CFZ A closer look at our inability to stop the run last two seasons

[Hawkeye19]

Looking at the last two seasons, it is not difficult to see what the biggest issue the Dallas Cowboys have had on defense: The inability to stop the run against the better teams we face. That’s been an issue for more than two seasons, but I chose to just look at 2022 and 2023 since they are the most recent.

In the 2022 and 2023 seasons including the playoffs, the Cowboys won 13 games in 2022 and 12 games 2023. They lost 6 games in 2022 and 6 games in 2023. I want to look at the role the inability to stop the run played in those combined 12 losses the last two seasons.

Here are the stats for the 6 losses we had in 2022 and how many yards rushing we surrendered:

• Vs TB- L 19-3. Gave up 153 yards rushing
• @Phi L 26-17. Gave up 136 yards rushing
• @GB L 31-28. Gave up 206 yards rushing
• @Jax L 40-34. Gave up 192 yards rushing
• @Wash L 26-6. Gave up 151 yards rushing (Cowboys didn’t try to win this game because playoff seeding was decided)
• @SF in Divisional round playoff game L 19-12. Gave up 113 yards rushing

In their 6 losses in 2022, the Cowboys averaged giving up 159 rushing yards per game.

Here are the stats for the 6 losses we had in 2023 and how many yards rushing we surrendered:

• @Ariz L 28-16. Gave up 222 yards rushing
• @SF L 42-10. Gave up 170 yards rushing
• @Phil L 28-23. Gave up 109 yards rushing
• @Buff L 31-10. Gave up 266 yards rushing
• @Mia L 22-20. Gave up 91 yards rushing
• Vs GB in wild card playoff game. L 48-32. Gave up 143 yards rushing.

So in our 6 losses in 2023, the Cowboys averaged giving up 167 rushing yards per game. Combining the last two seasons, we average giving up 163 yards rushing per game. You cannot beat good teams when you can’t stop the run. (Quick side note: 10 of the Cowboys 12 losses the last two seasons were on the road, and our run defense was at its worst on the road)

There are lots of things we need to fix or rebuild with the Cowboys this off-season. I know many Cowboys fans who want to change QBs. I understand that. BUT…if this team does not find a way to fix its inability to stop the run, we could have Patrick Mahomes under center and we aren’t going to win a lot of playoff games.

Fixing the run defense problem is job #1 this off-season.

I agree with you.

I just don’t see this FO as being able to fix any longterm, systemic issues that are plaguing this team.

I have come to expect nothing but FAIL from this FO and roster. I will watch games and hope for the best, but I am more than prepared for the reality of the worst likely continuing.

 

[Brax]

Agree. And this is why if we don’t fix this decades lone problem, it won’t matter if Mahomes, Superman, or any other great QB is taking snaps. If your defense can’t stop the run, you can’t win playoff games. It is really that simple.

Absolutely!

Talking 22 and 23 I’d bet the majority if not all were played when the O sputtered and the Cowboys fell behind. That said folks have to realize the D was constructed to play with a lead and be able to attack and pressure the opposing QB negating the need for high end run stoppers, look at the drafts FAs. All those great defensive games were played in front as it was constructed to do. Jerry put his cap dollars in the O side unfortunately when the O doesn’t play well to start and leaves the D on the field for long stretches you get the results you see against better team. I do believe if MaHomes or a few other QBs played here it might be very different. Not sure how you built this elite defense when so much is needed on the offensive side to make it work, all world OL all world WRs running backs and TEs. I don’t believe MM is the type of coach who can see the whole picture at least he hasn’t shown it the last 4 seasons and he also doesn’t have a generational QB talent to hide his warts

 

[MyFairLady]

Come on Bob. I give to the NFL scoring rankings:

2023 First
2022 Fourth
2021 First

And you want to stop the run in the playoffs.

 

[75boyz]

Trysten Hill-2nd rd
Neville Gallimore-3
Quinton Bohanna-6
Osi Whoever-3
Chauncey Golston-3
John Ridgeway-6
Mazi Smith-1

Brent Urban-BBFA
Carlos Watkins-BBFA

Apparently they at least recognize that the middle of the defense has been rotten and needed to be addressed, they have just failed miserably in selecting personnel.

If I had to guess it’s about allowing position coaches too much input over scouts, or one or the other just being not all that good at what they do. That happens.

