Anybody notice that neither team ran the ball all that well?

[RonnieT24]

I agree we need to get the good Dak for the full season and not just the first 7 games. But I don't think it was his injury that caused him to revert to the bad Dak. There were games here and there where Dak looked pretty good. Atlanta, Washington for examples? I think what was going on with Dak is something else, something more troubling. We saw the same thing in 2019. People argue he hurt his shoulder in 2019 and that is why he looked awful against New England and Philadelphia, but the week following the Eagles game he was lights out against Washington in a game that hardly mattered. I don't think it was his shoulder.

A team cannot win many games if the QB is not making plays, or worse, making mistakes. That Rams managed to keep it close after losing a lead when Stafford started to make mistakes, but in the end Stafford did come through to finish a drive. I think the Cowboys need to take the pressure off Dak. Build the defense. Fix the running game so it is at least a threat. And stop making Dak throw the ball 50 times. Try to limit him to 30 passes and I bet the Cowboys will be more successful overall.

Sho nuff.. I love Dak as much as any fan but I don't want him chuckin it 50 times a game. I want a more balanced offense. No team nor any QB can survive playing that way all the time and Dak is no exception. Yes you can beat bad teams without being balanced because you just have better players. But good teams require you to have good schemes. Good DCs will study what you do and devise effective counters for it. WHen that happens it's on the OC to have a countermove. Too many times we have seen Moore just stand there looking befuddled when his stuff isn't working. That aint gonna cut it. I do think Dak must bear some of the blame too because he has to be able to sense when Moore's "bag" is empty and he needs to take ownership of the offense.. He needs to call the absolute best plays that he knows he and his mates can execute to perfection against any defense. I think he does that sometimes when they go no huddle but IMHO I don't think he does it enough. Maybe because his own mastery of the offense is not where he wants it to be or because Moore is in his head not to change too much. But for him to take that next step he can't be out there handing the ball off to Zeke up the middle behind Connor Williams knowing Biadasz is apparently assigned to help Zack Martin and not take the middle backer and that a tight end has to block the backside DE. He has to know that play aint goin nowhere and audible to something else. And it doesn't necessarily have to be from a run to a pass.. It could be from a doomed run to a better run. That's what I need to see from him in order to feel fully confident that he can get us to the promised land. Until I see it consistently for a full season I am going to be watching every game with side eye..

 

[Creeper]

Sho nuff.. I love Dak as much as any fan but I don't want him chuckin it 50 times a game. I want a more balanced offense. No team nor any QB can survive playing that way all the time and Dak is no exception. Yes you can beat bad teams without being balanced because you just have better players. But good teams require you to have good schemes. Good DCs will study what you do and devise effective counters for it. WHen that happens it's on the OC to have a countermove. Too many times we have seen Moore just stand there looking befuddled when his stuff isn't working. That aint gonna cut it. I do think Dak must bear some of the blame too because he has to be able to sense when Moore's "bag" is empty and he needs to take ownership of the offense.. He needs to call the absolute best plays that he knows he and his mates can execute to perfection against any defense. I think he does that sometimes when they go no huddle but IMHO I don't think he does it enough. Maybe because his own mastery of the offense is not where he wants it to be or because Moore is in his head not to change too much. But for him to take that next step he can't be out there handing the ball off to Zeke up the middle behind Connor Williams knowing Biadasz is apparently assigned to help Zack Martin and not take the middle backer and that a tight end has to block the backside DE. He has to know that play aint goin nowhere and audible to something else. And it doesn't necessarily have to be from a run to a pass.. It could be from a doomed run to a better run. That's what I need to see from him in order to feel fully confident that he can get us to the promised land. Until I see it consistently for a full season I am going to be watching every game with side eye..

I have been blaming Biadasz for this but he has done it so many times I wonder if it actually his assignment. If so, all the offensive coaches should be fired.

 

[Chuck 54]

Yet neither of them ever completely stopped running it..

As many of us have been preaching here since "Yards are Yards" took over the play calling. It doesn't matter if the running game isn't breaking off huge chunks of yards .. you simply HAVE to keep doing it regardless. Otherwise you let the opposing defense tee off on your QB.

