Run game may be different this year

[Hoofbite]

I think the running game will take a step back from last year. I also think the team knows this and last night it looked like they were trying to force the Giants to respect the RB position by scheming to get these guys the ball out of the backfield.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

People seem to have some fantasy version of the '14 Cowboys in their heads where Murray ran every down and every run was incredible.

For the record, we had two 1st-and-goals from the 2-yard line last year. We ran once. The other time we threw it to Dez for the TD.

Yeah. That 2014 version that featured a pounding , power run offense, and run first attack was just a fantasy. Look, the stats prove it.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Yeah. That 2014 version that featured a pounding , power run offense, and run first attack was just a fantasy. Look, the stats prove it.

Hey, you're the one who said we always ran on first-and-goal from the two.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

Maybe, maybe not. Murray ran for nine TD's of 3 or fewer yards in 2014. Romo threw for six. If you include TD's of 5 yards and under, the numbers are nine and nine



Again, possibly. Murray offers abilities that Randle, DMC and Dunbar don't. I said that. I'm not sure what you're arguing.



Sometimes, yes.



Spin what? I just disagreed that we can tell anything about the future of play-calling in Dallas based on one game.



Nah. 2013 team would be 0-1.



I'm not putting money on anybody, but I'm not standing on the ledge, either. We haven't even seen Philly play, for crapsake.

You can't tell what a team really is until at least week three. We won last night, despite playing like garbage. Enjoy it, and have a little faith.

I enjoy it all. Every win, loss and tie. All of it...... I am not a cheerleader. I tried but they said I didnt have the figure for it.

I am hoping this was just rust. And, if we didnt turn it over, we wouldve been in the endzone instead of just kicking field goals. Which is what happened those first few drives....

And, Cowboys-Giants games are just odd. They have been very odd these last 5-6 years;

Having said all that; I dont like the offensive ganeplan. I know, the production is there. Just look at the Stats!! I know, the yards are there. etc etc. Romo looks like vintage Romo. Exciting game!! wow..............

I hate it. And over the long term, this team wont be as strong as I think it could be. The style breeds a certain mentatlity. Far different from just pounding the football on 3rd and 4.

And, I think this is how we roll this year..... how that turns out? I dont know. But I do know this, I aint taking the Cowboys next week in my weekly parlay;

Thats what I got from last night. Go ahead. post the stat sheet;

 

[Macnalty]

Do not underestimate that penalty that Witten provided on the goal line in the first quarter. He is starting to do this regularly.

So the idea is to take a formula that led us to 12 and 4 with a playoff win and one bad call away from going to the NFC Championship Game and change it? That's plain stupid.

In addition, this flies in the face of what folks have been saying about the multi-year time frame needed to rebuild the offensive line so we could run. Instead, we rebuild the line with 1st rounders to get away from the run. This game looked like pre-2014 all over again all the way down to giving Romo the ball and praying he bails us out on the last drive.

This team was ill prepared, played stupid in not knowing when to get out of bounds in critical situations and was the beneficiary of a horrendous play call by the Giants at the goal line. Romo saved this team's (and the coaching staff's) butt once again.

You play the cards dealt or leave the game, it is different I agree. Philly defense just threw away all their old notes on the boys. You have to defend this year's cowboys differently.

 

[VACowboy]

Cowboys-Giants games are just odd. They have been very odd these last 5-6 years;

Yep.

over the long term, this team wont be as strong as I think it could be. The style breeds a certain mentatlity. Far different from just pounding the football on 3rd and 4.

Do you know how many times Dallas ran the ball on 3rd and 4 or more (other than give-up plays on 3rd and long)? I don't, but I bet it was a very small percentage.

And, I think this is how we roll this year.....

That's your opinion and you're welcome to it. My opinion is, we can't tell the type of football any team is going to play based on the first game of the season.

Thats what I got from last night. Go ahead. post the stat sheet;

You stated in no uncertain terms that if it's last year and 1st and goal from the two that Murray is getting the ball. I just gave a few numbers that showed that wasn't necessarily the case.

 

[xwalker]

You do realize at one point they had 1st and goal at the 1, and they still put it on Romo's shoulders to throw the TD. To me, that's a lack of confidence in the run game. I doubt it's the OL they don't have confidence in. They also didn't hand the ball off a single time on 3rd and short that I can remember. How many times last year did we see a handoff on 3rd and 4 or less? A lot! I think one game is all you need to see to realize the OL doesn't make RBs plug and play. Their defense played differently and our OC called a different game. The only thing different is Murray no longer in the backfield. I'm holding out hope that Michael can take the reigns and somewhat come close to giving them what Murray gave them because it's obvious to me that the Randle/McFadden committee won't.

I thought Adam posted that they ran on 3rd and short 3 times and converted all of them.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

Yep.



Do you know how many times Dallas ran the ball on 3rd and 4 or more (other than give-up plays on 3rd and long)? I don't, but I bet it was a very small percentage.



That's your opinion and you're welcome to it. My opinion is, we can't tell the type of football any team is going to play based on the first game of the season.



You stated in no uncertain terms that if it's last year and 1st and goal from the two that Murray is getting the ball. I just gave a few numbers that showed that wasn't necessarily the case.

