Werder: Run game was not the problem last season, Cowboys ran the football 45%

[baltcowboy]

LOL. McCaffrey had 35 yards rushing for the whole game. Who's not watching... thoughtfully?

Listen Mr. Stats did you look up all the games CMC played or did you cherry pick game 1 which they lost. CMC and the return of their left tackle was the key ingredient for their unbeaten streak because they ran the ball better.

 

[Surfguy]

A lot of first down 1 yard runs. Sigh!

 

[Big_D]

Maybe Werder didn't catch the second half of the Niner game where the rushing attack was most certainly a problem??? If you can't win playoff games because your rushing attack disappears.. something's gotta give. Even with an injury to Pollard they shouldn't look that pathetic.

 

[glimmerman]

That formula was correct in all 2022 loses with Dak at QB.

The loss with Rush at QB met those requirements but they lost due to the QB.

And playcalling. Moore asked Rush to throw deeper routes early on and had a run game but felt the need to pass instead. Could have just established run game and play actions on the longer passes later and the WR would have been more open. They get away from the formula and bad things happen. Our first playoff game against bucs started to scare me because Moore had Dak throwing those intermediate routes earlier.

 

[kevm3]

The disconnect I believe is not the % of run pass. It’s when to run and when to pass. When to take shots when not to take shots. Everyone keeps harping on mccarthys “I wanna run the damn ball” comment but to me it’s just him speaking to a bigger issue about getting better situationally.

In the divisional game it was 6-6 with 1:30 left in the half. We were on their 20. 2&2. We get the ball at halftime- dak throws a terrible interception that completely changes the game. It’s those little things like that that McCarthy is trying to guard against. Down and distance, game situations and saving dak from himself.

That's what was so infuriating about last year. Why are we launching the ball down the field for a low probability throw when it's 2nd or 3rd down and short? GET THE FIRST DOWN.

Could have done a short pass or a run, but no, we need to throw the ball 30 yards down the field to get intercepted.

 

[Zekeats]

This is a bit confusing coz something isn't adding up.........timing, sequence, play design??????

I mean MM says Kellen wanted to light up the scoreboard, he wanna rub the ball........

Werder is an idiot. It should be 55 run 45 pass with Dak. He ain't Mahomes

 

[NFCBeasts]

I haven't argued that. If your looking for a spat, look elsewhere. I don't think Daks the guy. So I agree. But at the same token MM IS a winning SB HC and needs his due. He earned it. What did Jimmy J do when he left for Miami? That make him less significant. He had Marino. DIDN'T WIN. See? Mike is a helluva HC. Things could be much worse. Mike will earn his $ this year, no doubt

Not looking for a spat …. we are on the same page. My point is Mm will have a harder road to a title with this roster but he can do it. My biggest concern is he will be the next scape goat for poor qb play.

 

[charron]

They did run the ball alot. The issue is they werent effective doing it. When the backs average 3 yards a run that is an issue. KM's 1 weakness was designing good run plays and he got zero help from MM. Better hope they figure it out.

 

[T-RO]

Listen Mr. Stats did you look up all the games CMC played or did you cherry pick game 1 which they lost. CMC and the return of their left tackle was the key ingredient for their unbeaten streak because they ran the ball better.

CMC had 35 yards against Cowboys in the playoffs.

He had 84 yards vs. Eagles in playoffs

He has nice value because he's a great receiver out of the backfield. The 49ers turned it on the last half of the season because:
-Number of players returned from injury
-Brock Purdy

Wilson and Mitchell both had better YPC than Christian.

 

[Rockport]

This is a bit confusing coz something isn't adding up.........timing, sequence, play design??????

I mean MM says Kellen wanted to light up the scoreboard, he wanna rub the ball........

You’re not very football aware are you.

 

[USArmyVet]

You’re not very football aware are you.

So anyone that you disagree with is football ignorant? How are you even still here?

