A Golden Age of Cowboys Rushing Game Came During 2022

[T-RO]

A Golden Age of the Cowboys Run-Game Came During 2022...and I suspect you might have missed it. Or failed to appreciate its epic grandeur.

There was an 8 game stretch in 2022 where a certain Dallas running back averaged 6.2 yards per carry over 111 carries. That my friends is King Arthur's Camelot. High Valyria. Elvish Rivendale. The promised land of a promised people. Oh yes, it was forty-burger time on the scoreboards. Running backs don't do that in today's NFL. Maulers up-front don't maul so viciously, play after play. Runners don't dart and dance with such results.

Yet it did happen.

Before I continue with details of this mini "golden age" and describe my view of the vital elements, I'm curious to hear your thoughts:
-What was the stretch of games?
-Who was the running back? (softball question)
-What were the key ingredients and how can it happen again?

 

[Streifenkarl]

Well my first thought was like... better put away that pipe my man... doesn't do you any good.

A couple of good games in a row don't define an age.

 

[T-RO]

A couple of good games in a row don't define an age.

8 Games, not two. You're the man smoking' if you can't read even 3 sentences into the post.

I speak of an 8 game stretch, a millinea of glory...condensed. Just my guess, but you'll either pass on the 3 questions I asked...or flop around like a beached fish in your answers.

 

[CCBoy]

A guess as to what affected useage was the blocking inconsistency up front and how much a free spirit by Dak Prescott and turn overs resulted in more ineffective play on first and second downs.

The running game was often abandoned by the second half.

 

[CCBoy]

8 Games, not two. You're the man smoking' if you can't read even 3 sentences into the post.

I speak of an 8 game stretch, a millinea of glory...condensed. Just my guess, but you'll either pass on the 3 questions I asked...or flop around like a beached fish in your answers.

Too many think that paying attention is secondary to just giving a response not grasping the stated premise, but to partially responding instead,

 

[noshame]

Folks are going to miss kellen moore much more than they realize now
I think he's destined to be a great OC but never a head coach.
If he wasn't mandated to use Zeke as the starter Pollard would have been a top 3 RB

 

[T-RO]

Folks are going to miss kellen moore much more than they realize now
I think he's destined to be a great OC but never a head coach.
If he wasn't mandated to use Zeke as the starter Pollard would have been a top 3 RB

Very much a possibility. Coaching factors could have been essential. But for this now I'm willing to focus on:

-Who were the maulers during that 8 game stretch, and what was their status, deployment?
-Running backs, their gifts and usage.

 

[jazzcat22]

Folks are going to miss kellen moore much more than they realize now
I think he's destined to be a great OC but never a head coach.
If he wasn't mandated to use Zeke as the starter Pollard would have been a top 3 RB

I will not miss him for a second. Even if they struggle a bit getting in sync with the new changes over the 1st 4 games. Because it takes that long anyway, because lack of PS game plays.

We will see how he does in LAC. I know many fans want to see him succeed, so they can post and troll it here.
I wonder if others want to see him fail for they same reason, post and troll also.
This will be a debate all season long. And of course the QB pedigree comparison. I can see many of arguments coming.
I want the LAC to succeed, not because of Moore / Herbert debate, but I want them to knock off KC. I am not a Denver fan, but for them or LVR to knock them off is also good.

He was not mandated to do anything. Fans are so hilarious over stuff like that.

 

[DeaconMoss]

One thing is for sure. It wasn't in the playoffs.

 

[T-RO]

One thing is for sure. It wasn't in the playoffs.

Get your game on. What was different between the 8-game-golden stretch and the playoffs?

 

[T-RO]

Little hint:
Zach Martin's mid-2022-season comments spelled out part of the equation, in big bold capital letters.

 

[Hardline]

You will have to go back to rookie Zeke,Emmitt Smith,a couple of DeMarco Murray seasons and Tony Dorsett to see the Golden age of Cowboys rushing.

 

[acr731]

I heard that mushrooms are a powerful psychedelic... now we have proof.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

A Golden Age of the Cowboys Run-Game Came During 2022...and I suspect you might have missed it. Or failed to appreciate its epic grandeur.

There was an 8 game stretch in 2022 where a certain Dallas running back averaged 6.2 yards per carry over 111 carries. That my friends is King Arthur's Camelot. High Valyria. Elvish Rivendale. The promised land of a promised people. Oh yes, it was forty-burger time on the scoreboards. Running backs don't do that in today's NFL. Maulers up-front don't maul so viciously, play after play. Runners don't dart and dance with such results.

Yet it did happen.

Before I continue with details of this mini "golden age" and describe my view of the vital elements, I'm curious to hear your thoughts:
-What was the stretch of games?
-Who was the running back? (softball question)
-What were the key ingredients and how can it happen again?

God love Tony Pollard....but as "horrid" as Zeke was in the 9ers game, and as hard as "everyone" blows about how we were kicking their arse until he got injured....

he had one more yard per carry than zeke.

One more yard.

Some arse whupping golden age. Boy we really showed them!

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Little hint:
Zach Martin's mid-2022-season comments spelled out part of the equation, in big bold capital letters.

Something he said about Steele...how he gets off the ball?

