Why Scott Linehan Is Perfect For Lance Dunbar

[NeonDeion21]

When a good player plays in the right system, it can be a thing of beauty. When I think of perfect fits, I think of Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis or Marshall Faulkwith the Rams. And to a much smaller degree, I think Lance Dunbar is a perfect fit in Scott Linehan’s offense and 2014 will be a breakout season for him. And I’m not the only one who thinks this. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Dunbar from the national media and it should grow louder as we get closer to the season:

@nickeatman
Lance Dunbar might not get drafted .. But he will be on a fantasy roster in every league ... Just a prediction

But before we get into Lance Dunbar specifically, I want to show why Dunbar is a good fit in this offense. In a Scott Linehan run offense, there is going to be a ton of work to go around for the running backs, particularly in the receiving game. As the chart below shows, any time Scott Linehan has been a coach, that teams’ running backs have AVERAGED over 90 catches a season. That’s a ton of work for the backs in the passing game. Check out the rest of the chart below:

Read the rest of the article at: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/06/26/is-lance-ready-to-raise-the-bar/

 

[Frozen700]

I love this OC move

 

[jazzcat22]

But I thought Linehan was pass happy?
LOL

 

[JonJon]

I agree on Dunbar. I am also curious as to how Williams fits into the equation.

 

[NeonDeion21]

Here's a couple of GIF's from the article:

See more at: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/06/26/is-lance-ready-to-raise-the-bar/

 

[Doc50]

When a good player plays in the right system, it can be a thing of beauty. When I think of perfect fits, I think of Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis or Marshall Faulkwith the Rams. And to a much smaller degree, I think Lance Dunbar is a perfect fit in Scott Linehan’s offense and 2014 will be a breakout season for him. And I’m not the only one who thinks this. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Dunbar from the national media and it should grow louder as we get closer to the season:

@nickeatman
Lance Dunbar might not get drafted .. But he will be on a fantasy roster in every league ... Just a prediction

But before we get into Lance Dunbar specifically, I want to show why Dunbar is a good fit in this offense. In a Scott Linehan run offense, there is going to be a ton of work to go around for the running backs, particularly in the receiving game. As the chart below shows, any time Scott Linehan has been a coach, that teams’ running backs have AVERAGED over 90 catches a season. That’s a ton of work for the backs in the passing game. Check out the rest of the chart below:

Read the rest of the article at: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/06/26/is-lance-ready-to-raise-the-bar/

Good post.

Lotta talk about Linehan and what he brings. It would be reasonable to expect even more wrinkles and innovation from him this year due to the presence of an effective OL, and the need to protect our still-evolving D. I'm looking forward to some surprises, more favorable utilization of personnel, and a top 5 O (barring injury, of course).

 

[BigStar]

Great article and insight as usual ND21. I am also excited to see what a real OC can do with this offense. I've always felt passing to the backs are great ways to pick up "cheap but productive yardage" that I see opponents regularly stack up against our D. Dunbar is a spark plug due to his quick twitch athleticism and can find a lot of that hidden yardage that wasn't exploited in previous seasons. Murray in the flat would also do wonders to set up 3rd and shorts when the team is stagnating. Great post!

 

[Rockport]

I like Dunbar as a jack of all trade types on offense. He's not an every down player, but used properly, he can be really effective. Sounds like Linehan will use him properly.

 

[ShiningStar]

wow, has this turned into the "we will use every angle to keep proving Lance Dunbar is the RB we think he is" I still dont get the love for this guy. I get the reasoning and i get what some posters opinions of him are. but he has to prove it first. I dont think hes even given Dallas one full good season yet.

 

[jazzcat22]

wow, has this turned into the "we will use every angle to keep proving Lance Dunbar is the RB we think he is" I still dont get the love for this guy. I get the reasoning and i get what some posters opinions of him are. but he has to prove it first. I dont think hes even given Dallas one full good season yet.

What does he need to do to prove it for you. Run for 1,000 yards as a backup?
In his limited time so far, I think he has shown enough to be given the benefit of the doubt, that he can and will produce given the opportunities that he will receive.

 

[jday]

When a good player plays in the right system, it can be a thing of beauty. When I think of perfect fits, I think of Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis or Marshall Faulkwith the Rams. And to a much smaller degree, I think Lance Dunbar is a perfect fit in Scott Linehan’s offense and 2014 will be a breakout season for him. And I’m not the only one who thinks this. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Dunbar from the national media and it should grow louder as we get closer to the season:

@nickeatman
Lance Dunbar might not get drafted .. But he will be on a fantasy roster in every league ... Just a prediction

But before we get into Lance Dunbar specifically, I want to show why Dunbar is a good fit in this offense. In a Scott Linehan run offense, there is going to be a ton of work to go around for the running backs, particularly in the receiving game. As the chart below shows, any time Scott Linehan has been a coach, that teams’ running backs have AVERAGED over 90 catches a season. That’s a ton of work for the backs in the passing game. Check out the rest of the chart below:

Read the rest of the article at: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/06/26/is-lance-ready-to-raise-the-bar/

I've been saying this for awhile now; if Linehan brings what he did with Reggie Bush to the Cowboys, we may actually see both Dunbar and Beasley used to their strengths. I credit Garret for many things in terms of the current state of the Cowboys, but in-game management and using players like this to their full potential is something he has failed miserably at. Hopefully Linehan changes that.

