Comes down to running the football and stopping the run

[Hoofbite]

The tricky part is actually getting the running game going. Few years back it was a given, but now we see games where it almost doesn't exist.

 

[Buzzbait]

The ability to stop the run is crucial, so is the ability for your offense to run the ball. Hopefully Tyler Smith will be able to help that cause for the offense.

Forgot to add that Jake Ferguson could also be a big help to our ground attack with his blocking ability. Between Ferguson and Tyler Smith, our running game might receive a healthy boost.

 

[DonaldM]

Sound football

 

[DandyDon52]

I know that this is now a pass happy league but if we want to make some noise in the playoffs and make a run for the Lombardi, it comes down to our ability to run the football and to stop the other team from being able to run it. A strong run game opens up the ability to pass and keeps the other defense off-balance. San Franciso used their running game to pound us into submission in the playoffs. We need to be able to do that to our opponents.
Tyler Smith, Ferguson and Ridgeway should help us to that end. Not sure if we did enough or if there are free agents still out there that could aid in this cause. I think that a healthy Gallimore also helps a ton. What say you? Should we focus on the run or the pass to get to the next level?

better send all this to your OC the big K ! He has a little spin wheel and he only runs if it stops on run lol.
And there is only one run on the wheel.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I am not certain that running the ball is crucial to winning but stopping the run is.

That would imply the other team thinks it is critical to run the ball.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

The problem is all the points that are being made are valid but don't put a square peg in a round hole.
The Bucs dont ask Brady to run for first downs, it's idiotic. The issue is Dak is who he is. An average QB who is paid well beyond what is usefulness is to the organization.
He was the best value at QB in the league from 2016-2020, even when he go the franchise tag of 30 million or something. His cost per year was like 6 million.
As soon as they signed him to the stupid contract that value went down the drain.

We can talk about run game and stopping the run... Everything in the league boils down to a game of inches.
To me it's about having great front lines. The arc of success over the past 25 years is having a dynamic QB, pass to win and have a defense that can get stops. It's very simple.

Every once in a rare while you will win a SB with a team that is imbalanced.
Broncos with Manning in 2015
Ravens in 2000
Bucs in 2002 with Brad Johnson
You could say Eli in 2007 & 11 but he was a competent guy as much as I hate to admit it.... Better than the three examples I listed above.

The Rams won by sacrificing the future, no draft picks all in on veterans. A prolific passing game, and a strong pass rush.
Their running game was non existent...
A tangent:
If Marino was in this era, the ownership group would have been smart enough to surround him with the right talent to compete.
I never saw Prime prime Marino, but his arm and release were second to none. I am still blown away by him throwing 48 TD's in 1984. To me that is a better accomplishment than Manning, Brady, Mahomes surpassing it in the modern era.

all of the above could have been covered by the Emperor has no clothes, and Jerry's ego is the biggest obstacle to this organization's success on the field. Period Full stop

I think it's not productive to talk of meeting contract expectations. The fact remains...do you help the team win...at QB....do you effectively orchestrate the offense? Does it REALLY matter how much ya make?

PS...I know I know...it prevents you from building the team. Fine....

 

[dckid]

I think it's not productive to talk of meeting contract expectations. The fact remains...do you help the team win...at QB....do you effectively orchestrate the offense? Does it REALLY matter how much ya make?

PS...I know I know...it prevents you from building the team. Fine....

I see your point as this thread was not about Dak, it was about running the ball and stopping the run.
To me there is nothing wrong with Dak, but he is not a franchise guy. The problem I have is with the Cowboys team building. That statement can take you down a wormhole.
The thing that just really eats at me is the Cowboys saw with the Goff signing, Wentz signing, Cousins signing, Jimmy G signing, to an earlier extent the Flacco signing.
Paying a good player franchise money never works out for the team. I don't care about the money part, but the team building around that player is what gets thrown out of whack.

I am not insulting Dak by saying he will never be elite.. There are only a few guys who fall into that category.

