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From a long article by NFL.com's Bucky Brooks on multiple topics (READ FULL ARTICLE HERE)
JERRY JONES IS RIGHT: Cowboys are legit contenders in NFC
JERRY JONES IS RIGHT: Cowboys are legit contenders in NFC
The football world snickered earlier this week when Jerry Jones suggested that the Dallas Cowboys weren't that far away from the Philadelphia Eagles, but the bodacious owner's assessment of his squad is on point.
"I think that if the gap is defined as them winning the Super Bowl and [us] not even getting in the playoffs, then we've got to close the gap," Jones said recently, via ESPN's Todd Archer. "I think that we should've been in the playoffs. We weren't. But I don't believe that us not being in the playoffs this past year is the size of the gap."
Guess what? He's right. The Cowboys are legitimate contenders in the NFC, with Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott buoying their chances of making a run at the title this season. Now, I know the Cowboys' overall performance is tied to more than just the play of No. 21 and No. 4, but the dynamic duo has the capacity to mask all of the flaws on the team's roster when they're on the field together. Just look at the numbers.
In 2016, the Cowboys surged to a 13-3 record behind an offense that averaged 26.3 points per game, surrendered just 19.1 points per game and owned a plus-5 advantage in turnover differential. Those numbers dipped in 2017 when Elliott missed six games due to suspension. The team finished with a 9-7 mark, scoring just 22.1 points per game, allowing 20.8 points per game and posting a minus-1 turnover differential.
Those numbers support the notion that the Cowboys are an offensive-minded squad fueled by the play of their QB1 and RB1. When Prescott and Elliott play well, the Cowboys are nearly unbeatable, and that's why the Jones isn't off base when he suggests his squad is right there with the Eagles.
"They've got a team that mirrors us in a lot of respects," Jones said. "I like a lot of things that we have that they have. We've got a running game, offense and quarterback that I'm so proud of for looking ahead and building off of. They probably have more, to say the least, they probably have more names on defense. When I say names, just say they probably have what we'd like to continue to get to. But we've got some guys that I think we can get to there."
Say what you want about the saltiness of his commentary, Jones hit the nail on the head when assessing his squad. If the Cowboys' offensive stars show up in 2018, Dallas could be the last team standing at the end of the tournament.
Looking at Prescott's performance the past two seasons, it is apparent the Cowboys' young QB1 is capable of getting it done. He won the 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year after posting a 104.9 passer rating and a 23:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Although Prescott's production declined a bit in 2017, he certainly didn't play as poorly as the narrative suggests, posting a respectable 86.6 passer rating and 22:13 TD-to-INT ratio. Sure, those numbers aren't exactly eye-popping, but he played without his RB1 and left tackle for a significant portion of the season.
Think about it this way: If you take the top offensive threat and blindside protector away from most of the NFL's QB1s, they would struggle. Prescott is no different. He needs No. 21 behind him to dictate the terms to the defense, particularly in a scheme that wasn't designed with Prescott in mind. Remember, Stephen Jones referenced this point early in the offseason when he said the Cowboys were going to make the offense more "Dak-friendly."
"Everybody here is all-in in terms of their belief that Dak can be a great player in this league and will be," Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin show. "How do we put concepts in place, how do we put a system in place that fits his skills? Obviously, it worked out great even though we were predominantly running a Romo-friendly offense with a few wrinkles that took advantage of Dak being young and fresh-legged and being able to have the mobility that he had.
"We were able to do that, but I think as we move forward, we have to really go in and critique and make sure that our concepts and what we're doing offensively give Dak every opportunity to utilize his skill set and get the most out of him."
With that in mind, Prescott will likely regain his Pro Bowl form in an offense designed to accentuate his strengths as a dual-threat play maker. He can torment opponents executing RPOs, play-action passes, options and quarterback-designed runs with the threat of Elliott running between the tackles. The thought of No. 21 running inside is enough to make a handful of defenders pause, which creates bigger passing and running lanes for Prescott.
That brings me back to Elliott and his importance to the squad. The 2016 NFL rushing leader averaged 108.7 rushing yards on 21.5 attempts (5.1 yards per carry) with 15 rushing touchdowns as a rookie. Although his production dipped in 2017, he still averaged 98.3 rushing yards per game on 24.2 rushing attempts (4.1 yards per carry) with seven rushing touchdowns in 10 games. Elliott's rushing yards per game led the league, with Todd Gurley (87.0), Le'Veon Bell (86.1) and Kareem Hunt (82.9) well off the pace.
Thus, it's not a coincidence the Cowboys' offensive performance suffered when he served a six-game suspension from Weeks 10 to 15. During that span, the Cowboys' offense not only averaged 6.1 fewer points (from 24.4 to 18.3) but fewer total yards (from 354.7 to 294.0), rushing yards (from 144.2 to 121.3) and passing yards (from 210.5 to 172.7) when compared with the 10 games Zeke played.
That huge dip in production explains why Jones is so optimistic the Cowboys are right there with the Eagles. With Elliott on the field, the Cowboys are a more explosive and dynamic offense. No. 21 sets the table for the entire unit, including the QB1, and allows the team to employ a keep-away strategy (dominate time of possession and reduce the defense's exposure) that led to plenty of W's in 2016.
