Cowboys Rushing The Last Two Weeks!

[plasticman]

Rico compared to NFL average this season

Score Differential

Rico
Leading 4.8
Tied 3.2
Trailing 4.6

NFL
Leading 4.2
Tied 4.5
Trailing 4.6

Half

Rico
1st Half 4.2
2nd Half 4.8

NFL
1st Half -4.4
2nd Half -4.3

Field Position

Rico
Own 1-20 -4.8
Own 21-49 -4.9
Opponent 21-49 -4.3
Rezone -2.9

NFL
Own 1-20 -4.5
Own 21-49 -4.7
Opponent 21-49 -4.5
Rezone -2.8

Down

Rico
1st Down -4.0
2nd Down -5.5
3rd Down -3.0

NFL
1st Down -4.4
2nd Down -4.6
3rd Down -3.3

I see very little difference in the productivity from Dowdle compared to the average NFL RB.

Through nine games, the Cowboys passed more than any other team. That trend cannot continue.

Although his numbers may not be elite, I see nothing to discourage them from giving the ball to Rico Dowdle more often, This is an absolute necessity if they want to keep Trey Lance on the bench.

Cooper Rush will not survive an average of 40+ drop backs per game.

 

[ICP]

But how many carries? Probably less with some big runs when teams are expecting us to pass because we are so far behind

 

[plasticman]

The Dallas Cowboys have now played in 23 consecutive games without a hundred-yard rusher.

The last hundred yard game was against Arizona in 2023, game #3 last season (Pollard). It was the only hundred yard game of the season for them.

Zeke's last hundred-yard game was over three years ago.

Zeke's hundred yard games each season:

2016 - 7
2017 - 5 (Suspended 6 games)
2018 - 7
2019 - 7
2020 - 2
2021 - 2
2022 - 0
2023 - 0
2024 - 0 (Through 9 games)

 

[GMO415]

That's because DAL falls so far behind that they have to pass and the opposing defense don't worry about the run.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The Dallas Cowboys have now played in 23 consecutive games without a hundred-yard rusher.

That streak won't be changing the rest of this season. There won't be enough running attempts in the 2nd halves.

 

[RonnieT24]

Spot on, his belief is short passes are better than the running game and doesn't seem to understand how they set each other up. Meanwhile the bottom 10 teams in rushing attempts also all have losing records. I get that when you fall behind its hard to find balance but lack of balance is also a big reason they put themselves in that spot to begin with.

Yeah you would think a guy with McCarthy's build would understand the value of big guys leaning on other big guys over the course of a game. Teams do it to the Cowboys time and again. Even when we start games out doing a decent job against the run other teams refuse to stop doing it and eventually our defense wears down. It's like McCarthy isn't even paying attention to what the other team is doing to our front seven. It drove me nuts with Moore and it's even worse now with him.

 

[gimmesix]

Yeah I agree. Eddie George averaged right around 4 ypc during his prime dominant years, which doesn’t slap a person in the face with dominance. However, he also rarely, if ever got caught behind the LOS and he always pushed the pile forward. The 3.9 yards he averaged was practically guaranteed every time he touched the ball in his prime. That level of consistency is HUGE for an offensive playbook and greatly contributed to those Titans teams he was on being so consistently good.

Popping off long runs in between long sequences of stuffed runs that gain little to nothing limits the dynamism of an offensive playbook, even though that long run will potentially increase the yards per carry average enough that it gives the impression of an effective running game.

Yeah, not all YPC is the same. It is one of my top stats for measuring an RB, but it can't be used in a vacuum because a back who averages 4 YPC on 10 carries with a 20-yard run on one of his carries is clearly not doing to same down after down as one who averages 4 yards per carry on 10 carries with a long of 6.

I give Dowdle credit for having a 4.4 average this year. It shows that he is having some success in the lead back role, but it's not going to lead to more carries if his runs are 0, 2, 5, 1, 8, 2, 2, 9 ... that's really three successful carries out of eight, not a good success rate. A successful carry puts you in a position where the next play also can be a run because you gained enough yards to keep it realistically in the equation.

 

[conner01]

Ezekiel Elliot has joined the chat

He needs to take a seat next to rowdy. But lots of factors contribute. Finally letting the best back get touches but also the oline having reps together and developing. Run blocking is far easier than pass blocking. We have a center who’s never played center, a rookie at LT who’s a RT. Martin ain’t what he once was and Steele isn’t getting it done. But if you run the ball you give them real help