This pretty much nails it.
No further responses needed, lol.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Trenches on both sides of the ball need upgrades.

no question stopping the run and the ability to run on offense make a difference.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Marinelli did longstanding damage to this team.

Stephen literally believes that all DT's should be gap-penetrators ("3Tech qualities"). If you focus on the defensive line, you will see Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill when he was here, constantly getting up field (too) easily, and the offenses attacking their vacated gap. How/why/what the heck are the professional, highly compensated NFL coaches seeing and not correcting blows me away. I have literally benched future NFL players in critical games because they were being selfish and not maintaining their gap integrity.

Hankins and Odighizuwa are the best current Cowboys DTs at holding their gaps. Gallimore still stinks, like he may be one of the lowest FBI players in the league. Mazi looks like a massive bust so far. The weight loss decision is extremely questionable but what truly worries me is that he plays so soft. You'll see me say this a lot, but in drafting/recruiting a player, you should fear the kid who is capable of dominating and for whatever reason, chooses not to.

Combine that with DQ wanting to go with 3 Safeties all the time and injuries forcing the team to play a 4th Safety at LB, and you have a defense that is ill-equipped to stop the run.

 

[Creeper]

There are certain types of runs that really burn the Cowboys defense. Those runs between the DTs and DEs kill them. Worse, the DTs do not keep the OL off the LBs so the holes are not just wide but deep into the secondary.

 

[Captain-Crash]

jerry didn't want the guys to tackle the runners?

 

[CTcowboy203]

Looking at the last two seasons, it is not difficult to see what the biggest issue the Dallas Cowboys have had on defense: The inability to stop the run against the better teams we face. That’s been an issue for more than two seasons, but I chose to just look at 2022 and 2023 since they are the most recent.

In the 2022 and 2023 seasons including the playoffs, the Cowboys won 13 games in 2022 and 12 games 2023. They lost 6 games in 2022 and 6 games in 2023. I want to look at the role the inability to stop the run played in those combined 12 losses the last two seasons.

Here are the stats for the 6 losses we had in 2022 and how many yards rushing we surrendered:

• Vs TB- L 19-3. Gave up 153 yards rushing
• @Phi L 26-17. Gave up 136 yards rushing
• @GB L 31-28. Gave up 206 yards rushing
• @Jax L 40-34. Gave up 192 yards rushing
• @Wash L 26-6. Gave up 151 yards rushing (Cowboys didn’t try to win this game because playoff seeding was decided)
• @SF in Divisional round playoff game L 19-12. Gave up 113 yards rushing

In their 6 losses in 2022, the Cowboys averaged giving up 159 rushing yards per game.

Here are the stats for the 6 losses we had in 2023 and how many yards rushing we surrendered:

• @Ariz L 28-16. Gave up 222 yards rushing
• @SF L 42-10. Gave up 170 yards rushing
• @Phil L 28-23. Gave up 109 yards rushing
• @Buff L 31-10. Gave up 266 yards rushing
• @Mia L 22-20. Gave up 91 yards rushing
• Vs GB in wild card playoff game. L 48-32. Gave up 143 yards rushing.

So in our 6 losses in 2023, the Cowboys averaged giving up 167 rushing yards per game. Combining the last two seasons, we average giving up 163 yards rushing per game. You cannot beat good teams when you can’t stop the run. (Quick side note: 10 of the Cowboys 12 losses the last two seasons were on the road, and our run defense was at its worst on the road)

There are lots of things we need to fix or rebuild with the Cowboys this off-season. I know many Cowboys fans who want to change QBs. I understand that. BUT…if this team does not find a way to fix its inability to stop the run, we could have Patrick Mahomes under center and we aren’t going to win a lot of playoff games.

Fixing the run defense problem is job #1 this off-season.

Good post. Nice stats

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

No question the run defense needs improvement, but there are several issues.

Dallas has made the philosophical choice to have an athletic speed defense that can pressure opposing QB's as opposed to a slower, power, containment defense that is better against the run. This was a strategic decision. Was it correct? If you had to choose, would you rather have a defense that was good against the run, or good against the pass?

Then there are the qualitative issues. There have been lots of personnel misses on the defensive line, independent of defense roster building strategy.

