Infatuated with some plausible creativity that could emerge with this RB cmte and this OC/HC

[zrinkill]

The Cowboys have not been creative on offense since Jerry Jones owned the team ...... and I doubt it starts now.

Jimmy Johnson and (Norv Turner) was a "beat the guy in front of you" kinda offense.

Barry Switzer was just a do what they ^ did kinda offense'

Chan Gailey tried to add some creativity on offense and the players did not like it ....... and guess who's side Jerry took?

Dave Campo was a "Huh? Offense?" kinda offense.

Bill Parcells was a "get big guys and beat the guy in front of you" kinda offense.

Wade Phillips never had any control of the offense.\

Jason Garrett was a "let Romo do it" kind offense.

Mike McCarthy is a "whatever you guys want to do Jerry" kinda offense.


Would love to see it ........ but I am sure they are just gonna run guys up the middle as usual.

 

[JW82]

So its good that we have a few below average backs... who knew?

 

[MyFairLady]

We do not have a stable or RBs with differentiated skill sets. We have a bunch of bums. No one would be worried if we had a bunch of viable options.

 

[_sturt_]

Knew there'd be some RB hate.... hehe... but yeah, if one subscribes to the idea of "scheming WRs open," then one rationally ought to be able to subscribe to the idea of scheming RBs to have more success than they would otherwise. Think of it this way, if nothing else. There remain a handful of college teams that feature this or something like this, and even if we agree that RB is a weakness (we don't), those teams don't need the very best RBs to be productive on offense because the scheme itself forces defenses to defend things they're not used to defending.

 

[_sturt_]

The Cowboys have not been creative on offense since Jerry Jones owned the team ...... and I doubt it starts now.

Going to disagree with you on that, but only to the degree that you try to make it an irrefutable consistent rule without exceptions.

If anything, for instance, the Kellen Moore show was sometimes too "creative" for its own good... a lot of hits, but a lot of swings and misses, too.

That said, I'm less concerned about creativity for the sake of creativity, more concerned with whatever works... regardless of whether it seems novel or not.

To the real point of this thread, then, there are pragmatic reasons to believe that a few doses of this formation in any given game would be productive and benefit the rest of what's on McCarthy's call sheet.

 

[zrinkill]

Going to disagree with you on that, but only to the degree that you try to make it an irrefutable consistent rule without exceptions.

If anything, for instance, the Kellen Moore show was sometimes too "creative" for its own good... a lot of hits, but a lot of swings and misses, too.

That said, I'm less concerned about creativity for the sake of creativity, more concerned with whatever works... regardless of whether it seems novel or not.

To the real point of this thread, then, there are pragmatic reasons to believe that a few doses of this formation in any given game would be productive and benefit the rest of what's on McCarthy's call sheet.

Hey man I hope they use all these backs geared toward their strengths and what they can bring to the table. They obviously have talent even if its not normal NFL running back traits.

Just will not believe it till I see it ........ got my hopes up to many times thinking they will build an offense around players strengths instead of trying to force them to fit an offense.

 

[_sturt_]

Hey man I hope they use all these backs geared toward their strengths and what they can bring to the table. They obviously have talent even if its not normal NFL running back traits.

Just will not believe it till I see it ........ got my hopes up to many times thinking they will build an offense around players strengths instead of trying to force them to fit an offense.

I appreciate the tone of the reply, but honestly, I think I disagree with this even more... McCarthy has his shortcomings, but forcing his players to fit into his own preconceived offense isn't one of them, in my humble opinion.

 

[zrinkill]

I appreciate the tone of the reply, but honestly, I think I disagree with this even more... McCarthy has his shortcomings, but forcing his players to fit into his own preconceived offense isn't one of them, in my humble opinion.

Likewise .........But I saw how they used Pollard and Duece last year. Again ....... I hope you are correct.

 

[CyberB0b]

I get the Zeke skepticism.

I don't get the Rico skepticism.

I'm left to chalk it up to just a general skepticism of anyone who hasn't been a #1 starter in a bell-cow RB room.

Rico is good. He deserves this opportunity he's going to get.

Where do you guys come from? He was a rookie in 2020 and has 96 carries for less than 400 yards. He isn’t good. He’s well below average and is a borderline NFL player.

 

[_sturt_]

Where do you guys come from? He was a rookie in 2020 and has 96 carries for less than 400 yards. He isn’t good. He’s well below average and is a borderline NFL player.

You're not this daft.

When you have Zeke in front of you most of those years, you're not going to get carries. Just fact.

When you have Pollard in front of you otherwise, you're not going to get carries. Just fact.

And when you're injured... well, you know.

This is genuinely really accurately going to be Rico's first legitimate chance ever to get consistent carries and assert himself as a #1 back in the NFL.

That's where we come from. The world of just facts.

 

[Chasing6]

Where do you guys come from? He was a rookie in 2020 and has 96 carries for less than 400 yards. He isn’t good. He’s well below average and is a borderline NFL player.

Do we understand that it takes a good OLine to have a good run game? I guess Barry Sanders sucked because of all the negative carries he had.