Now before anybody chimes in that both teams threw it more than they ran it.. that is 100% correct.. but a lot of the Rams' passes were in the final minutes when they were down and needed a TD because their punter couldn't hold a PAT snap. Before that drive they had thrown it 28 times and run it 21. That's about as close as you get to being "balanced" in the modern NFL. I really hope our resident offensive "genius" watched that game and saw all the creative ways McVay ran the ball and got the ball to his play makers. Somehow I doubt any of it sunk in for him though.

I thought Cinncy ran it very well. They had a great per carry average. They surprisingly ran it very little after they had the lead.

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

RonnieT24 let me ask you a question. When have the Dallas Cowboys EVER won without an effective running game? Duane Thomas Calvin Hill, Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith all won Super Bowls here. Now I'm not saying run for the sake of running but an effective rushing attack, balanced with a potent pass offense seems to be what worked. QB is important because he touches the ball every play and we have never won squat with out a top tier QB either, but we have always been balanced. Defense, Offense, Special Teams. I don't wish to be the L.A Rams, I don't wish to be the K.C Chiefs . There were more prolific passers than Roger Staubach when he played, There were more prolific passers when Troy Aikman played. But Balance thats what won seems to me. Let me know what you think.

 

[RonnieT24]

RonnieT24 let me ask you a question. When have the Dallas Cowboys EVER won without an effective running game? Duane Thomas Calvin Hill, Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith all won Super Bowls here. Now I'm not saying run for the sake of running but an effective rushing attack, balanced with a potent pass offense seems to be what worked. QB is important because he touches the ball every play and we have never won squat with out a top tier QB either, but we have always been balanced. Defense, Offense, Special Teams. I don't wish to be the L.A Rams, I don't wish to be the K.C Chiefs . There were more prolific passers than Roger Staubach when he played, There were more prolific passers when Troy Aikman played. But Balance thats what won seems to me. Let me know what you think.

I am not just part of the choir when it comes to running the ball.. I am the choir director, band leader and lead soloist. I want this team to be able to win however it has to.. and I know it CAN'T win if it's only good at one thing. Sure some team might luck into a Super Bowl with one dominant unit while other components of the team suck. People get enamored with the latest shiny new toy QB too easily. I don't want a shiny new toy QB. I want a great QB for 10 years. One who gives my team a shot at the Super Bowl every year. I want him paired with a consistent top 10 running game and top 10 defense and let the chips fall where they may. I think the latter may be well on the way but I fear that as long as Mr. Yards are Yards is calling the plays this will never be a consistent rushing team. I mean they may play enough patsies to sneak into the top 10 rankings wise.. but if every time they face a good team we're running for less than 3 ypc and fewer than 20 called runs then that aint a good rushing attack.. it's just a big fish eatin little fish. When the bigger fish show up, we are left to wallow in one-dimensional football. And I hate it.. And again, it will eat chumps for lunch and look good doing it.. but up against the big boys you can't just show up with one hand tied behind your back and expect to win.

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

I am not just part of the choir when it comes to running the ball.. I am the choir director, band leader and lead soloist. I want this team to be able to win however it has to.. and I know it CAN'T win if it's only good at one thing. Sure some team might luck into a Super Bowl with one dominant unit while other components of the team suck. People get enamored with the latest shiny new toy QB too easily. I don't want a shiny new toy QB. I want a great QB for 10 years. One who gives my team a shot at the Super Bowl every year. I want him paired with a consistent top 10 running game and top 10 defense and let the chips fall where they may. I think the latter may be well on the way but I fear that as long as Mr. Yards are Yards is calling the plays this will never be a consistent rushing team. I mean they may play enough patsies to sneak into the top 10 rankings wise.. but if every time they face a good team we're running for less than 3 ypc and fewer than 20 called runs then that aint a good rushing attack.. it's just a big fish eatin little fish. When the bigger fish show up, we are left to wallow in one-dimensional football. And I hate it.. And again, it will eat chumps for lunch and look good doing it.. but up against the big boys you can't just show up with one hand tied behind your back and expect to win.

