Mike wanted to run the football. What really happened?

[Aven8]

All last offseason anytime a mike was put in his face he talked about running the football and eliminating the TO’s.

Fast forward to the first month of the season and the dink and dunk offense was born. It actually moved the ball ok, but we couldn’t score in the redzone for what seemed like a month.

After the SF game, things changed and he opened it up passing wise but the running game never did anything. From the SF game on Lamb was the most productive WR in football.

So what happened? We all saw the Oline was terrible at run blocking as backs would get hit in backfield repeatedly. They had this propensity to keep running off Center and off Guard all throughout the year.

How is it fixed? Get better Guards? We have two of the best in football. Get a new Oline coach? Change the run scheme? I was under the impression that was Schotty’s baby, and if it was he failed.

My point is we can’t expect to just bring in a new RB and do the same thing.

How can it be fixed?

 

[nightrain]

All last offseason anytime a mike was put in his face he talked about running the football and eliminating the TO’s.

Fast forward to the first month of the season and the dink and dunk offense was born. It actually moved the ball ok, but we couldn’t score in the redzone for what seemed like a month.

After the SF game, things changed and he opened it up passing wise but the running game never did anything. From the SF game on Lamb was the most productive WR in football.

So what happened? We all saw the Oline was terrible at run blocking as backs would get hit in backfield repeatedly. They had this propensity to keep running off Center and off Guard all throughout the year.

How is it fixed? Get better Guards? We have two of the best in football. Get a new Oline coach? Change the run scheme? I was under the impression that was Schotty’s baby, and if it was he failed.

My point is we can’t expect to just bring in a new RB and do the same thing.

How can it be fixed?

Pollard was not the same back in 2023 as in previous years and he is not the guy you give the ball to on early downs when teams are more inclined to deploy a strong box. The stable of backs were unimpressive and it should be priority #1 for Jerry to improve the run game.

They also need to start churning that OL.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I think he wanted to run the football. He had a plan. Then he had to abort plan when he saw the run blocking and the running backs. I commend him for it. Could've easily stuck with what wasn't working.

That being said....a few things I think need to happen.

Get a young RB in here. Draft a guy in the 3rd or 4th round. I think Rico is an asset.

Sign a vet for a cheap deal. RB market seems to be dry for RB's.....Barkley, Henry, Jacobs are out there. Jacobs probably offers the most with play and durability and age. But Barkley I'd really look into getting.

I assume Tyler is gone. Upgrade his position through the draft or get a solid vet in.

Steele needs to get back to form or move on. Because you can get that type of play from anyone off the street last season.

 

[Gambit]

Move on from reach block high hand low hand Solari

 

[Dorsett33]

What happened? Did you witness the run game? It's obvious why they got away from the run game.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Didn't fix the OL. Didn't get a RB. Pollard was never a lead back. This was always doomed to failure. He put the ball in Dak's hand again. The same as Moore.

 

[kskboys]

There's only two way to view this:

1)Pollard was forced on him as the starting RB and he had no choice.
2)MM is really bad at evaluating talent and didn't understand that Polly is not a starting RB.

Now, I go w/ number 1, but there's no way for us as fans to really know what happened here. I do know there were a ton of fans on this site alone that were beyond unhappy w/ the RB situation and the failure to even attempt to fix it. I do know that the travails of the OL were well known and we ignored it, as usual. I do know that most were not happy w/ the 2nd round TE when Ocyrus would've gone a long way toward fixing our run game.

Did MM know all of this and keep his mouth shut, as he agreed to do when he took over as HC? We simply do not know.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

All last offseason anytime a mike was put in his face he talked about running the football and eliminating the TO’s.

Fast forward to the first month of the season and the dink and dunk offense was born. It actually moved the ball ok, but we couldn’t score in the redzone for what seemed like a month.

After the SF game, things changed and he opened it up passing wise but the running game never did anything. From the SF game on Lamb was the most productive WR in football.

So what happened? We all saw the Oline was terrible at run blocking as backs would get hit in backfield repeatedly. They had this propensity to keep running off Center and off Guard all throughout the year.

How is it fixed? Get better Guards? We have two of the best in football. Get a new Oline coach? Change the run scheme? I was under the impression that was Schotty’s baby, and if it was he failed.

My point is we can’t expect to just bring in a new RB and do the same thing.

How can it be fixed?

OL sucked. Pollard wasn't all that. we failed.

 

[nate dizzle]

Need a better center and a RB or a blocking scheme that fits their talents

 

[SwagSurfer]

We need to upgrade the OL

 

[John813]

Something wasn't working between the OL and RBs.

