Why don't we run a lead draw?

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Lots of missing plays in Dallas. I would add screens to that list. They very seldom run them despite having good pieces to pull it off. Another Garrett era mystery.

We have not did the screen pass on a consistent basis since Tony Dorsett.

 

[gjkoeppen]

Why can't we have a play that worked so well for Emmitt, for Zeke. Lead draw is great play.

Because the Cowboys today rarely have a FB on the field. In Emmitt's day The Moose was on the field all the time so there was no tip off as to what play was going to be run. Today the Cowboys have a FB on the field for short yardage and goal line plays and an occasional short passing downs. The Cowboys do run delays or draws just not lead draws. If the Cowboys started to run lead draws the defense would figure that out in a second because of the FB on the field. Two different eras, one where a FB was on the field and today when there isn't.
.

 

[jazzcat22]

Is that Bodine?

Yes.

Actually I am ok with Jerry the owner. And he has been staying out of a lot of big decisions, so it seems.
but have to get jabs in here and there just for fun.

 

[gjkoeppen]

No team will EVER be able to make all their fans happy with play selections. The only exception is the team that just won the Super Bowl and then the fans will give them a couple of extra months before they start with they should run this play more and that will work and then they will keep winning Super Bowls. Teams form an identity which usually is either a passing team or a run first team. The Cowboys are the latter and being that don't have as many of the exciting 20+ yard plays as a passing first team. All teams have plays they practice all the time but seldom use because they don't want a lot of film out there on those plays so they can use it sparingly when needed without the defense knowing it's coming. Also fewer and fewer screen plays yield the big yardage they used to because defenses practice screen plays so much and are much better at spotting them presnap. A lot of it is down and yardage and if a team has a history of running screens in those situations. Just think of how many times you've seen the QB on a screen play throw the ball high so it goes out of bounds or just throws it to the ground at the backs feet because the defense had the play defensed.
.

 

[buybuydandavis]

If Elliott can rush for 1631 yards in 15 games like he did as a rookie, I don't want to screw with the formula. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It aint broke, it's just gone. Back in 2016, teams would still double Dez. He's gone. Witten's gone.

This year, best 5th player is likely Olawale. And best WR is likely Beasley. Maybe Hurns is better, but I'd certainly put Beasley over the rest. He should be on the field.

Different year, different players. The players are part of the formula. Or at least should be.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Lots of missing plays in Dallas. I would add screens to that list. They very seldom run them despite having good pieces to pull it off. Another Garrett era mystery.

More generally, the mystery of why we haven't been throwing to Zeke more. There are plenty of players coming out of college who can run. What was supposed to make Zeke truly special as a RB was the addition of great receiving skills.

Less than 4 targets per game last year.

 

[Jeffkills]

We don't have Moose.

 

[windward]

When fans are discontented, it's like water trying to find it's way through a rock. It isn't enough that there are obvious causes for why the team hasn't advanced. They want to try every permutation of players and play calling to find issues. And it all starts with offense because, by default, people think their team is as good as its offense because they subconsciously know the team with more points wins. So if you lose, it's because you didn't score more points, by default.

Discontented fans: We need to run the lead draw like we did in the 90s!

Also discontented fans: This 90s offense will never work in 2018!

 

[Idgit]

Discontented fans: We need to run the lead draw like we did in the 90s!

Also discontented fans: This 90s offense will never work in 2018!

Exactly!

 

[Alexander]

The last thing Garrett needs to do is latch onto 1990s concepts. He is still stuck on the Sid Luckman playbook.

All in all, as much grief as a lot of us have given Kellen Moore, I am secretly hoping he has an influence.

We need to latch onto the new wave where young offensive minds like Shanahan and McVay are reimaging how offenses attack.

 

[Whyjerry]

More generally, the mystery of why we haven't been throwing to Zeke more. There are plenty of players coming out of college who can run. What was supposed to make Zeke truly special as a RB was the addition of great receiving skills.

Less than 4 targets per game last year.

Classic Garrett era offense. They fool the opposition by not running the play they should. Genius.

