they'd be top 10 picks in any offensive climate because they're just that good. So just as RBs were devalued in part because all the players coming into the league generally sucked, I think there's been a bit of a resurgence from the number of studly bell cows now entering the NFL. Teams have seen what Zeke or Gurley can do for an offense, especially for a passing game and young QB, and they want their own.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I have to say that with all the high picks as of late it seems that the league is starting to revert back to running the ball 1st,

We snatched up Zeke with our #4 pick in the 2016 draft.

Next the Jags drafted Leonard Fornette with the 4th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

This year the Giants drafted Saquan Barkley with the #2 overall pick.

Even the Pats are getting into the action drafting Sony Michal 31st overall this year.

I for one miss the days of smash mouth football. I can only hope that we get back to it!

You might be on to something, ruffian!

Something I know:
With our Great GM, we are going into this season as a DAK-ZEKE OFFENSE.
I DONT CARE HOW POWERFUL THAT DUO IS WITH OUR GREAT O LINE, BUT DAGNABIT, WE WILL BE PREDICTABLE AND THE D's WILL STACK THE LINE!!!!
And, gridiron urchin, our receiving corps is untested and mediocre. Just admit it.

Good post, good lad!

 

[Ranching]

wonder if it's because they are fewer "elite" QB's.

Colleges run offenses that are not healthy for the NFL game. Too many injury risks for the highest paid position. Go back to run first and your QB can stay in one piece

 

[gmoney112]

Definitely not run first, but teams are starting to realize, especially after Luck continued to get killed, that maybe having a ground game was a good idea to protect your QB.

It's also starting to reemerge with the prevalence of all these smaller, hybrid LBs. It's a good way to nullify their speed and counter a strong pass rush from a good DL.

Also, safety play in general hasn't been very good, and tackling has been pretty abysmal across the league. You get a talented back and some OL that can ball, put some hats on em, and make them tackle the guy.