Exactly Thanks Man

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

We Can and Must Run the Ball. Like I said not just to run the ball, We must be successful at it . I hate to sound like an old fuddy duddy but it is still football. The offensive and defensive lines still hold the key. Always have and until they begin playing two hand touch, always will

 

[ConstantReboot]

And why couldn't they? DJ Reader and A'Shaun Robinson.

At one point in the game the announcers discussed how the Rams couldn't stop the run unless A'Shaun was in the game.

JERRY, pull your head out of your bum and listen to someone for a change.

It is not accident that the super bowl teams have huge NT's and can stop the run.

Still can't understand why we didn't sign DJ Reader. He was available for cheap then.

Same Javon Hardgrave.

We want to sign nothing but backups and 3rd stringers. But never the players that can help us.

Jerry hasn't got a clue.

 

[RonnieT24]

Still can't understand why we didn't sign DJ Reader. He was available for cheap then.

Same Javon Hardgrave.

We want to sign nothing but backups and 3rd stringers. But never the players that can help us.

Jerry hasn't got a clue.

Ksk and I have been commiserating over Jerry's unwillingness to go and get a big ole sloppy pocket crunching DT dating back to the old site. It makes no sense to constantly wanna trot chumps out there at such a crucial position. I mean I get that Rod didn't like that kind of player but hell Rod has been gone three years and we still have not really addressed that need. It's absolutely maddening!!

 

[OmerV]

I really hope our resident offensive "genius" watched that game and saw all the creative ways McVay ran the ball and got the ball to his play makers. Somehow I doubt any of it sunk in for him though.

I'm not sure there was much to learn from how the Rams ran the ball, They averaged 1.9 yards per carry.

I also don't think they, or the Bengals, ran it a number of times that would have been unusual for Dallas. One team had 23 carries, the other had 20, and that was with the QB's combining for 5 of those carries. I would bet there were very few games the Cowboys didn't have that many.

To be clear, I'm not defending Moore. I definitely think the offense struggled the 2nd half of the season, and I have no problem putting a fair share of that blame on him. I just don't think the way the running games played out in the Super Bowl looked any better or provided a lesson for Moore to learn from.

 

[RonnieT24]

I'm not sure there was much to learn from how the Rams ran the ball, They averaged 1.9 yards per carry.

I also don't think they, or the Bengals, ran it a number of times that would have been unusual for Dallas. One team had 23 carries, the other had 20, and that was with the QB's combining for 5 of those carries. I would bet there were very few games the Cowboys didn't have that many.

To be clear, I'm not defending Moore. I definitely think the offense struggled the 2nd half of the season, and I have no problem putting a fair share of that blame on him. I just don't think the way the running games played out in the Super Bowl looked any better.

I get what you're saying but here's why I say it was instructional the way it played out. The team that ran the ball the worst ran it the most. The team that ran it the best ran it the least and got their QB sacked 7 times in the process.. and also lost. The coach whose team won the game was the one who realized that even if it was just pecking out 2 ypc he still needed to throw some running plays in there. And not all of them needed to be banging right up the middle.

 

[conner01]

I do as well, They were able to get some good runs with Mixon and they way the Rams were getting after Burrow I think running could have take some pressure off of him.

I don’t get it
You stop running and you allow the Dline to just pin their ears back and the LB to drop into underneath coverage
When they ran the LB we’re having to come up to defend the run and that opens space behind them
Other than the penalties at the end, I felt that was a huge key to their loss
And the fact their oline just can’t pass protect
Burrow is gonna have a short career if they don’t get that fixed

 

[Brax]

Yet neither of them ever completely stopped running it..

As many of us have been preaching here since "Yards are Yards" took over the play calling. It doesn't matter if the running game isn't breaking off huge chunks of yards .. you simply HAVE to keep doing it regardless. Otherwise you let the opposing defense tee off on your QB.

Now before anybody chimes in that both teams threw it more than they ran it.. that is 100% correct.. but a lot of the Rams' passes were in the final minutes when they were down and needed a TD because their punter couldn't hold a PAT snap. Before that drive they had thrown it 28 times and run it 21. That's about as close as you get to being "balanced" in the modern NFL. I really hope our resident offensive "genius" watched that game and saw all the creative ways McVay ran the ball and got the ball to his play makers. Somehow I doubt any of it sunk in for him though.