Tyler and Zach played well enough inside. Biadasz isn't a great talent but good enough. Steele sucked in the pass game but don't recall too many misplays downhill. Tyron looked great at times.

Was it a changing of blocking and responsibilities for the RB?
For a while the run offense was all about having that one cut RB that could keep the play to the outside unless he saw an opening and cut in.
Murray was a beast at it in 14, McFadden/Morris had success in 15 and Zeke early on feasted on it.

Was this a changing of the predominantly zone based run scheme to a man v man and different assignments for both levels?
Pollard admitted he wasn't healthy to start but even at the end he didn't look that much better.

A lot of variables in this without some data on how the run plays were called in terms of scheme.

 

[kskboys]

OL sucked. Pollard wasn't all that. we failed.

Of course, that's obvious. Was that failure on Jerry or MM, that's the question.

 

[Aven8]

There's only two way to view this:

1)Pollard was forced on him as the starting RB and he had no choice.
2)MM is really bad at evaluating talent and didn't understand that Polly is not a starting RB.

Now, I go w/ number 1, but there's no way for us as fans to really know what happened here. I do know there were a ton of fans on this site alone that were beyond unhappy w/ the RB situation and the failure to even attempt to fix it. I do know that the travails of the OL were well known and we ignored it, as usual. I do know that most were not happy w/ the 2nd round TE when Ocyrus would've gone a long way toward fixing our run game.

Did MM know all of this and keep his mouth shut, as he agreed to do when he took over as HC? We simply do not know.

They did the same thing they always do give a big contract to guy coming off an injury. It’s maddening

 

[kskboys]

Something wasn't working between the OL and RBs.

Tyler and Zach played well enough inside. Biadasz isn't a great talent but good enough. Steele sucked in the pass game but don't recall too many misplays downhill. Tyron looked great at times.

Was it a changing of blocking and responsibilities for the RB?
For a while the run offense was all about having that one cut RB that could keep the play to the outside unless he saw an opening and cut in.
Murray was a beast at it in 14, McFadden/Morris had success in 15 and Zeke early on feasted on it.

Was this a changing of the predominantly zone based run scheme to a man v man and different assignments for both levels?
Pollard admitted he wasn't healthy to start but even at the end he didn't look that much better.

A lot of variables in this without some data on how the run plays were called in terms of scheme.

Firstly, we don't have a starting quality RB on the roster. OL is getting old and the C is undersized.

 

[Awakened]

Wasn't one of our best running games against Washington when Zack Martin and Tyler Smith were out?

 

[kskboys]

Wasn't one of our best running games against Washington when Zack Martin and Tyler Smith were out?

So were Jon Allen and several others.

 

[Creeper]

Early in the season I spent a lot of time watching Cowboys games focusing on the OL and running game. First, I did not see the Cowboys getting a lot of movement on defensive lines. DTs constantly held their ground and were not moved off their spots.

I saw guys pulling to the opposite side and missing their blocks. TEs and WR were not holding their blocks. This is critical is you want to run outside. receivers have to take a guy and get in his way or push him out of the way. You can't ask guys like Cooks to do that. Noah Brown used to do it when he was here but no one taking his place could do it as well. Tolbert is an awful blocker. CeeDee is adequate but it cannot be one guy.

Terence Steel is clearly not the run blocker he was in 2022 before his injury. He pulls to the left and hits the hole but his blocks were soft. A guy his size has to hit the hole with force and bounce is guy out of there. I have to say Zack Martin, after his calf injury, wasn't much better. Tyron was better than I have seen him in years, but he isn't a great run blockers either. He is a wall in pass protection though. Biadasz is not strong enough to take on the big DTs and NTs he faces.

The do okay when they double team block, but if the C and G take out a tackle with a double team, the tackle has to take out the DE on his side. That did not happen often enough.

One thing I thought about a lot during the season was the new OL coach. Other teams with no name OLs run the ball well, the Cowboys with two all pros can't.

 

[Havic]

Zack is on the decline and he is not the same player he was. Biadaiz is average, Steele was a mess, the only two who played good were the Smiths. Oline did fine with pass blocking but run blocking was atrocious

 

[Xeven]

The OL is not up to it and barely up to protecting Dak consistently.
Greenbay and Lions OL make holes for RB and provide consistently stable pocket.

 

[glimmerman]

Pollard wasn’t going to be the same that early after the injury. But he was never a starting RB. We needed a hammer. We drafted one and only gave him a few carrys. There will be plenty of RB coming out and in FA. Get some.