 

[CyberB0b]

Do we understand that it takes a good OLine to have a good run game? I guess Barry Sanders sucked because of all the negative carries he had.

Did you just mention Barry Sanders in a Rico Dowdle thread?

 

[zrinkill]

Did you just mention Barry Sanders in a Rico Dowdle thread?

 

[Chasing6]

Did you just mention Barry Sanders in a Rico Dowdle thread?

Yes, I did. He has the most negative rushing carries in NFL history. So he must be terrible right?

 

[_sturt_]

Did you just mention Barry Sanders in a Rico Dowdle thread?

Did you really just take advantage of the mere mention of Barry Sanders and miss the actual point of the poster's comment?

At least you're not the only one. Happens with some frequency (... ie, deflection).

I don't know that our O-line has been any more suspect in any of Dowdle's healthy seasons than other healthy seasons, but the point is well-taken that (obviously) it all starts up front.

And. It's not really a "Rico Dowdle" thread. It's not even really a RB thread exclusively.

It's a formation thread, and you can run a 30 package... you can run a 12 package... you can run a 10 package... and b/c CeeDee and Turpin have both been used as ball carriers, you can even consider running a 00 package with it.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

It's the off-season of the off-season, of course, which means it's the time, if ever you're going to talk about nerdy things like offensive formation possibilities... mere possibilities... then this is that time.

So, for what it's worth... probably nothing... here's my vision of a new package that McCarthy could plausibly introduce this season, given the stable of RBs that we have, and their somewhat differentiated skill sets.

https://fortheblogy.com/inside-penn-states-playbook-diamond-formation/

Once you read, or at least scan that link... give some specific attention to the part that reads, "As it turns out, having a pocket full of “Aces” offered Yurcich play-calling options out of Diamond that were simply off the table at Oklahoma State. Within a limited 6-game trial run, it feels as if Yurcich only scratched the surface of what Diamond can do to opposing defenses when your entire Diamond backfield is filled with versatile athletes."

So, making application to our situation, I'm seeing a pocket full of aces.

Dare to imagine with me the idea of running this or very similar with a base of Rico as the head of the diamond, Zeke as the cowboy back to one side, and Luepke to the other side. All three are capable blockers. All three have been legitimate ball carriers.

Then, building on that, you've got some intriguing alternatives to that base.

Deuce can be the head of that diamond, and you can push Rico forward to a cowboy position, or not.

CeeDee can be the head of the diamond, or you can also position CeeDee at a cowboy position, either to flare out for a pass play, or to take an inside sweep handoff... or to act as a decoy for something completely different, perhaps a screen to the other side.

Trey Lance can be the head of the diamond, for any number of Taysom Hill-like possibilities.

Or, for 3rd and 1, your jumbo package can be Zeke as the head of the diamond, with Luepke paired with, say, TJ Bass as cowboy backs.

For those who mainly just want to see what I'm talking about, not necessarily read... here are a few clips...



Fun to think about, anyway. Again, just some stray thoughts for a lazy off-season Sunday afternoon.

Without doubt this team's running game was negatively impacted by poor OL play last year but, even with that in mind, the blocking schemes that MM and BS put together looked craptastic, lackluster, low-effort... like they were running just to change up the play-calling. So when you say "plausible" the first thing that comes to mind is,,,, what level of effort is the MM/BS braintrust even going to apply? Hopefully an improved starting OL will generate more enthusiasm for the running game because, as you mentioned, there is some usable talent in the RB room.

 

[Whyjerry]

Zeke and Rico Dowdle are not surprising anyone.

I am interested to see what Zeke’s short area burst looks like these days. He ran like he had cement in his shoes last time here.

 

[LOBO7]

Lets reclassify Zeke as a FB with privileges, that will relieve a lot of Zeke hate.
Find a tailback, trade, best of the backs that get cut or one of our guys steps up.

 

[_sturt_]

Lets reclassify Zeke as a FB with privileges, that will relieve a lot of Zeke hate.
Find a tailback, trade, best of the backs that get cut or one of our guys steps up.

Again, well taken, but (a) this isn't really precisely that thread, and (b) to the degree it is that thread, it's only about specific players (RBs and otherwise) potential roles within this diamond formation.

And just in starting the thread, I've learned me something... or maybe more accurately it's brought to mind what hadn't registered very well... which is that this isn't actually a new thing to the NFL game. I've been made to recall that, indeed, the Ravens have run this with some regularity ever since obtaining Lamar.

And and... I think the fact that we have, not one, but two WRs who McCarthy has begun utilizing as ball carriers with some regularity from game to game just enhances the reason you'd really want to see this incorporated into the offense. That is, the more dual running/receiving threats you have, the more off-balance it makes the defense because they have to guess how you intend to use these guys (and thus, guess whether to deploy a CB or a LB... making CeeDee especially dangerous as-if he wasn't already that).

 

[Chasing6]

Lets reclassify Zeke as a FB with privileges, that will relieve a lot of Zeke hate.
Find a tailback, trade, best of the backs that get cut or one of our guys steps up.

No team carries two Fullbacks.