While everyone has pegged the Eagles and others as the runaway winners in the NFC East, the Cowboys are more than capable of winning the division if they lean on their offensive stars and stick to the blueprint that neutralizes the so-called talent disparity between them and their rivals.
"I think that if the gap is defined as them winning the Super Bowl and [us] not even getting in the playoffs, then we've got to close the gap," Jones said recently, via ESPN's Todd Archer. "I think that we should've been in the playoffs. We weren't. But I don't believe that us not being in the playoffs this past year is the size of the gap."
Guess what? He's right. The Cowboys are legitimate contenders in the NFC, with Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott buoying their chances of making a run at the title this season. Now, I know the Cowboys' overall performance is tied to more than just the play of No. 21 and No. 4, but the dynamic duo has the capacity to mask all of the flaws on the team's roster when they're on the field together. Just look at the numbers.
In 2016, the Cowboys surged to a 13-3 record behind an offense that averaged 26.3 points per game, surrendered just 19.1 points per game and owned a plus-5 advantage in turnover differential. Those numbers dipped in 2017 when Elliott missed six games due to suspension. The team finished with a 9-7 mark, scoring just 22.1 points per game, allowing 20.8 points per game and posting a minus-1 turnover differential.
Those numbers support the notion that the Cowboys are an offensive-minded squad fueled by the play of their QB1 and RB1. When Prescott and Elliott play well, the Cowboys are nearly unbeatable, and that's why the Jones isn't off base when he suggests his squad is right there with the Eagles.
"They've got a team that mirrors us in a lot of respects," Jones said. "I like a lot of things that we have that they have. We've got a running game, offense and quarterback that I'm so proud of for looking ahead and building off of. They probably have more, to say the least, they probably have more names on defense. When I say names, just say they probably have what we'd like to continue to get to. But we've got some guys that I think we can get to there."
Say what you want about the saltiness of his commentary, Jones hit the nail on the head when assessing his squad. If the Cowboys' offensive stars show up in 2018, Dallas could be the last team standing at the end of the tournament.
Looking at Prescott's performance the past two seasons, it is apparent the Cowboys' young QB1 is capable of getting it done. He won the 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year after posting a 104.9 passer rating and a 23:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Although Prescott's production declined a bit in 2017, he certainly didn't play as poorly as the narrative suggests, posting a respectable 86.6 passer rating and 22:13 TD-to-INT ratio. Sure, those numbers aren't exactly eye-popping, but he played without his RB1 and left tackle for a significant portion of the season.
Think about it this way: If you take the top offensive threat and blindside protector away from most of the NFL's QB1s, they would struggle. Prescott is no different. He needs No. 21 behind him to dictate the terms to the defense, particularly in a scheme that wasn't designed with Prescott in mind. Remember, Stephen Jones referenced this point early in the offseason when he said the Cowboys were going to make the offense more "Dak-friendly."
"Everybody here is all-in in terms of their belief that Dak can be a great player in this league and will be," Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan's Ben and Skin show. "How do we put concepts in place, how do we put a system in place that fits his skills? Obviously, it worked out great even though we were predominantly running a Romo-friendly offense with a few wrinkles that took advantage of Dak being young and fresh-legged and being able to have the mobility that he had.
"We were able to do that, but I think as we move forward, we have to really go in and critique and make sure that our concepts and what we're doing offensively give Dak every opportunity to utilize his skill set and get the most out of him."
With that in mind, Prescott will likely regain his Pro Bowl form in an offense designed to accentuate his strengths as a dual-threat play maker. He can torment opponents executing RPOs, play-action passes, options and quarterback-designed runs with the threat of Elliott running between the tackles. The thought of No. 21 running inside is enough to make a handful of defenders pause, which creates bigger passing and running lanes for Prescott.
That brings me back to Elliott and his importance to the squad. The 2016 NFL rushing leader averaged 108.7 rushing yards on 21.5 attempts (5.1 yards per carry) with 15 rushing touchdowns as a rookie. Although his production dipped in 2017, he still averaged 98.3 rushing yards per game on 24.2 rushing attempts (4.1 yards per carry) with seven rushing touchdowns in 10 games. Elliott's rushing yards per game led the league, with Todd Gurley (87.0), Le'Veon Bell (86.1) and Kareem Hunt (82.9) well off the pace.
Thus, it's not a coincidence the Cowboys' offensive performance suffered when he served a six-game suspension from Weeks 10 to 15. During that span, the Cowboys' offense not only averaged 6.1 fewer points (from 24.4 to 18.3) but fewer total yards (from 354.7 to 294.0), rushing yards (from 144.2 to 121.3) and passing yards (from 210.5 to 172.7) when compared with the 10 games Zeke played.
That huge dip in production explains why Jones is so optimistic the Cowboys are right there with the Eagles. With Elliott on the field, the Cowboys are a more explosive and dynamic offense. No. 21 sets the table for the entire unit, including the QB1, and allows the team to employ a keep-away strategy (dominate time of possession and reduce the defense's exposure) that led to plenty of W's in 2016.
While everyone has pegged the Eagles and others as the runaway winners in the NFC East, the Cowboys are more than capable of winning the division if they lean on their offensive stars and stick to the blueprint that neutralizes the so-called talent disparity between them and their rivals.