 

[jday]

wow, has this turned into the "we will use every angle to keep proving Lance Dunbar is the RB we think he is" I still dont get the love for this guy. I get the reasoning and i get what some posters opinions of him are. but he has to prove it first. I dont think hes even given Dallas one full good season yet.

I don't think Lance Dunbar is an every down back, I don't think you want him protecting Romo's blindside on 3rd and long and I don't think he's the guy you hand the ball on fourth and 1 in hopes that he can muscle his way for a yard. Having said that, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate what he does bring, if he can stay healthy. I'm not saying Lance Dunbar is Reggie Bush 2.0, but in terms of lateral quickness, vision, and ability to catch out of the back field, he has proven to me that he can be a valuable cog in this offense. I frankly don't see 50 catches for him this year, because unlike other teams Linehan has coached for, we actually have more viable weapons to work with, believe it or not - Dez, Witten, Murray, Beasley, Williams, Street, Harris, Escobar, Hanna, not to mention the UDFA's that may find a way to sneak into the final 53. But Dunbar does have something - I honestly believe the reason there are so few instances is because he was under-utilized last year. It wasn't until Murray was injured and he had to start in the Raiders game that we really started to see his ability. Unfortunately, he was put out for the year in the game, but that, in my opinion, is because he shouldn't be the lead back. I think his role should stay change of pace. I also believe that's the reason the Cowboys picked up Ryan Williams. If Murray goes down, Ryan Williams will be plugged into the starter role and Dunbar can continue to do what he does best.

 

[Alexander]

What does he need to do to prove it for you. Run for 1,000 yards as a backup?

How about 100 yards in a game?

 

[jazzcat22]

How about 100 yards in a game?

that would be great for Murray

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The Dunbar hype is unbelievable.

He is an an undersized, injury prone, fumbler until proven otherwise. That is what he has shown the last two years.

 

[Wolfpack]

that would be great for Murray

Great for a team.

 

[Bullflop]

We'll find out soon enough if Linehan is "perfect" for Dunbar when the time comes. He will be challenged to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that he's capable of recovering -- not only from his injuries but from his fumbling woes as well. Forgive me if that sounds skeptical. It's really not intended in that light. He is, after all, highly proficient in what he does.

Dunbar simply needs to continue producing as he has without the fumbling miscues and injuries. He must surely have better success avoiding the season-ending injuries that thus far have curtailed his playing time on the field. Hopefully, an offseason devoted to a regular weightlifting regimen and getting stronger will help to make the injuries disappear. The dreaded fumbling curse can be overcome. After all, it's something that many others have proven to be possible in the past.

Gotta say, I'm anxiously anticipating watching Dunbar deal with his extended workload throughout training camp and into the upcoming season. Lance's chances for success could conceivably be a big factor for a winning season to happen for the Cowboys. I definitely wish him godspeed in his attempt to help his team become a winner.

 

[noshame]

If used as planned Dunbar should dazzle some folks

 

[Alexander]

I am glad we did get Linehan. I mean, we really needed to get a coach who can take advantage of the all-timer type athletic gifts of Lance Dunbar.

 

[xwalker]

When a good player plays in the right system, it can be a thing of beauty. When I think of perfect fits, I think of Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis or Marshall Faulkwith the Rams. And to a much smaller degree, I think Lance Dunbar is a perfect fit in Scott Linehan’s offense and 2014 will be a breakout season for him. And I’m not the only one who thinks this. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Dunbar from the national media and it should grow louder as we get closer to the season:

@nickeatman
Lance Dunbar might not get drafted .. But he will be on a fantasy roster in every league ... Just a prediction

But before we get into Lance Dunbar specifically, I want to show why Dunbar is a good fit in this offense. In a Scott Linehan run offense, there is going to be a ton of work to go around for the running backs, particularly in the receiving game. As the chart below shows, any time Scott Linehan has been a coach, that teams’ running backs have AVERAGED over 90 catches a season. That’s a ton of work for the backs in the passing game. Check out the rest of the chart below:

Read the rest of the article at: http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/06/26/is-lance-ready-to-raise-the-bar/

What were the total catches for the Cowboys and the league average during those years?