Don't look now but this league seems to be gearing towards the run

[Pass2Run]

Yeah its some freaks out there nobody should be 6'3 250 running a 4.3. Seems like guys are getting bigger and faster.

Correct. Yet there are several of those guys nowadays.

 

[Vtwin]

If we had this defense in 2014 and 2016 when we leaned on the run things likely turn out very differently.

 

[USArmyVet]

I've noticed it the first few weeks of the season but now we are at week 6 and the trend is continuing......

Of course Mahomes and Allen are airing it out but the rest of the league for whatever reason doesn't seem to be following suit.

Especially in the NFC.

Packers and Bucc's appear to be struggling to air it out.

Giants and Eagles....two top 5 rushing offenses have the two best records in the NFC.

Look at the Falcons. 3-3....not a great record but who saw that? Who didn't think they would be the worst team in the NFC right? Surely didn't think they'd have the same record as the Buccaneers.

There are also some good rushing team with bad records. But what I'm not seeing is teams airing it out which as much success.

I say that to say this.......Cowboys are built to play this way. Solid rushing attack, solid defense....this is the year to take advantage. You don't need to score 40 points to beat the best teams in the league. Win the trenches and get off the field off of 3rd down and control the clock. Cowboys are BUILT for this very model and have had success with it under Rush until last night they tried to abandon it in the 1st half.

We finally agree as many have been screaming for Dallas to take this approach given the success of the 2016 season. Let's hope they actually stick to that approach as we saw last night OC Moore go away from it for some reason.

 

[kskboys]

So you think this is something that will last all season? Giants and Eagles getting away with this is telling. If this lasts then the Cowboys need some in season help stopping the run. If a bargain can be had.

I think it's here to stay. The new thing. IMO, high volume passing has been exposed.

 

[Sydla]

You know that's a good point. I'm still confused on our rush defense.

Are we saying we were bad against the run last night? It seemed like it during the game but I look at the box score and 40 carries for 140 yards sucks and I'd honestly take that if a team wants to do it.

I think when a team wants to line up and ground us into the turf they can (assuming that team has an OL that can do that, which Philly does). That last TD drive for them they lined up, dared us to stop their run and we couldn't and they iced the game. We had all the momentum at that point and they were reeling a bit, so they went conservative to eat up some clock and not make a mistake and we couldn't stop them from basically jamming it down our throat for much of that drive.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Yep.

The NFL has finally realized that defense is just as enjoyable for some fans.

Much less offensive production this year, across the board in the NFL.

I attribute this to population growth and the fact that defensive players are just more athletic nowadays than they've ever been. Just because there are so many freaking people.

No buddy, you just have to watch other teams other than the Cowboys. Just because its happening in Dallas doesnt mean its happening in the rest of the world.

 

[beware_d-ware]

The rules are too bent towards passing for it to subside. This is a wrinkle, not a sea change.

You are going to see more inside running though, as an evolution to the Shanahan / McVay offense that half the league runs. That scheme calls everything out of identical-looking tight splits. You run outside zone out of that with the WRs cracking back and a big TE holding the edge, and once the run game is going, you counterpunch with all kinds of bootlegs and crossers off of play action.

Bill Belichick gave the league the formula for beating it the Super Bowl. You put a wide bear front on the line of scrimmage, to deny as many cutback lanes as possible, and you leave your strong safety deep to take away the play-action shots and crossers.

The most obvious adaptation to that defense is to run inside-zone or power at it. You have a light box spread wide and thin and the second level is pretty much left open. If a double-team of blockers can move one point man, the RB is going to have a big hole.

I'm not an OC, but I wonder how well going back to spread would work too. Horizontal spread passing is kind of dead in the NFL (see Kliff Kingsbury), because defenses can now match offenses 1 on 1 speed for speed, and it offers a limited playbook without a lot of changeups or counters. But if the defense wants to leave two safeties deep, it offers a lot of concepts to attack the corners and the underneath middle. The SS wants to drop underneath and take away the crosser? Run a mesh with two crossers.