I guess those 7 sacks and all the hurries had nothing to do with it. both D's came prepared to play, the Bengals OL wasn't that good, you do know Bengals had an average of 4 ypc in the game so by your logic Bengal's should have won as the Rams had 1.9 ypc for 43 yards total. Not sure Dallas even makes the playoffs with a QB sacked 51 times in 16 games let alone what happened in the playoffs and SB. This game had little to do with rushing the ball for the winner.

 

[kskboys]

Still can't understand why we didn't sign DJ Reader. He was available for cheap then.

Same Javon Hardgrave.

We want to sign nothing but backups and 3rd stringers. But never the players that can help us.

Jerry hasn't got a clue.

We spend money on CB's and WR's.

 

[DonaldM]

Lengthy garbage. We need a new QB (Aaron) new owner and new head coach. We suck. Vrabel is a good one.

 

[RonnieT24]

I guess those 7 sacks and all the hurries had nothing to do with it. both D's came prepared to play, the Bengals OL wasn't that good, you do know Bengals had an average of 4 ypc in the game so by your logic Bengal's should have won as the Rams had 1.9 ypc for 43 yards total. Not sure Dallas even makes the playoffs with a QB sacked 51 times in 16 games let alone what happened in the playoffs and SB. This game had little to do with rushing the ball for the winner.

I think the 7 sacks had a lot do with it.. but guess what doesn't happen when you run the ball? You guessed it.. you can't get sacked.. Yes the defenses came to play.. And my "logic" was that the team that showed the greater commitment to the run won the game.. not the one who actually ran it better. Don't try to twist it around. The Bengals ran the ball better and game up more sacks despite leading most of the second half.. MY contention is that had they simply stuck to the run (like the Rams did) they would have given up fewer sacks and quite possibly would have been able to maintain control of the game longer leaving the Rams not enough time to mount that long drive to take the lead. Again.. the Rams had run the ball 20 times and thrown it 28 entering that last drive.. They had continued to run the ball despite being behind and despite only getting 2 yards a pop. I don't know how to make it any plainer than that. They kept running it because they knew they had to. The Bengals didn't think they had to.. and it cost them.. IMHO of course.

Oh and the Cowboys made the playoffs in 2018 despite Dak having been sacked 56 times..

Just in case you forgot..

 

[Brax]

I think the 7 sacks had a lot do with it.. but guess what doesn't happen when you run the ball? You guessed it.. you can't get sacked.. Yes the defenses came to play.. And my "logic" was that the team that showed the greater commitment to the run won the game.. not the one who actually ran it better. Don't try to twist it around. The Bengals ran the ball better and game up more sacks despite leading most of the second half.. MY contention is that had they simply stuck to the run (like the Rams did) they would have given up fewer sacks and quite possibly would have been able to maintain control of the game longer leaving the Rams not enough time to mount that long drive to take the lead. Again.. the Rams had run the ball 20 times and thrown it 28 entering that last drive.. They had continued to run the ball despite being behind and despite only getting 2 yards a pop. I don't know how to make it any plainer than that. They kept running it because they knew they had to. The Bengals didn't think they had to.. and it cost them.. IMHO of course.

Oh and the Cowboys made the playoffs in 2018 despite Dak having been sacked 56 times..

Just in case you forgot..

Come on the Rams ran 23 times the Bengals 20 times for close to twice as much, let me give you a clue about the sacks the Bengals OL is flat out bad and your twisted view is pretty lame and indefensible, I guess those passes the Rams used at the end was because the Bengals respected that 1.9 yard average. Yes, those3 extra runs won the Rams the game, LOL how do you come up with stuff like this? The Bengal's OL was a turnstile during the year and got worse in the playoffs, so you say run the ball another 10 times with JB as your QB, don't apply for any coaching jobs it's a waste of your time.

 

[DonaldM]

Geez. Bible. So boring

 

[DonaldM]

Cotton pillows

 

[DonaldM]

I'd smoke Ronnie in abrace