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Just CHILL: The Cowboys didn't abandon the run but the running game has not been good lately
Clarence Hill
Watch the game, please.
Those who are criticizing the Cowboys for supposedly abandoning the run in the 17-7 loss to the Packers clearly weren't watching the game. They simply looked at the final lopsided pass-run numbers and concluded it was a case of abandoning the run.
The numbers don't tell the whole story. Many of the passes came on the final two drives when the Cowboys were behind and had to throw every down.
Before that they simply didn't have the ball enough to get anything going because the Packers were dominating time of possession and when they did have the ball they didn't do anything with it.
The Cowboys ran only 21 plays in the first half and notched just three first downs. One was a 42-yard pass and fumble by receiver Roy Williams.
They had the ball just twice in the third quarter. The opening drive of the quarter began with Marion Barber being dropped for a loss and Romo being sacked.
There was no chance to run there.
The next drive featured a second and 10 run by Tashard Choice out of the Wildcat offense that netted 11 yards. 15 more yards were tacked because of a face mask penalty.
Of course the Cowboys then began to self destruct with Romo fumbling a snap, Williams dropping a pass and a 22-yard pass to Choice being negated by a pass interference penalty on tight end Jason Witten.
That drive was over. So again, I asked, was this a case of abandoning the run or the Cowboys simply making mistakes and not executing?
They opened the first drive of the fourth quarter with a 20-yard pass to Williams and a Felix Jones run for four yards. Of course, Charles Woodson came through on the next play for the infamous sack and forced fumble on Romo.
Now down 17-0 and in desperation mode, the Cowboys ended the game with 27 straight passes.
No doubt, the Cowboys didn't run the ball often. But they didn't abandon the run either.
What's also true is the Cowboys are not running the ball well and haven't for a while. Their running attempts and yards have a diminished dramatically since the start of the season.
That is a more of a product of Marion Barber and Felix Jones being injured. Neither has had the same burst since returning to the lineup. Barber missed one game. Jones missed two.
Barber has started to look more like his old self of late. But Jones looks uncomfortable and tentative. He has not been a game-breaking threat.
Consider that he has had only two runs longer than 10 yards the last four games since returning from the sprained knee and they were just 12 and 11 yards each. He has not had a run longer than four yards against the Eagles and Packers the past two weeks.
Jones needs to be game-breaking good for the Cowboys to be truly special on offense.
He hasn’t been that lately.
There are those calling for the Cowboys to put the ball back in the hands of the three-headed monster at running back. If that monster is not a beast in more then that won’t work either.
Clarence E. Hill Jr.
Posted at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Clarence Hill
Watch the game, please.
Those who are criticizing the Cowboys for supposedly abandoning the run in the 17-7 loss to the Packers clearly weren't watching the game. They simply looked at the final lopsided pass-run numbers and concluded it was a case of abandoning the run.
The numbers don't tell the whole story. Many of the passes came on the final two drives when the Cowboys were behind and had to throw every down.
Before that they simply didn't have the ball enough to get anything going because the Packers were dominating time of possession and when they did have the ball they didn't do anything with it.
The Cowboys ran only 21 plays in the first half and notched just three first downs. One was a 42-yard pass and fumble by receiver Roy Williams.
They had the ball just twice in the third quarter. The opening drive of the quarter began with Marion Barber being dropped for a loss and Romo being sacked.
There was no chance to run there.
The next drive featured a second and 10 run by Tashard Choice out of the Wildcat offense that netted 11 yards. 15 more yards were tacked because of a face mask penalty.
Of course the Cowboys then began to self destruct with Romo fumbling a snap, Williams dropping a pass and a 22-yard pass to Choice being negated by a pass interference penalty on tight end Jason Witten.
That drive was over. So again, I asked, was this a case of abandoning the run or the Cowboys simply making mistakes and not executing?
They opened the first drive of the fourth quarter with a 20-yard pass to Williams and a Felix Jones run for four yards. Of course, Charles Woodson came through on the next play for the infamous sack and forced fumble on Romo.
Now down 17-0 and in desperation mode, the Cowboys ended the game with 27 straight passes.
No doubt, the Cowboys didn't run the ball often. But they didn't abandon the run either.
What's also true is the Cowboys are not running the ball well and haven't for a while. Their running attempts and yards have a diminished dramatically since the start of the season.
That is a more of a product of Marion Barber and Felix Jones being injured. Neither has had the same burst since returning to the lineup. Barber missed one game. Jones missed two.
Barber has started to look more like his old self of late. But Jones looks uncomfortable and tentative. He has not been a game-breaking threat.
Consider that he has had only two runs longer than 10 yards the last four games since returning from the sprained knee and they were just 12 and 11 yards each. He has not had a run longer than four yards against the Eagles and Packers the past two weeks.
Jones needs to be game-breaking good for the Cowboys to be truly special on offense.
He hasn’t been that lately.
There are those calling for the Cowboys to put the ball back in the hands of the three-headed monster at running back. If that monster is not a beast in more then that won’t work either.
Clarence E. Hill Jr.
Posted at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)