This team was built around the OL an a elite running game

Cowboyny

Cowboyny

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When we have seen success over the last several years is was about the offense controlling the clock, grinding out first downs, protecting the football and wearing down their opponent. This allowed our defense to stay fresh and pin their ears back playing ahead of the scoreboard.

What has gone wrong?

-Offense has reverted back to the pre-Murray/Zeke days. More of a pass happy offense that puts all the pressure on the QB's shoulders to have any success. Once again the turnovers and self-induced mistakes are way up again. With the other units being so poor, it forces the offense to have to play a perfect, clean game.

-What happened to the run game? This team use to run with success even with a loaded box. Has the players regressed? Has the coaching gotten worse? Yes, on both fronts. The Cowboy OL use to maul opponents into submission, now they are more of a finesse unit. They haven't been the same since Ron Leary and Coach Callaghan left the building. By the way Callahan has revived the Commander ground attack with average talent up front.

-Offense has struggled badly in finishing drives, along with perhaps having the most inconsistent kicker in the league. Bringing back Witten was a mistake, offense needs a difference maker at the TE position, perhaps Jarwin could be that guy, but he needs a chance. Landing a big possession type of WR wouldn't hurt either.

I haven't even gone into the other 2 units which are arguebally among the worst in the entire league. Plain and simple, just like the Romo days, offense struggles, they have no shot at victory. Team has to return to it;s identity to have any such success, hopefully with better coaching, better players, the turnaround can happen quicker then we all realize.
 
Cowboyny said:
When we have seen success over the last several years is was about the offense controlling the clock, grinding out first downs, protecting the football and wearing down their opponent. This allowed our defense to stay fresh and pin their ears back playing ahead of the scoreboard.

What has gone wrong?

-Offense has reverted back to the pre-Murray/Zeke days. More of a pass happy offense that puts all the pressure on the QB's shoulders to have any success. Once again the turnovers and self-induced mistakes are way up again. With the other units being so poor, it forces the offense to have to play a perfect, clean game.

-What happened to the run game? This team use to run with success even with a loaded box. Has the players regressed? Has the coaching gotten worse? Yes, on both fronts. The Cowboy OL use to maul opponents into submission, now they are more of a finesse unit. They haven't been the same since Ron Leary and Coach Callaghan left the building. By the way Callahan has revived the Commander ground attack with average talent up front.

-Offense has struggled badly in finishing drives, along with perhaps having the most inconsistent kicker in the league. Bringing back Witten was a mistake, offense needs a difference maker at the TE position, perhaps Jarwin could be that guy, but he needs a chance. Landing a big possession type of WR wouldn't hurt either.

I haven't even gone into the other 2 units which are arguebally among the worst in the entire league. Plain and simple, just like the Romo days, offense struggles, they have no shot at victory. Team has to return to it;s identity to have any such success, hopefully with better coaching, better players, the turnaround can happen quicker then we all realize.
Click to expand...

3 issues:

1. Zeke
2. Oline
3. coaching/predictability
 
Three things happened.

1. You can’t stick with the running game once you get down in a game. The defense has been a disaster this year, particularly against the run. They can’t get off the field. They’re giving up 7 and 8 yard runs on first down.

2. Zeke isn’t the same player. I don’t care what y’all say. He’s just not.

3. Travis Frederick isn’t himself yet. Maybe he will be back to that man next year. And Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, while both are all pros, are getting older. Don’t expect this great wall of Dallas to stick around forever. Jerry wasted the window with Garrett.
 
An elite OL, RB, WR can make an average QB look amazing. When they are no longer elite they get exposed.
 
ChuckA1 said:
The Oline is no longer elite. Expensive, yes, elite, no.
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I would say at very worst there fringe elite.

Passing is #1, running is #7. Pressures and sack are down from last year. Zack Martin is rated almost 10 points higher this year than he did last year (impressive considering he made first team all-pro last year). Tyron (despite having his ankle shattered by Dak) is ranked higher than 7 out of the 8 left tackles that made the pro bowl last year. La'els career literally turned around this season and he's a top 5 RT (impressive considering he was one of the biggest question marks coming into this season)

There not the 2016 unit that was by far the best unit in the entire NFL but there still a damn good high level unit
 
Tussinman said:
I would say at very worst there fringe elite.

Passing is #1, running is #7. Pressures and sack are down from last year. Zack Martin is rated almost 10 points higher this year than he did last year (impressive considering he made first team all-pro last year). Tyron (despite having his ankle shattered by Dak) is ranked higher than 7 out of the 8 left tackles that made the pro bowl last year. La'els career literally turned around this season and he's a top 5 RT (impressive considering he was one of the biggest question marks coming into this season)

There not the 2016 unit that was by far the best unit in the entire NFL but there still a damn good high level unit
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You make very good points Amigo, I stand corrected.
 
Zeke isn't elite and then you have the coaching staff.
 
ChuckA1 said:
You make very good points Amigo, I stand corrected.
Click to expand...
There a solid unit.

One weird postive is the LG and Center play can't really trend anywhere except upwords (both have been pretty average).

