Mike wanted to run the football. What really happened?

[Xeven]

Bottom like this team need to not pay outrageous salaries to elites who can’t carry the team. You gota have a whole team mentality. Having a great QB and WR will not consistently win games when rest of team is injured or bottom of barrel. Better of with great supporting team around solid QB, WR and good Defense. I LOVE Parsons but paying him alone instead of quality DL and the rest will not win games. Maybe be some flashes of greatness but he cannot carry the team.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Between Rico and Pollard roughly 70% of the run plays were ran between the tackles. Tony pollard in 2022 averaged 5.3 YPC outside the tackles (80 attempts). This year the Cowboys ran him to the outside just 61 times despite him having more than 50 additional carries this season. It makes no sense to me that you would take Pollard and try to make him into the guy you let walk last offseason instead of playing to his strengths. Not saying the Oline couldn't have been better, but we seem to have had a fundamental issue in philosophy from the start.

 

[goshan]

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.

Lol we drafted a hammer. ok sure we did.

 

[nightrain]

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.

I believe you meant Tyron is gone? He would be useful as a swing reserve T if he took that rate.

 

[blueblood70]

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?

First of all let's clear this up before it gets out of control Mike McCartney wanted a conservative offense but the defense was giving up too many big plays they were getting walked down the field he had to reopen the office because of that not because of the lack of a run game....

So yes the run game suffered because Tony Pollard was too small he didn't use Rico dowdle in the right manner early in the season didn't get hunter involved and then you have the offensive line not really taking to whatever scheme they were using for blocking.

But let's not get get it twisted the they were the main reason the Cowboys had that open up the lack of defense created a situation they had to go more high risk...

 

[lukemartin79]

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?

LOL, good point. Yes, I remember all the talk once KM was axed was how they were going to run, run, run. LOL, that sure didn't happen. It seemed off when after saying that, they put it all on a RB coming back from a major injury. Plus go yet another year hoping that Tyron Smith plays more games than he misses. At the other tackle spot, they bank on another guy coming back from a major injury. On top of that, they don't go out and get a decent backup or 2 for the OL. Thats what they were banking on to do all this running, lol. It never made any sense from the start.

 

[Rockport]

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?

He found out they couldn’t run the ball. Big miss going into the season.

 

[nalam]

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.

Even so , pollard was forced , the OL coach was MM handpick ? ( or Jerry push) because we thought Philbin was bad , Solari made him to look much better. Also Run block is a young OL game and we need maulers , Zach has been excellent but getting up there and injuries have slowed him , Biadaz was never strong and has no push, but the new OL scheme was not at all good

 

[xwalker]

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.

How would O'Cyrus Torrence have helped during the 2023 season?

He would not have started the playoff game.

 

[SquidwardTentacles]

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.

The best backs in the league would have trouble doing appreciably better, with guys constantly wrapped around their knees in the backfield, before they can even get going.
Frontside, backside, unsecured edges, etc. Pollard, though not ideal, could have easily done much better without the obstacles he had to face.
Further, our screen game and ability to use him in the passing game was horrible. And there is no real RPO threat as nobody takes DP serious in that situation.
And as for DP keeping linebackers honest..............

Ours is a horrible situation for any back.

 

[JBS]

What really happened is that the people that believed this nonsense were proven to be fools. Duh.

 

[nobody]

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.

Fix the O-line properly and most RB's would probably work fine. of course, getting a new RB would help too, but not if you don't fix the line. Problem is we have too many holes elsewhere too.

 

[SquidwardTentacles]

Fix the O-line properly and most RB's would probably work fine. of course, getting a new RB would help too, but not if you don't fix the line. Problem is we have too many holes elsewhere too.

it took years to build the multiple shortfalls we have.

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

Dallas ignored a solid (many had ranked as first round) OL in the second round in the draft to take a backup TE.
Dallas did nothing to add a quality #2, heir apparent to Pollard. (even with Pollard coming off injury)
Hot air from MM.

It's also difficult to run unless the passing offense can make the defense back off. Dak scares exactly nobody.

 

[calicowboy54]

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.

He needs a center (He's a FA) and 2 running backs. Pollard is FA.

 

[links18]

He didn't really want to run the football, but was told that is what he should do and when it predictably didn't work, he went bombs away.

 

[DallasEast]

He didn't really want to run the football, but was told that is what he should do and when it predictably didn't work, he went bombs away.

The person telling him knows football, which is why it didn't work.

 

[CWR]

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?

I dont know enough about run blocking and schemes to give you an educated answer.

I do suspect the Center isn't holding up in run blocking. I also suspect our scheme sucks and our oline coach sucks. There was a lot of regression.

Why every team doesn't run Shanahans run scheme is beyond me, but ours sucks. We haven't had a reliable run game late in the season, in years.

 

[EenonyMoose]

I dont know enough about run blocking and schemes to give you an educated answer.

I do suspect the Center isn't holding up in run blocking. I also suspect our scheme sucks and our oline coach sucks. There was a lot of regression.

Why every team doesn't run Shanahans run scheme is beyond me, but ours sucks. We haven't had a reliable run game late in the season, in years.

Bad scheme. Bad talent evaluation up front. Lack of seriousness about addressing current and future weaknesses in both areas. Not sure what anyone was expecting after the botched offseason they had. It was obviously not going to work.

 

[Teague31]

He hired Moses’ great grandfather to be his OL coach