Faulk on Rich Eisen Show

[CowboyRoy]

Yes.
To me this year looks a lot like 2014:
Outstanding run game with the o-line and backs (league-leading in 2014 and so far this year)
Outstanding efficiency with the QB (league-leading 2014, not far off in 2016)
Very good +/- turnovers

Romo ran it to near perfection in 2014
Prescott is off to a great start in 2016

I do think they are running into less desirable alignments this year, like Faulk is saying.
But they are so good they're beating it anyway.
In that regard, he may be wrong about how much Dallas would run with Romo. The difference would be that there may not be a safety in the box as much when they do.
That's IF Romo even plays. lol

2014 is two years ago. different league, different players, different offense. Nothing to do with 2016.

 

[DFWJC]

Same offensive line as 2014 but 2 years improved. They look like they are really starting to gel.

Wr. position has improved.

RB position has improved with a legitimate homerun threat. If you put 8 or 9 in the box, one broken tackle and it's off to the races. You still have to try and run against the stack box or you will let the defense dictate what you are going to run.

Yes, they did still run vs the stacked box in 2014. More than they would have in the past. I'm sure that's a matter of finally having confidence that they can get it done. For years that wasn't fully the case. I think from past experience Romo lost some patience...then, especially after week one of 2014, things really started to click.
This line is beastly.

They've established that this oline and Zeke can punish people and Dak is letting that dog run.
Similar to 2014....

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Well said.

This is the same offense as 2014 but yet it's also different with Dak. Romo is the better quarterback but Dak does things Romo can't. As you point out, the horizontal element is a big change. Dak is so good going to his left or right.

It's different because with Dak we are a better short passing team. With Romo we were a better deep passing team.

The 2014 offense was more like the ole Skins offense (similar scheme as well) under Gibbs in the 80's. Run the ball with a workhorse back, let the defense continue to creep in and then throw over the top. Gibbs had Gary Clark, we had Dez Bryant. Gibbs had Art Monk, we had Cole Beasley and Witten. We were able to stretch the field horizontally, but not nearly as much as we do now.

The 2014 offense could stretch the field horizontally because we could run left, right or up the middle. We weren't that good at running well outside the tackles as Murray's strength was either off tackle or with dive runs. But it was enough of a horizontal stretch with a vertical stretch to create a run focused offense that could score a lot of points despite being a run focused offense. Much like Gibbs' offenses in the 80's.

This offense really stretches the field horizontally because we still run very well to the right and the left and EE can really get out towards the sideline as well as being very good at dive runs. We have the #1 running game on runs up the gut. And with Dak's ability on bootlegs and he can run bootlegs to the right and the left well, it makes an offense that may not be getting the big plays, but consistently picks up yardage every play and gets gains for 4, 8, 6, 12, 12, 8, etc. at a pop. That also means protecting the ball well.

I kinda compare this offense more to what Shanahan had in Denver during his Super Bowl runs. Especially if we can get Dez back to help with the vertical passing game. It's going to be very difficult to stop.






YR

 

[lkelly]

Is that a pot leaf on Faulk's hat?

 

[percyhoward]

That wasnt Falks point though.

Faulk: "He only breaks Dickerson's record if Dak Prescott stays at quarterback. When Tony comes back, they're not going to waste running plays running into looks that are not good."

The implication is that Romo would check out of runs, but either wouldn't face more pass looks than Prescott, or wouldn't check out of passes when he does face them. He's basically saying we would pass more with Romo. But what happened in 2014 shows us that would probably not be the case, especially with a running game that's even better than 2014.

If Romo returns, and if the offense and defense continue at their current level of play, and if Zeke's in his current state of health, there's no reason to think he'd get fewer carries, and if anything, the quality of his average carry would improve because if Romo is as good as he was in 2014, Zeke would be running into more pass looks.

 

[AzorAhai]

The first-down play selection in the 1st half is posted above. By the 2nd half, we've been running more this year, but that has more to do with the fact that we're actually very good at running the ball while protecting the lead -- unlike in 2014. People used to say we imposed our will with the running game. So far this year, we really have been.

Yeah I saw it after I had already posted it. It goes along with what many of us were saying in 2014 about keeping the running percentage the same, but changing the sequencing. So far it looks to have paid off with a better offensive production.

 

[T-RO]

Who cares what Aikman thinks. Like he's some football mind or something. He knows all about riding someone else's coat tails into the hall. He's probably doesn't want Romo to eclipse any more of his Cowboy records, if there are any left.

Exactly. What could Troy possibly know about quarterback play in the NFL...or the path to the Super Bowl.

 

[dfense]

Exactly. What could Troy possibly know about quarterback play in the NFL...or the path to the Super Bowl.

He hands off real good. Once he even threw like 23 TDs in a season. Once.....