Nation
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Say what you want about Detroit's offense but the defense is very legit. They are Top 5 in pretty much every relevant category and thus represent a serious test for the offense. Here's how they shake out and how Dallas has faired against other similar quality D's.
POINTS PER GAME - 17.6 (3rd)
The Cowboys have faced 4 teams in the top 10 in points per game, but I'm going to exclude Arizona from this as it wasn't with the starting quarterback. Seattle is 1st at 15.9 per game, and Dallas scored 30 against them. Houston is 7th at 19.2 and Dallas scored 20. San Fran is 10th at 21.2 and Dallas scored 17. It's been a while since Dallas has faced a quality D, but they passed their last test improving as the season got going.
YARDS PER GAME - 300.9 (2nd)
This was another category where Seattle was 1st, letting up a league low 267.1 yards. Dallas steamrolled them for 401 in October. San Fran is the other top ten we played in the season, at 5th overall letting up 321.4. Dallas again hit the "over" here with 382 total.
YARDS PER PLAY - 4.9 (4th)
Seattle again #1, this time at 4.6 but again Dallas blew that out of the water at 5.8 per. Houston and San Fran were 6th & 7th at 5.2 per, and Dallas got each of them for 6.1 each.
DEFENSIVE PASSER RATING - 83.0 (9th)
Dallas faced the 4th (79.5), 5th (80.4), and 6th (80.4) pass D's in San Fran, Seattle, and Houston. San Fran was terribly below average for Tony (60.8 rating) but he was excellent against Seattle (110.2) and very good verse Houston (98)
INTERCEPTIONS - 20 or 1.25 per game (4th)
San Fran was 1st in the league with 23, 3 of which they got from Romo. Houston also had 20, and Romo was 1 of those. This was actually one of the areas where we struggled against Top D's and is a major point of emphasis when it comes to playoff football.
RUSHING YARDS PER GAME - 69.3 (1st)
Strength meets strength here, with Detroit significantly better than the other teams in the league. Thus far though Dallas has beaten the strength of other teams however. Seattle is 3rd at 81.5 per game and they got them for 162. San Fran is 7 at 100.8 and Dallas went for 127, and Houston 10th at 105.1 who went for 140.
RUSHING YARDS PER PLAY - 3.2 (1st)
Again some real domination here. Seattle is next best at 3.4 and Dallas went for 4.5 there. Houston was 8th at 4.0 and Dallas hit 4.2. San Fran was 10th at 4.0 and Dallas went for 5.5. What concerns me is the Eagles were 5th overall and those were the more recent games, and Philly held Dallas to 3.1 per carry, off a 3.7 team average for the year.
After looking at all this I think the offensive game plan is pretty simple. They absolutely have to protect the football in a one-and-done playoff game, and the team needs to stick with the running game even if there are early struggles with it. I'm not suggesting running into a brick wall, but moreso doing enough to open up play action and not be forced into a one dimensional gameplan. There were 3 teams who cleared 24 points on Detroit, and they were Carolina, New England, and Green Bay, with the Carolina game being more of an outlier as they forced several turnovers. Both New England and Green Bay took the approach of spreading the ball around and attacking them that way. The Patriots saw 5 different players with 5+ receptions, and I think a similar spread-em out approach will be what it will take here. You want the ball in the hands of Dez and Murray as often as possible, but Detroit appears to be a team that you need to kill off with a thousand papercuts as opposed to just shooting them in the head.
POINTS PER GAME - 17.6 (3rd)
The Cowboys have faced 4 teams in the top 10 in points per game, but I'm going to exclude Arizona from this as it wasn't with the starting quarterback. Seattle is 1st at 15.9 per game, and Dallas scored 30 against them. Houston is 7th at 19.2 and Dallas scored 20. San Fran is 10th at 21.2 and Dallas scored 17. It's been a while since Dallas has faced a quality D, but they passed their last test improving as the season got going.
YARDS PER GAME - 300.9 (2nd)
This was another category where Seattle was 1st, letting up a league low 267.1 yards. Dallas steamrolled them for 401 in October. San Fran is the other top ten we played in the season, at 5th overall letting up 321.4. Dallas again hit the "over" here with 382 total.
YARDS PER PLAY - 4.9 (4th)
Seattle again #1, this time at 4.6 but again Dallas blew that out of the water at 5.8 per. Houston and San Fran were 6th & 7th at 5.2 per, and Dallas got each of them for 6.1 each.
DEFENSIVE PASSER RATING - 83.0 (9th)
Dallas faced the 4th (79.5), 5th (80.4), and 6th (80.4) pass D's in San Fran, Seattle, and Houston. San Fran was terribly below average for Tony (60.8 rating) but he was excellent against Seattle (110.2) and very good verse Houston (98)
INTERCEPTIONS - 20 or 1.25 per game (4th)
San Fran was 1st in the league with 23, 3 of which they got from Romo. Houston also had 20, and Romo was 1 of those. This was actually one of the areas where we struggled against Top D's and is a major point of emphasis when it comes to playoff football.
RUSHING YARDS PER GAME - 69.3 (1st)
Strength meets strength here, with Detroit significantly better than the other teams in the league. Thus far though Dallas has beaten the strength of other teams however. Seattle is 3rd at 81.5 per game and they got them for 162. San Fran is 7 at 100.8 and Dallas went for 127, and Houston 10th at 105.1 who went for 140.
RUSHING YARDS PER PLAY - 3.2 (1st)
Again some real domination here. Seattle is next best at 3.4 and Dallas went for 4.5 there. Houston was 8th at 4.0 and Dallas hit 4.2. San Fran was 10th at 4.0 and Dallas went for 5.5. What concerns me is the Eagles were 5th overall and those were the more recent games, and Philly held Dallas to 3.1 per carry, off a 3.7 team average for the year.
After looking at all this I think the offensive game plan is pretty simple. They absolutely have to protect the football in a one-and-done playoff game, and the team needs to stick with the running game even if there are early struggles with it. I'm not suggesting running into a brick wall, but moreso doing enough to open up play action and not be forced into a one dimensional gameplan. There were 3 teams who cleared 24 points on Detroit, and they were Carolina, New England, and Green Bay, with the Carolina game being more of an outlier as they forced several turnovers. Both New England and Green Bay took the approach of spreading the ball around and attacking them that way. The Patriots saw 5 different players with 5+ receptions, and I think a similar spread-em out approach will be what it will take here. You want the ball in the hands of Dez and Murray as often as possible, but Detroit appears to be a team that you need to kill off with a thousand papercuts as opposed to just shooting them in the head.
