Can Cowboys expect to be elite on 3rd downs once again?

[big dog cowboy]

Can Cowboys expect to be elite on 3rd downs once again?
Reid Hanson
June 27, 2024

Extreme proficiencies in one area have a way of hiding extreme deficiencies in other areas. A great sauce can disguise an overcooked slice of meat. A great lawn can make up for a domicile’s bland exterior. An excellent beard can hide a not-so-excellent jaw line. All like an efficient third-down offense can hide a fairly inefficient early-down offense. For better or for worse, greatness can overshadow items that need attention.

It’s that last category the Cowboys must contend with in 2024. Dallas led the entire NFL in two major third-down categories last season: They finished No. 1 in EPA/play on third downs and No. 1 in success rate on those snaps.

It hides the fact they were just eighth on early downs in EPA/play and sixth in early down success rate. Early downs are when the most efficient offenses typically make their biggest plays. 1st-and-10 is a time when an offense can realistically run or pass. Defenses subsequently play more honestly, and offenses can attack more opportunistically.

How the Cowboys go about achieving success on early downs is a topic for another day. Today it’s about taking the lipstick off the pig and seeing the offense for what it was. It was heavily reliant on elite third down play and not nearly as efficient as it needed to be on early downs.

More: https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/27/cowboys-3rd-down-efficiency-expectations-2024/

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I could be wrong it appears to me this is the exact reason our offense is usually slow starters or takes a quarter or two to get going. Hell, I would argue it was part of the we lost the GB game. The offense was slow getting started and the defense couldn't stop the bleeding.

 

[JoeKing]

The Cowboys can always expect to be many things. The better question is, is it reasonable to expect the Cowboys to be elite on 3rd down? My reply is, how can we know so early in the preseason? It's impossible. We need to see what happens in training camp and the first few season games first. Seeing how the starting offense operates will tell us everything. You won't see that in preseason games.

 

[shabazz]

Of course they will be elite on 3rd down.....with the improved RB corp, I can forsee a lot of 3rd and short situations

 

[Rockport]

Can Cowboys expect to be elite on 3rd downs once again?
Reid Hanson
June 27, 2024

Extreme proficiencies in one area have a way of hiding extreme deficiencies in other areas. A great sauce can disguise an overcooked slice of meat. A great lawn can make up for a domicile’s bland exterior. An excellent beard can hide a not-so-excellent jaw line. All like an efficient third-down offense can hide a fairly inefficient early-down offense. For better or for worse, greatness can overshadow items that need attention.

It’s that last category the Cowboys must contend with in 2024. Dallas led the entire NFL in two major third-down categories last season: They finished No. 1 in EPA/play on third downs and No. 1 in success rate on those snaps.

It hides the fact they were just eighth on early downs in EPA/play and sixth in early down success rate. Early downs are when the most efficient offenses typically make their biggest plays. 1st-and-10 is a time when an offense can realistically run or pass. Defenses subsequently play more honestly, and offenses can attack more opportunistically.

How the Cowboys go about achieving success on early downs is a topic for another day. Today it’s about taking the lipstick off the pig and seeing the offense for what it was. It was heavily reliant on elite third down play and not nearly as efficient as it needed to be on early downs.

More: https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/27/cowboys-3rd-down-efficiency-expectations-2024/

As long as Dak stays healthy they will. No running game on 1st or 2nd last season and they still won 12 games. Amazing.

 

[5Stars]

As long as Dak stays healthy they will. No running game on 1st or 2nd last season and they still won 12 games. Amazing.

Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak,Dak, Dak, Dak,Dak, Dak, Dak,Dak, Dak, Dak,Dak, Dak, Dak,!

 

[KJJ]

They need to be elite stopping the opponent on third down especially in the playoffs.

 

[Typhus]

When this OL begins to gel, and nobody telling the truth knows when that will take place, but if by mid-season they start to settle in then we might have enough to chase a WC into postseason.
Should see an immediate 3rd down improvement.

 

[noshame]

Yes it's true, we all saw CeeDee take a 2 yd pass for 15-20 over and over

 

[TwentyOne]

Can Cowboys expect to be elite on 3rd downs once again?
Reid Hanson
June 27, 2024

Extreme proficiencies in one area have a way of hiding extreme deficiencies in other areas. A great sauce can disguise an overcooked slice of meat. A great lawn can make up for a domicile’s bland exterior. An excellent beard can hide a not-so-excellent jaw line. All like an efficient third-down offense can hide a fairly inefficient early-down offense. For better or for worse, greatness can overshadow items that need attention.