 

[T-RO]

KM's 1 weakness was designing good run plays

Funny. Run play designs sure worked when Pollard had the rock. I guess KM just doesn't know how to call plays for Zeke.

5.5 YPC in '21
5.2 YPC in '22

 

[removed_20241105]

They are definitely changing their scheme, especially coming up ways to run the football better. It’s hard for any QB to throw the football when teams are playing extra men in coverage and can also pin their ears back and rush the QB without any threat from a ground game. Just look what happened to Brady this season and even how Patrick MaHomes struggled two years ago when they couldn’t run the football. Now look at who Dak was throwing the football to: Lamb was legit, Shultz is ok, but Noah Brown? After those 3 got nothing out of the group if receivers. Dak played poor against the 49ers, but so many also do, they were giving up 10 points a game. Losing Pollard made it virtually impossible especially Zeke is done and Moore didn’t even tried to run after his injury. Better scheme, better personnel and the we can legitimately evaluate Dak. I believe despite the turnovers, Dak did a good job of what he had to work with. Have to cut down those turnovers and become more efficient

Totally fair post and I don’t see us as miles apart. Worth a watch for sure.

 

[McKDaddy]

When your passing game doesn't threaten anything more than 10 yards downfield on a consistent basis the defense has an advantage.

Our Oline also hasn't been consistent road graders. More of getting the defense flowing a direction and riding them.

 

[Rockport]

So anyone that you disagree with is football ignorant? How are you even still here?

No not everyone. Some are really good posters just ignorant about certain subjects unlike you who is ignorant about all football subjects.

 

[kskboys]

I guess, if you're asking me did he appear to be some walk around low input delegatory team manager, then yes, I judged him.
This is not how normal NFL head coaches do things.
NFL Head Coaches have strong backgrounds in offense or defense or even special teams with John Harbaugh.

McCarthy is a playcaller. Offensive guy. Always had been prior to Dallas.

Now that the former playcaller is gone we will see how all of McCarthy's offensive training can influence team success.

Simple as that.

I agree w/ that.

Going to be fascinating to see just how much he was handcuffed.

 

[kskboys]

When your passing game doesn't threaten anything more than 10 yards downfield on a consistent basis the defense has an advantage.

Our Oline also hasn't been consistent road graders. More of getting the defense flowing a direction and riding them.

And when you throw more than 10 yards downfield consistently, the D has an advantage.

 

[kskboys]

Media have zero information anymore. I have seen this said idk how many times basically word for word. This is how bad reporting has gotten, just lazy idiots.

Just cause you run doesn't mean you did a good job. Kellen let's be honest didn't know how to run the ball. His play design and playcalling were for passing, and he ran it when he felt like it. He would have a great drive running the ball, then the next would be a 3 and out with 3 passes.

Half of the teams runs seemed to be the same stupid stretch handoff that never works. Shotgun run delays, the stretch run from the shotgun.

That's what I saw.

Get in the red zone by running the ball profusely, then pass pass pass FG.

 

[charron]

Funny. Run play designs sure worked when Pollard had the rock. I guess KM just doesn't know how to call plays for Zeke.

5.5 YPC in '21
5.2 YPC in '22

Did they though. Polkard was one of the best at getting ysrds after contact. If he didnt break off a good run he also struggled. What i mean by that he had alot of small runs roughly 3 yards then breaks off a large run upping his average. That looks good on paper but outside of a few games they werent running for 1st downs enough. Maybe it was the OL blocking scheme or the run plays or fact that they failed to disguise most run plays but neither back was getting to the LOS untouched often.

 

[T-RO]

That's what I saw.

Get in the red zone by running the ball profusely, then pass pass pass FG.

Comments you and LatinMind made caused me to be curious so I had to research this.

Cowboys ran 127 red zone plays this season:
60 passes + 4 QB sacks
63 runs

The ratio of run to pass wasn't really much different in the red zone vs. other parts of drives. Run ratio was a tiny bit higher in the red zone.

This "memory of what I saw" is flawed.