One also has to consider Dallas's offense. The play of the offense affects the defense (and vice versa). The catastrophic Green Bay loss is the perfect example. Had Dallas's offense performed better in the first half, the game unfolds in a completely different way. Green Bay does not rack up all those rushing yards if it's a close game, or if Dallas actually has the lead.

We would all love to have a nice NT and another good LB, but it's really not that simple.

 

[CowboyoWales]

I had some false hope in the Green Bay playoff game. You may remember that the Packers' first two plays from scrimmage were runs that we stuffed. I was like, "Cool, we came to pay." After that, unfortunately, the floodgates broke wide open. Then we couldn't stop the run; we couldn't stop the pass. We couldn't run ourselves. We couldn't complete a pass. Our offense didn't wake up util the third quarter, and our defense never woke up. Those guys couldn't stop a tennis ball from rolling down a hill. Our players looked like they were playing together for the first time. It's the worst game I can remember.

Yep, GB only ran for 34 yards to get to 27-0. The argument could be that its chicken and egg, where our offense's inability to come back from an 11 pts deficit gives the opposition the opportunity to hit on our weakness....defending the run.

 

[DandyDon52]

I'm sure everyone understands exactly what you are saying, but the offense HAS to take some blame here. Take the GB disaster for example. Sure, the defense was terrible, but what did the offense do to help? They put up a goose egg until the final drive of the first half. Is that the defenses fault? Nope...

Like others have mentioned in this thread already, I can't remember the last time this front office has taken the defensive side of the ball seriously. It might even go all the way back to the Jimmy Johnson days. But we have to stop giving the offense a pass when the defense has a bad day. The offense didn't get rolling against GB until they pulled their starters and played most of the 2nd half in prevent. That's just unacceptable.

Yes and the offense had the int's which help GB get the 27 1st half points. 3 and outs and not moving the ball just gave GB more possessions.
It is a team effort that is needed.Better coachin of players, better schemes, better game plans, better utilization of players, so it isnt a easy fix.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Yep, GB only ran for 34 yards to get to 27-0. The argument could be that its chicken and egg, where our offense's inability to come back from an 11 pts deficit gives the opposition the opportunity to hit on our weakness....defending the run.

Absolutely. The Green Bay coaches knew exactly what our weaknesses and how to exploit them. While Dan Quinn did take an awful defense and make it a lot better, that defense had a massive Achilles heal. As you said, it was stopping the run, especially when the team is behind. I think Quinn looked at how pass happy the league has become, so he designed a defense to stop the pass. However, he did it at the expense of run defense, and then he wasn't very good at adapting.

 

[Gambit]

Quick side note: 10 of the Cowboys 12 losses the last two seasons were on the road, and our run defense was at its worst on the road

This speaks to a communication issue on the field. Would be interested in seeing all road games win or lose run defense compared to just the losses.

I'd also be interested in seeing which of those losses Vander Esh did or did not play in.

 

[IceStar-D7]

We can't stop the run because up the middle is our weakest link. You want to stop the run??? Get a dominate nose tackle. A killer MLB. A Guy who gets off the bus hitting people. Then get you a run stopping hard hitting strong safety. At DE you have to get guys who can shut off the angles and corners.. Set the edge. That's why Micah will NEVER be a DE. Because IMHO...He can't do any of these things.

 

[Big_D]

Would also love to improve our running game on offense!!

Jerry did mention both things. Run the ball and stop the run... what he does about them is another story. But at least they are on the radar for whatever that's worth with him and Enos at the helm.

 

[Parcells4Life]

Trysten Hill-2nd rd
Neville Gallimore-3
Quinton Bohanna-6
Osi Whoever-3
Chauncey Golston-3
John Ridgeway-6
Mazi Smith-1

Brent Urban-BBFA
Carlos Watkins-BBFA

Apparently they at least recognize that the middle of the defense has been rotten and needed to be addressed, they have just failed miserably in selecting personnel.

If I had to guess it’s about allowing position coaches too much input over scouts, or one or the other just being not all that good at what they do. That happens.

Its why Durde shouldn’t be allowed at the top of any serious DC list

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

I’m obviously not an expert on how to build a better run defense. But it doesn’t take an NFL roster genius to see that our front 7 are woefully undersized and physically outgunned in the running game.