It’s that last category the Cowboys must contend with in 2024. Dallas led the entire NFL in two major third-down categories last season: They finished No. 1 in EPA/play on third downs and No. 1 in success rate on those snaps.

It hides the fact they were just eighth on early downs in EPA/play and sixth in early down success rate. Early downs are when the most efficient offenses typically make their biggest plays. 1st-and-10 is a time when an offense can realistically run or pass. Defenses subsequently play more honestly, and offenses can attack more opportunistically.

How the Cowboys go about achieving success on early downs is a topic for another day. Today it’s about taking the lipstick off the pig and seeing the offense for what it was. It was heavily reliant on elite third down play and not nearly as efficient as it needed to be on early downs.

More: https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/27/cowboys-3rd-down-efficiency-expectations-2024/

Did i miss something ?

Elite on 3rd Down.

Good one.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

Can Cowboys expect to be elite on 3rd downs once again?
Reid Hanson
June 27, 2024

Extreme proficiencies in one area have a way of hiding extreme deficiencies in other areas. A great sauce can disguise an overcooked slice of meat. A great lawn can make up for a domicile’s bland exterior. An excellent beard can hide a not-so-excellent jaw line. All like an efficient third-down offense can hide a fairly inefficient early-down offense. For better or for worse, greatness can overshadow items that need attention.

It’s that last category the Cowboys must contend with in 2024. Dallas led the entire NFL in two major third-down categories last season: They finished No. 1 in EPA/play on third downs and No. 1 in success rate on those snaps.

It hides the fact they were just eighth on early downs in EPA/play and sixth in early down success rate. Early downs are when the most efficient offenses typically make their biggest plays. 1st-and-10 is a time when an offense can realistically run or pass. Defenses subsequently play more honestly, and offenses can attack more opportunistically.

How the Cowboys go about achieving success on early downs is a topic for another day. Today it’s about taking the lipstick off the pig and seeing the offense for what it was. It was heavily reliant on elite third down play and not nearly as efficient as it needed to be on early downs.

More: https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/27/cowboys-3rd-down-efficiency-expectations-2024/

Honestly I think this is more indicative of the lack of a run game last season. It makes it hard to have success on those downs when our OC insisted on running HB dives to nowhere pretty often on those downs.

Not to mention that 8th in EPA/Play and 6th in Early Down Success Rate is actually good performance.

 

[Chasing6]

Can Cowboys expect to be elite on 3rd downs once again?
Reid Hanson
June 27, 2024

Extreme proficiencies in one area have a way of hiding extreme deficiencies in other areas. A great sauce can disguise an overcooked slice of meat. A great lawn can make up for a domicile’s bland exterior. An excellent beard can hide a not-so-excellent jaw line. All like an efficient third-down offense can hide a fairly inefficient early-down offense. For better or for worse, greatness can overshadow items that need attention.

It’s that last category the Cowboys must contend with in 2024. Dallas led the entire NFL in two major third-down categories last season: They finished No. 1 in EPA/play on third downs and No. 1 in success rate on those snaps.

It hides the fact they were just eighth on early downs in EPA/play and sixth in early down success rate. Early downs are when the most efficient offenses typically make their biggest plays. 1st-and-10 is a time when an offense can realistically run or pass. Defenses subsequently play more honestly, and offenses can attack more opportunistically.

How the Cowboys go about achieving success on early downs is a topic for another day. Today it’s about taking the lipstick off the pig and seeing the offense for what it was. It was heavily reliant on elite third down play and not nearly as efficient as it needed to be on early downs.

More: https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/27/cowboys-3rd-down-efficiency-expectations-2024/

Not on 3rd and short.

 

[AmericasTeam81]

Regression to the mean incoming.

 

[75boyz]

I dont really care what last year's 3rd down success rate shows until you look at it in its proper context. Again, context is everything. Converting 3rd downs against quality/play-off opponents has not been consistent at all for this team.

So, it all depends on who you're playing if ya ask me.
But yeah, overall, converting 3rd downs and stopping the opponent from converting 3rd downs is a very strong factor in determining the outcome of all games.

As to early down success rate, particularly our predictable suck *** run scheme, playcalling and coaching...
Has and will continue to suck.

It's the reason for those wonderful 3 and outs.

Cowboys!

 

[Rockport]

Did i miss something ?

Elite on 3rd Down.

Good one.

Facts. Deal with it or whine. Your choice.

 

[plymkr]

They need to be elite stopping the opponent on third down especially in the playoffs.

Bingo

 

[Coogiguy03]

Well with ZEKE back get the 1 WR, 4 TE package and shove it up the middle

This is old news

 

[ChuckA1]

May be hard without a tier 1 RB.