Big Mike has declared, "I want to run the damn ball!" Many here cheer that message on. Pound the rock, baby!
Hmmm.....What would more running look like?
We were pass happy under Kellen Moore, right? Well...quite the opposite, in fact. In 2022 Dallas had the sixth most carries in the NFL. 531 rushing plays.
Interesting to look at the five teams who ran the ball more than Dallas:
-Falcons, Bears, Eagles, Commanders and Browns. Of those only the Eagles had a winning record.
-The Eagles had more carries than Dallas, but 30% of all Eagles carries were by QB Jalen Hurts. A lot of that on scrambles.
When you adjust for QB scramble runs...Kellen Moore called more run plays than even the Eagles.
It could be argued that the Falcons, Bears, Commanders and Browns only ran so much because they lacked a skilled passer. It sure didn't work out for them
So I ask you: Do you really think Big Mike is going to increase the reliance on the run game? And for the run-heavy fans here...walk me through it. WHY!?
OK, I am going to shock all of you...He Wants Dak to get out of the pocket and run more to go along with a strong running game.
When the big M&M was green he had Ryan Grant, Eddie Lacy go over 1K yards multiple years from 2006-2018. But the most shocking thing is he had Aaron Rodgers finish the no.2, no.3, no.4 rusher nearly every year of his time in Greenbay.
This is his mode of operating an offense with a QB that can gain yards on the ground. Brett Farve, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Brooks, and Alex Smith all were known for there running skills out of the pocket. Dak who is lager (ht./wt.) than all of these QBs still has 4.75-4.8 speed. That is enough to make defense worry about him taking off instead of standing back there getting sacked.
Finally in all his days as an OC and HC when he gets inside the 10 yard line, McCarthy runs the ball with RB, FB, and QB. This leaves the TE open on play action and we know He likes TEs in the redzone to go along with running TDs. This is not the Jason Garrett or Kellen Moore M.O.
So yes he is going to run the damn ball more at the QB position and more inside the red zone.