 

[acr731]

God love Tony Pollard....but as "horrid" as Zeke was in the 9ers game, and as hard as "everyone" blows about how we were kicking their arse until he got injured....

he had one more yard per carry than zeke.

One more yard.

Some arse whupping golden age. Boy we really showed them!

True, but we all know the game changed and basically ended the moment the 9ers did the dirty play to Pollard.

 

[DanA]

Golden age is a bit much but without looking I’d say the main factors were:

• Terence Steele run blocking before he got injured
• Dak’s return from injury
• Pollard getting more carries

I think it’s probably weeks 7-15 but I can’t remember the exact window of Dak returning before Steele got injured.

 

[LatinMind]

Folks are going to miss kellen moore much more than they realize now
I think he's destined to be a great OC but never a head coach.
If he wasn't mandated to use Zeke as the starter Pollard would have been a top 3 RB

His offenses will always put up numbers because he's pushes the pass. But his offense will always fail in tight situations. Because he's not a good playcaller.

Let's look at what happened since he started calling plays. If you doubt me, go look at the numbers.

The OL started giving up more sacks. And it starts with the OL because the Cowboys drafted and built a OL that wanted to run, they drafted the rb to run. But Kellen wanted to pass. Idc what stat you want to throw out about the team running the ball alot. Use context with that and you get the whole story on that. You can have a 16 play drive which Dallas has had plenty of. He'd run it say 10-12 times and they just blow up the defense. That's probably 1/3 of the teams carries or that game on that one drive. The following drive what would typically happen? A 3 and out with no runs. Running the ball was an inconvenience for him. MM basically said it without saying it, rather saying they had a differing opinion on philosophies.

Elliot was tearing the league up before Kellen took over. He had 1631, 987, 1434 yrds in his first 3 yrs. The 987 season the nfl had its witch hunt. I think they win the superbowl that yr if the nfl doesn't destroy their season. Kellens first yr he depended on Elliot and again tore the league up with 1357 yards 12 tds 54 rec 420 rds and 2 more ttds.then 2020 came and Moore went pass stupid from that yr on.

Ok so Dallas had a OL built for running the ball and a qb who had benefited from that and controlled games much like Purdy and Hurts do now. But Moore wanted mahommes and the Chiefs. That's not what this team was built for. So the OL started giving up more sacks and dak started turning the ball over more. All starting in 2019. The yr Moore took over the offense.

When you have 3 elements of your offense starting regressing all in the same yr, it's pretty easy to see what the problem was. Granted Jerry deserves most of the blame because he forced Moore on MM. So he enabled a guy that the job was too big for.

 

[noshame]

His offenses will always put up numbers because he's pushes the pass. But his offense will always fail in tight situations. Because he's not a good playcaller.

Let's look at what happened since he started calling plays. If you doubt me, go look at the numbers.

The OL started giving up more sacks. And it starts with the OL because the Cowboys drafted and built a OL that wanted to run, they drafted the rb to run. But Kellen wanted to pass. Idc what stat you want to throw out about the team running the ball alot. Use context with that and you get the whole story on that. You can have a 16 play drive which Dallas has had plenty of. He'd run it say 10-12 times and they just blow up the defense. That's probably 1/3 of the teams carries or that game on that one drive. The following drive what would typically happen? A 3 and out with no runs. Running the ball was an inconvenience for him. MM basically said it without saying it, rather saying they had a differing opinion on philosophies.

Elliot was tearing the league up before Kellen took over. He had 1631, 987, 1434 yrds in his first 3 yrs. The 987 season the nfl had its witch hunt. I think they win the superbowl that yr if the nfl doesn't destroy their season. Kellens first yr he depended on Elliot and again tore the league up with 1357 yards 12 tds 54 rec 420 rds and 2 more ttds.then 2020 came and Moore went pass stupid from that yr on.

Ok so Dallas had a OL built for running the ball and a qb who had benefited from that and controlled games much like Purdy and Hurts do now. But Moore wanted mahommes and the Chiefs. That's not what this team was built for. So the OL started giving up more sacks and dak started turning the ball over more. All starting in 2019. The yr Moore took over the offense.

When you have 3 elements of your offense starting regressing all in the same yr, it's pretty easy to see what the problem was. Granted Jerry deserves most of the blame because he forced Moore on MM. So he enabled a guy that the job was too big for.

Maybe we went pass stupid because elliot turned into two yards and a cloud of dust.
It's funny that when Pollard got touches and took over all of the sudden the running game was looking pretty good wasn't it?
Maybe you should check your pass versus run percentages ya think?

Well it's McCarthy's offense now so we'll see how effective it is.
At the same time we'll see how horrible kellen moore does in los angeles.

 

[plasticman]

I believe that in order to qualify a time period as an "age", the phenomenon (elite results running the ball) must be a span of several years.

A few weeks to a month doesn't qualify as an "age" or "era" or "dynasty" .

Most likely, you are talking about the middle of last season when the Cowboys played all four NFC North teams in a row.

The Vikings were ranked 31st in defense, the Lions 32nd and the Bears 29th. The Packers were ranked 17th.

Against the run, the Bears were ranked 31st, the Lions 29th, the Packers 26th and the Vikings 20th.