Fine. We werent a run first , run oriented, methodical team last year. And the running game doesnt matter. okay.

 

[chicago JK]

I didn't think the run game was very good last night. The receiving out of the backfield was very good. With that being said, the identity last year is we could run when the other team knew we were going to run. That is what made it special. Teams would feel demoralized in the second half of games when we are grounding out 5,6,7 plus yards a carry. I felt last night we were getting 2 and 3 yards when last year they would have netted 4 or 5. That may not seem like a lot, but I think it is a huge difference especially in a game we may be leading in the 4th quarter.

 

[VACowboy]

Fine. We werent a run first , run oriented, methodical team last year. And the running game doesnt matter. okay.

• I disagree that last night means we've abandoned the run for the season.
• It was far from given last year that 1st and goal from the two meant a Murray run.

How does either of those equal anything in the above quote???

 

[Zman5]

Randle had a 4.1 ypc average. That's respectable. DMC had a few nice runs, but only averaged 2.7.

If we didn't commit those crazy turnovers, I'm pretty sure our RB's would have seen a lot more carries and a lot more running yards. We didn't run once on the last two drives.

We almost shot ourselves in the foot. We're lucky to come out with a W. Coughlin and Eli are just stupid. Thank them for the win.

You can't just go by YPC average and say it's good or bad. RB can have one big run and lose yards in 10 other carries and come out with a good YPC.

 

[texbumthelife]

All these people complaining about Randle, saying he went down too easy...

Meanwhile, DMac averaged <3 yards per carry and ran east and west more than he did north and south--one of the reason Oakland stopped playing him. Randle may not have as much pop through the hole as McFadden, but at least he sees them.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

• I disagree that last night means we've abandoned the run for the season.
• It was far from given last year that 1st and goal from the two meant a Murray run.

How does either of those equal anything in the above quote???

The effect of losing a Demarco Murray type RB was clear to me, in the first game since his departure. Thats all I am willing to argue at this point. Its clear as day to me, to others, its not. So be it......

We could throw stat after stat trying to defend our positions....But I dont want to do that right now.

I am glad we won.

Lets see what next week brings.

 

[conner01]

I was disappointed in Randle but it's game 1...we've had games where Murray couldn't run at all and we didn't panic. I would like to see dmc and Christine get more reps.

4.1 yards per carry
Hard for me to be disappointed with that myself

 

[JD_KaPow]

You can't just go by YPC average and say it's good or bad. RB can have one big run and lose yards in 10 other carries and come out with a good YPC.

But that's not what happened. Randle had no negative runs and no big long runs. DMC had the only negative run of the night.

 

[cowboys2233]

I didn't think the run game was very good last night. The receiving out of the backfield was very good. With that being said, the identity last year is we could run when the other team knew we were going to run. That is what made it special. Teams would feel demoralized in the second half of games when we are grounding out 5,6,7 plus yards a carry. I felt last night we were getting 2 and 3 yards when last year they would have netted 4 or 5. That may not seem like a lot, but I think it is a huge difference especially in a game we may be leading in the 4th quarter.

Thank you. All of you who though this running game wouldn't miss a beat without Murray should be serving yourselves a big **** sandwich this morning. And it's not the stats, it's what I so obviously see with my own eyes. We are not even close to being the dangerous, unstoppable, take on the road offense we had last year. We are right back to playing 2013 Cowboys offensive football. And it depresses me. Sorry, but it does.

 

[windward]

Afraid?

I apologize, but I didn't see that.

Afraid in the same sense that Bill Walsh was afraid to run the ball, I guess.

 

[KJJ]

Run game may be different? We knew months ago it would be different at least those of us who understand the back matters. The Cowboys never averaged less than 4.1 a carry until week 13 last season. After the first game with their vaunted RB by committee they averaged 3.5 a carry. It was suppose to be a parting of the Red Sea with this OL but not even close. No 25 yard bursts by Randle because he wasn't coming off the bench with fresh legs going up against a defense that had been softened up by Murray. As for McFadden he couldn't even maintain his 3.3 rushing average from the past 3 seasons with only 2.7 a carry last night.

 

[Nightman]

Run game may be different? We knew months ago it would be different at least those of us who understand the back matters. The Cowboys never averaged less than 4.1 a carry until week 13 last season. After the first game with their vaunted RB by committee they averaged 3.5 a carry. It was suppose to be a parting of the Red Sea with this OL but not even close. No 25 yard bursts by Randle because he wasn't coming off the bench with fresh legs going up against a defense that had been softened up by Murray. As for McFadden he couldn't even maintain his 3.3 rushing average from the past 3 seasons with only 2.7 a carry last night.

This place would be apoplectic if Murray fumbled on the first drive. Randle was lucky someone got between his legs and got that ball back.

I have to say Randle went down way too easy, he is not a lead back. He struggles with blitz pick-up, but did really well catching passes.

 

[AdamJT13]

1st and goal from the 2 yard line? , Murray would get the ball, and everybody would know it; ................He wouldve given us that this year;

We build what some are calling "the great wall", and we dont run the ball on first and goal from the 2 yard line?

You don't think the defense had the same thought?

Maybe that's why both plays resulted in touchdowns.

Sorry if you aren't happy with the WAY we scored our touchdowns, but that kind of misses the whole point of the game.