 

[atlantacowboy]

If you really want to boil it down, it comes down to scoring more points than the other team.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I see your point as this thread was not about Dak, it was about running the ball and stopping the run.
To me there is nothing wrong with Dak, but he is not a franchise guy. The problem I have is with the Cowboys team building. That statement can take you down a wormhole.
The thing that just really eats at me is the Cowboys saw with the Goff signing, Wentz signing, Cousins signing, Jimmy G signing, to an earlier extent the Flacco signing.
Paying a good player franchise money never works out for the team. I don't care about the money part, but the team building around that player is what gets thrown out of whack.

I am not insulting Dak by saying he will never be elite.. There are only a few guys who fall into that category.

I hear ya. Just not sure there's any value in focusing on him being PAID like elite but actually isn't.

But it is the off season....so we gotta talk SOMETHING.

 

[kskboys]

If you really want to boil it down, it comes down to scoring more points than the other team.

Not really. It comes down to being able to control TOP and stop the other team in crunch time. Jerry believes the score more than the other team thingie, and that gets you an early playoff exit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[quickccc]

Defensively..
What I notice is no matter who has been the DC of the Cowboys, we continue to have issues vs run,

Phillips, Kiffin, Marinelli, Nolan, Quinn, ..it continues to be a long standing problem.
- Niners used their run game on us in playoffs; (and Deebo at that).
- Rams used their run game to wipe us out in playoffs
- Indy Colts wiped us out vs run the same reg season year
- Last reg season .. teams like Pats, Giants Carolina, Denver Chargers Chiefs …. It’s just not a secret that we be physically gutted out vs run.

Defensive Line:
I still do not think we don’t have the ideal horses up front in the trenches:
- Osa a rookie still growing and filling out physically,
- Gallimore seems to have added bulk, but he’s still learning the game per missing; most of year with elbow injury,
- Hill seems like he’s gonna be just a rotation DT here. Another one that is very short on experience.
- Watkins is decent-average, and that’s not something that changes the game for us.
- Bohanna is purely JAG at this point, I saw nuthin’ promising at all per his rookie year.
- Brent Urban was really a rotation guy who was Not brought back
- only new addition is 5th rd Ridgeway, so are we down to counting on a late round rookie for instant, vast improvement ?
- DE's supposedly DLaw is a noted run defender, Armstrong likely to take a full time role, good luck with that.
after that, are guys not noted as run defenders; ala Fowler, Williams,

Linebackers:
- Parsons- I think Parsons is a suitable run defender and should only get better; also think Quinn should continue him as middle LB/rover style
- LVE - can come and go; inconsistent as he can have a surprisingly good game or two, and then he’s out of position, wiped out in other games
despite his great size/frame (250 lbs)
Misdirection plays still tends to fool him and give him issues

- and then who else ? Jabril Cox ? it’s a wait and see from a seldom played rookie coming off ACL and recovering
- Clarke is a red shirt stash for next year- and even then he’ll be a rookie per inexperience
- Gifford seems more suited for special teams duty; not a run stopper.

Hybrid/Nickel
- safety Jevon Kearst plays the hybrid role in Quinn’s scheme that comes key in nickel package, but vs teams that can run and stays with the run game,
I’m starting to believe smallish personnel and safeties in box gets us rolled over vs the run.

 

[Cowboyny]

Defensively..
What I notice is no matter who has been the DC of the Cowboys, we continue to have issues vs run,

Phillips, Kiffin, Marinelli, Nolan, Quinn, ..it continues to be a long standing problem.
- Niners used their run game on us in playoffs; (and Deebo at that).
- Rams used their run game to wipe us out in playoffs
- Indy Colts wiped us out vs run the same reg season year
- Last reg season .. teams like Pats, Giants Carolina, Denver Chargers Chiefs …. It’s just not a secret that we be physically gutted out vs run.

Defensive Line:
I still do not think we don’t have the ideal horses up front in the trenches:
- Osa a rookie still growing and filling out physically,
- Gallimore seems to have added bulk, but he’s still learning the game per missing; most of year with elbow injury,
- Hill seems like he’s gonna be just a rotation DT here. Another one that is very short on experience.
- Watkins is decent-average, and that’s not something that changes the game for us.
- Bohanna is purely JAG at this point, I saw nuthin’ promising at all per his rookie year.
- Brent Urban was really a rotation guy who was Not brought back
- only new addition is 5th rd Ridgeway, so are we down to counting on a late round rookie for instant, vast improvement ?
- DE's supposedly DLaw is a noted run defender, Armstrong likely to take a full time role, good luck with that.
after that, are guys not noted as run defenders; ala Fowler, Williams,

