News: Mailbag: Are Cowboys Still Run-First Team?

Mailbag: Are Cowboys Still Run-First Team?



Are the Cowboys still a run-first offense and team going into 2020?

David: With the money they've invested in their running back, the Cowboys would be wise to make sure they're always trying to maintain a healthy rushing attack. But it's hard to ignore the statistics about how much more important the passing game is, and how much more often NFL teams throw than run. If they're going to pay Dak Prescott, I'd argue they need to be pass-first, though they need to be efficient and effective when they do run.

Rob: As much as Dak Prescott threw the ball last year, I wouldn't say the Cowboys were an undisputed "run first" offense last season. Kellen Moore wants to attack defenses different ways. I do think as long as they have Zeke Elliott and a capable offensive line, the run game will be a large factor in what they do. The offense has been at its best when Prescott isn't having to throw 40-45 times. The 49ers were a good example last season of what playaction off the run game can do (with a great defense, too.)

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I agree with Rob..

Yes. And improved blocking from the FB and TE positions will help.

They - or any team in the NFL - shouldn't be run/pass-first.

It is a league where you need to exploit numbers and matchups. Could mean 60 runs, could mean 60 passes. Either way, there should be a different approach for each opponent.

this is all stupid stuff. every team is "we want to win" you can be a run first team and the defense might stop your run all game, are you going to abandon it because a label says so? no, you re going to try other means.

They paid Zeke the most of any RB and then passed more. They will pay Prescott, top 3 money and he will struggle, once Cooper leaves (they will not be able to tag him under new CBA.)

Maybe they should invest in a new punter.

We work best when we are balanced. But a few extra runs are ok if it’s killing the other team.

Feed the beast.

they need to have a balanced attack. runs and passes should be close to the same percentage.

I think the run will be an important part but I do think we will see more high percentage passing on 1st down. It had gotten to the point that everyone including defense knew to stack the line on 1st down and play pass defense and bring the rush if Dallas was facing 2nd and longer situations. I fully expect to see a good mixture on 1st down between run and pass

Seems to me that a team has to be flexible in its run/pass balance. Also, being able to adjust on the fly, situationally, would certainly help.

Hopefully not alot of up the gut on first down like the last regime.

the problem was the play calling in games where the run was working and in the 2nd half they tried being a passing team and lost a lot of games because if it, on the other hand they also went away from the *** a few times when it was working..

They should be a run first type team with pollard and Zeke plus Daks legs but also have game plans and in game adjustments that when its working like against the rams just keep rolling with it..

KM and JG seemed to try and outsmart the defense by going away from what was working but last year it was the 2nd half of games that were relatively close..Zeke led the league in first half rushing yards and YPC but fell way off in the 2nd half and I blame coaching..

KM 2nd year with MM over his shoulder should fix a lot of that..

RPOS with or Run Game and Daks mobility should have been used more and working better, some of that is on Dak making the wrong reads, he seemed to shy away from keeping it and defense caught on..maybe ut was the no LTC and injury but Dak really messed some of those RPOs up especially late in the MN game.. like I said coaching is to blame for a lot but Dak is the QB who calls plays, changing or adjust them and makes the decsions on where the ball goes.. he had issues last season getting the right decsions..

Not sure if we'll call it run-first, but I expect the RB position to get the same touches as before.

Future said:

They - or any team in the NFL - shouldn't be run/pass-first.

It is a league where you need to exploit numbers and matchups. Could mean 60 runs, could mean 60 passes. Either way, there should be a different approach for each opponent.

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Good post.

This also happens to be the exact opposite of Jason Garrett’s “we do what we do” philosophy


If nothing else McCarthy changing that dreaded mindset will be a huge plus for the team.

Of course, even in the years we think of as the team having success as a "run first" team (2014 & 2016) we only ran 51-52% of the time, so the passing game was still given almost an equal share of the snaps. Balance is the real key for the Cowboys.

Doomsday101 said:

I think the run will be an important part but I do think we will see more high percentage passing on 1st down. It had gotten to the point that everyone including defense knew to stack the line on 1st down and play pass defense and bring the rush if Dallas was facing 2nd and longer situations. I fully expect to see a good mixture on 1st down between run and pass

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For this fan, they should be fresh enough to keep converting large chunk...first and second down plays. Then score in the red zone.

DakPresgoat said:

Good post.

This also happens to be the exact opposite of Jason Garrett’s “we do what we do” philosophy


If nothing else McCarthy changing that dreaded mindset will be a huge plus for the team.

Click to expand...

Yea, I wrote about JG and then deleted it b/c I didn't want to turn it into one of those threads lol. Colossal shift from him.

If you pay your running back $90 million you are a run first team even if you throw the ball every down.

Should be a move the ball effectively team and then capitalize in the red zone type of team.

Big Mc's bread butter was slants, curls and outs with Green Bay. He was pass first. Pass to set up the run. Or pass until they stop us. So there's the unknown.

Dak threw 596, Goff and Winston threw the most 626, Wentz, Brady and Ryan also threw more than 600 passes. But we don't know how many of those passes resulted from the game situation at the time they were thrown. Another unknown.

Given those two unknowns I'll take Rob's view.