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SAN ANTONIO – One reason the Cowboys logged a franchise-low nine rushing attempts in last week’s 27-23 win over Minnesota was it knew it could move the ball through the air against a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league against the pass.
New Orleans is a different story.
Rob Ryan’s defense is fifth against the pass but just 25th against the run, allowing an average of 121.3 yards per game. Those facts, plus the need to keep Drew Brees and the Saints’ seventh-ranked offense (397.4-yard average) off the field, point to a Dallas game plan that should call for plenty of action for DeMarco Murray.
“You have to be persistent,” Garrett said of the running game. “We all know that. I know that. (Offensive coordinator) Bill (Callahan) knows that. Everybody knows that. You just have to keep banging away at it.
“At the same time, you don’t want a whole lot of wasted plays. There aren’t that many plays in a ballgame. You want to find things you’re good at and you want to migrate to those things.”
What that essentially means is that the Cowboys want to employ a balanced attack. But if the offensive line can’t open the holes, or if the Saints put eight men in the box, or if Tony Romo has a hot hand or Callahan sees a matchup in the secondary that can be exploited, Dallas will continue to be pass heavy.
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New Orleans is a different story.
Rob Ryan’s defense is fifth against the pass but just 25th against the run, allowing an average of 121.3 yards per game. Those facts, plus the need to keep Drew Brees and the Saints’ seventh-ranked offense (397.4-yard average) off the field, point to a Dallas game plan that should call for plenty of action for DeMarco Murray.
“You have to be persistent,” Garrett said of the running game. “We all know that. I know that. (Offensive coordinator) Bill (Callahan) knows that. Everybody knows that. You just have to keep banging away at it.
“At the same time, you don’t want a whole lot of wasted plays. There aren’t that many plays in a ballgame. You want to find things you’re good at and you want to migrate to those things.”
What that essentially means is that the Cowboys want to employ a balanced attack. But if the offensive line can’t open the holes, or if the Saints put eight men in the box, or if Tony Romo has a hot hand or Callahan sees a matchup in the secondary that can be exploited, Dallas will continue to be pass heavy.
Continue reading...