Linebackers:
- Parsons- I think Parsons is a suitable run defender and should only get better; also think Quinn should continue him as middle LB/rover style
- LVE - can come and go; inconsistent as he can have a surprisingly good game or two, and then he’s out of position, wiped out in other games
despite his great size/frame (250 lbs)
Misdirection plays still tends to fool him and give him issues

- and then who else ? Jabril Cox ? it’s a wait and see from a seldom played rookie coming off ACL and recovering
- Clarke is a red shirt stash for next year- and even then he’ll be a rookie per inexperience
- Gifford seems more suited for special teams duty; not a run stopper.

Hybrid/Nickel
- safety Jevon Kearst plays the hybrid role in Quinn’s scheme that comes key in nickel package, but vs teams that can run and stays with the run game,
I’m starting to believe smallish personnel and safeties in box gets us rolled over vs the run.

I believe their hope is, that those yr 2 players take the next step. Both Osa/Golston were considered high end run defenders and needed work as pass rushers. DLaw coming back, hopefully for a full season this time, should really help as many of their long runs were due to DE's not setting the edge. Fowler is actually a far better run defender then what Randy Gregory was. Also, players knowing the scheme now, can play more instinctive, more fast.

Have they done enough? I would say no at this time, but they could get better as they have so many young prospects within this positional group.

 

[Jake]

I know that this is now a pass happy league but if we want to make some noise in the playoffs and make a run for the Lombardi, it comes down to our ability to run the football and to stop the other team from being able to run it. A strong run game opens up the ability to pass and keeps the other defense off-balance. San Franciso used their running game to pound us into submission in the playoffs. We need to be able to do that to our opponents.
Tyler Smith, Ferguson and Ridgeway should help us to that end. Not sure if we did enough or if there are free agents still out there that could aid in this cause. I think that a healthy Gallimore also helps a ton. What say you? Should we focus on the run or the pass to get to the next level?

Given the Cowboys roster construction, I agree that's the best hope.

Air Dak has limitations and how many times do we have to get run over in the playoffs before it's fixed?

 

[America's Cowboy]

Need to score points to WIN.
We fall short esp the 1st 3 Quarters of our playoff games!
P.S.Playoff team defenses who don't have to worry about the QB can stop any running attack!!!!

Right on cue...

 

[CouchCoach]

That would imply the other team thinks it is critical to run the ball.

If you watch the OC's, they modify their game plans when facing a team not strong in defending the run.

Belichick did it all the time. When I was playing DFS, I always checked the stats in run defense on teams he was facing and if they were down the list and I would start one of his backs and most of the time his D because he used his O to protect his D.

When the Cowboys have had poor run D stats, it is because the beast feeds on itself. Even pass teams run the ball against them. Hell, McVay did it to them twice with backup RB's because they were so bad in run D.

 

[nalam]

Rams in the Super Bowl - 23 Rushes, 43 Yards for 1.8 Yards a carry

Bengals in the Super Bowl - 20 Rushes, 79 Yards for 3.9 Yards a carry

So... yeah running is important....

so Rams stopped the run and passed better. Cowboys let SF OL run all over on us.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

If you watch the OC's, they modify their game plans when facing a team not strong in defending the run.

Belichick did it all the time. When I was playing DFS, I always checked the stats in run defense on teams he was facing and if they were down the list and I would start one of his backs and most of the time his D because he used his O to protect his D.

When the Cowboys have had poor run D stats, it is because the beast feeds on itself. Even pass teams run the ball against them. Hell, McVay did it to them twice with backup RB's because they were so bad in run D.

I get ya.

 

[kskboys]

If you watch the OC's, they modify their game plans when facing a team not strong in defending the run.

Belichick did it all the time. When I was playing DFS, I always checked the stats in run defense on teams he was facing and if they were down the list and I would start one of his backs and most of the time his D because he used his O to protect his D.

When the Cowboys have had poor run D stats, it is because the beast feeds on itself. Even pass teams run the ball against them. Hell, McVay did it to them twice with backup RB's because they were so bad in run D.

And Jerry still hasn't a clue as to why.