Travis has high upside and LG has good upside to (2 top 90 picks invested in the last 2 drafts at that position) so I forsee better play at both next year, especially with a new coaching staff (better scheme) and they will make LG an open position with best man winning the starting spot in training camp
 
This is another big myth that's been floating around since 2016. The OL and drafting of Zeke wasn't some grand scheme thought out by Jerry/JG to "build a team with a dominant run game". It was done to prolong Romo's career. You think if Romo wasn't hurt in 2016 and was still playing, we would be a run first team? No freaking way. Romo would be still slinging it as he did before Zeke. Romo would still be the focal point of the offense. The offense would go through Romo and not Zeke.

We "became" a run dominant team due to necessity because we were starting a 4th round QB. Now that 4th round QB has become a better passer, we are back to doing what JG always loved to do. That is being pass happy even when the run game is working. Dak is becoming the new Romo under JG. Passing for bunch of stats only to lose.
 
Zman5 said:
This is another big myth that's been floating around since 2016. The OL and drafting of Zeke wasn't some grand scheme thought out by Jerry/JG to "build a team with a dominant run game". It was done to prolong Romo's career. You think if Romo wasn't hurt in 2016 and was still playing, we would be a run first team? No freaking way. Romo would be still slinging it as he did before Zeke. Romo would still be the focal point of the offense. The offense would go through Romo and not Zeke.

We "became" a run dominant team due to necessity because we were starting a 4th round QB. Now that 4th round QB has become a better passer, we are back to doing what JG always loved to do. That is being pass happy even when the run game is working. Dak is becoming the new Romo under JG. Passing for bunch of stats only to lose.
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Nice story but we became a run dominant team in 2014.
 
Aviano90 said:
Nice story but we became a run dominant team in 2014.
Click to expand...

We ran more than previous years but it wasn't a run dominant where the offense went through Murray. Romo was still the focal point of the offense. Romo wasn't just a QB that came along for the ride in 2014. Nobody would've said the offense goes as far as Murray goes in 2014.
 
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Zman5 said:
We ran more than previous years but it wasn't a run dominant where the offense went through Murray. Romo was still the focal point of the offense. Romo wasn't just a QB that came for the ride in 2014.
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You’re right. Romo didn’t just go along for a ride in 2014. He was actually in the MVP discussion. Likewise, Dak didn’t just go along for a ride in 2016. He was also in the MVP discussion.

Perceptions are a hell of a thing.
 
Aviano90 said:
You’re right. Romo didn’t just go along for a ride in 2014. He was actually in the MVP discussion. Likewise, Dak didn’t just go along for a ride in 2016. He was also in the MVP discussion.

Perceptions are a hell of a thing.
Click to expand...

MVP discussion has nothing to do with what actually happened in games. Dak was barely audibling out of plays in 2016. He basically did what the coaches were telling him.
2016 offense went through Zeke and Dak played well but wasn't the focal point of that offense. Teams were focused on stopping Zeke.

In 2014, teams were more afraid of Romo to Dez than Murray even though Murray lead the league in rushing.
 
Zman5 said:
MVP discussion has nothing to do with what actually happened in games. Dak was barely audibling out of plays in 2016. He basically did what the coaches were telling him.
2016 offense went through Zeke and Dak played well but wasn't the focal point of that offense. Teams were focused on stopping Zeke.

In 2014, teams were more afraid of Romo to Dez than Murray even though Murray lead the league in rushing.
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Both QBs played great. Both RBs played great. Who cares what people think other teams were afraid of? GB was afraid of Murray in the playoff game. Their strategy was to stack the box. Romo dinked and dunked all game. Dak got killed for games like that.
 
Aviano90 said:
Both QBs played great. Both RBs played great. Who cares what people think other teams were afraid of? GB was afraid of Murray in the playoff game. Their strategy was to stack the box. Romo dinked and dunked all game. Dak got killed for games like that.
Click to expand...

You think opposing teams focus on a player for no reason? It's because they think that player is the most likely to take over the game and beat them. GB was more geared to stop Dez than Murray and doubled Dez most of the game. That's why Romo went to Witt most of the game and Murray had a good game.
 
Zman5 said:
You think opposing teams focus on a player for no reason? It's because they think that player is the most likely to take over the game and beat them. GB was more geared to stop Dez than Murray and doubled Dez most of the game. That's why Romo went to Witt most of the game and Murray had a good game.
Click to expand...
Who they focus on doesn’t matter. They focused on Romo for years and we kept being pass happy. We started running the ball in 2014. We didn’t just start running the ball in 2016 just because Dak was a 4th round QB. The reason doesn’t matter, only the fact 2014 is when we became the running team.
 
Zman5 said:
You think opposing teams focus on a player for no reason? It's because they think that player is the most likely to take over the game and beat them. GB was more geared to stop Dez than Murray and doubled Dez most of the game. That's why Romo went to Witt most of the game and Murray had a good game.
Click to expand...
GB stacked box against Murray. Hell they couldn’t even stop him in 2013 when we blew the 26-3 lead and GB players were thankful we stopped running.


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