I saw a quote from one of the Buffalo OL who was quoted they couldn't wait to play us because when they saw those 210 pound LBs on film they knew they could absolutely bully them. And they went out and rushed for 266 yards. A bad Ariz team just manhandled our front 7 while rushing for 222 this year.

The only time our D was imposing its will on teams was when we were ahead two scores and opponents had to pass.

The sad part of what you wrote is that this team had this weakness from the start and the front office did nothing to actually fix the problem. They just sat on their hands and did nothing.

 

[ArtClink]

Looking at the last two seasons, it is not difficult to see what the biggest issue the Dallas Cowboys have had on defense: The inability to stop the run against the better teams we face. That’s been an issue for more than two seasons, but I chose to just look at 2022 and 2023 since they are the most recent.

In the 2022 and 2023 seasons including the playoffs, the Cowboys won 13 games in 2022 and 12 games 2023. They lost 6 games in 2022 and 6 games in 2023. I want to look at the role the inability to stop the run played in those combined 12 losses the last two seasons.

Here are the stats for the 6 losses we had in 2022 and how many yards rushing we surrendered:

• Vs TB- L 19-3. Gave up 153 yards rushing
• @Phi L 26-17. Gave up 136 yards rushing
• @GB L 31-28. Gave up 206 yards rushing
• @Jax L 40-34. Gave up 192 yards rushing
• @Wash L 26-6. Gave up 151 yards rushing (Cowboys didn’t try to win this game because playoff seeding was decided)
• @SF in Divisional round playoff game L 19-12. Gave up 113 yards rushing

In their 6 losses in 2022, the Cowboys averaged giving up 159 rushing yards per game.

Here are the stats for the 6 losses we had in 2023 and how many yards rushing we surrendered:

• @Ariz L 28-16. Gave up 222 yards rushing
• @SF L 42-10. Gave up 170 yards rushing
• @Phil L 28-23. Gave up 109 yards rushing
• @Buff L 31-10. Gave up 266 yards rushing
• @Mia L 22-20. Gave up 91 yards rushing
• Vs GB in wild card playoff game. L 48-32. Gave up 143 yards rushing.

So in our 6 losses in 2023, the Cowboys averaged giving up 167 rushing yards per game. Combining the last two seasons, we average giving up 163 yards rushing per game. You cannot beat good teams when you can’t stop the run. (Quick side note: 10 of the Cowboys 12 losses the last two seasons were on the road, and our run defense was at its worst on the road)

There are lots of things we need to fix or rebuild with the Cowboys this off-season. I know many Cowboys fans who want to change QBs. I understand that. BUT…if this team does not find a way to fix its inability to stop the run, we could have Patrick Mahomes under center and we aren’t going to win a lot of playoff games.

Fixing the run defense problem is job #1 this off-season.

Great post Hazey, as always. Stopping the run is 1) why we lost to Seattle after Romo fumble, 2) why we lost in Green Bay after Dez catch w 4:58 left in 4th Q, and 3) is why we continue to come up short against good teams in post season.

I do know the fuhrer and Giggles are incapable of building a great roster on both sides of the ball.

 

[Diehardblues]

Trysten Hill-2nd rd
Neville Gallimore-3
Quinton Bohanna-6
Osi Whoever-3
Chauncey Golston-3
John Ridgeway-6
Mazi Smith-1

Brent Urban-BBFA
Carlos Watkins-BBFA

Apparently they at least recognize that the middle of the defense has been rotten and needed to be addressed, they have just failed miserably in selecting personnel.

If I had to guess it’s about allowing position coaches too much input over scouts, or one or the other just being not all that good at what they do. That happens.

Yep

Just imagine that we’ve missed on 3 of our overall top picks on our DL in recent drafts with Taco, Hill and Mazi.

And we talk about our great drafts but yet have missed miserably on defense.

This doesn’t count another 1st round pick which had injury history whose career looks over now at LB and another 2nd rd risk pick in Jaylen. That’s a bunch of misses recently on defense in draft.

Imagine if we’d missed on 4 of 5 of our 1st round picks on offense this era. We’d probably have a 12 loss team than 12 win team.

We too often want to applaud our drafts but overall we haven’t fared as well as some want to claim . And it’s a direct major cause why this team , more specifically our defense, hasn’t been better.