 

[Billyd]

Because the Cowboys today rarely have a FB on the field. In Emmitt's day The Moose was on the field all the time so there was no tip off as to what play was going to be run. Today the Cowboys have a FB on the field for short yardage and goal line plays and an occasional short passing downs. The Cowboys do run delays or draws just not lead draws. If the Cowboys started to run lead draws the defense would figure that out in a second because of the FB on the field. Two different eras, one where a FB was on the field and today when there isn't.
.

See new fb..I think a potential path to a even more dynamic running game this year!

 

[Billyd]

Discontented fans: We need to run the lead draw like we did in the 90s!

Also discontented fans: This 90s offense will never work in 2018!

Seemed to work fine two years ago. Lol

 

[OmerV]

It aint broke, it's just gone. Back in 2016, teams would still double Dez. He's gone. Witten's gone.

This year, best 5th player is likely Olawale. And best WR is likely Beasley. Maybe Hurns is better, but I'd certainly put Beasley over the rest. He should be on the field.

Different year, different players. The players are part of the formula. Or at least should be.

The running game is gone? Sorry, I don't see that at all. It dropped off some last year, but that likely was more due to the year long Zeke Elliott saga than anything else. This year that won't be hanging over the heads of Zeke and the team, plus Collins will be more settled in at RT, and at least hopefully Williams will be an upgrade over Cooper at LG. If Tyron Smith is healthy, I don't see any reason the team can't get to or surpass the running game it had in 2016.

That said, I have no problem using the lead draw occasionally, just as I have no problem with other plays that are a small part of the overall game plan. I just don't get the complaints that not using it is somehow causing a big problem with the running game - as if the running game has been notably deficient without it. That just hasn't been the case.

 

[glimmerman]

It will be in the arsenal this year now that Linehan has changed the Offense up. We will see some other old plays dragged out of the past also. Not expecting a lot of new stuff.

 

[buybuydandavis]

The running game is gone?

No, I was referring to some of the key personnel for the offense, and the way defenses played them in 2016. That's gone.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't work when the "it" that wasn't broke is just no longer available.

 

[OmerV]

No, I was referring to some of the key personnel for the offense, and the way defenses played them in 2016. That's gone.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't work when the "it" that wasn't broke is just no longer available.

I don't necessarily agree that what we did in 2016 is no longer available. Obviously teams would try and adjust to the Cowboys running game as it was in 2016, and the Cowboys always have to tweak things to account for that, but I really feel the main reason for the drop in the running game last year was the season long Elliott saga, and not as much about a couple of changes in personnel or that the opposing defenses learned to stop it. Obviously I can't know that with certainty though.

Of course there are even more changes in personnel going into 2018, but I don't think that automatically means we can't run the ball like we did in 2016. Assuming Tyron Smith is healthy, the O-Line should be solid. I guess the key is whether the passing game can be effective enough to take pressure off the running game, but that would be the case whether we have a similar running scheme as the 2016 team or not.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I don't necessarily agree that what we did in 2016 is no longer available.

Again, Witten gone, no experience at TE, and nobody is going to be doubling our wideouts like teams still did with Dez in 2016. Olawale is just probably a better option than any of our TEs and Beasley is our most reliable threat at WR.

Now it wouldn't be a shock if, regardless of personnel, we still doddled along with the same scheme, chanting "Next man up". But it would be dumb.

 

[ondaedg]

Member the counter play they used to run all the time with Felix. Qb turns right eb starts right then goes left and qb turns with him and hands the ball off. That play would be nice for Zeke too. 100% agree with the lead draw.

Murray ran this play perfectly. No idea why they stopped using it.

 

[OmerV]

Again, Witten gone, no experience at TE, and nobody is going to be doubling our wideouts like teams still did with Dez in 2016. Olawale is just probably a better option than any of our TEs and Beasley is our most reliable threat at WR.

Now it wouldn't be a shock if, regardless of personnel, we still doddled along with the same scheme, chanting "Next man up". But it would be dumb.

I don't disagree that there are things to overcome, but no team gets to play every year with exactly the same personnel, yet many still find a way to continue on without having to make significant scheme changes.