Who all’s tired of seeing the Cowboys hand the ball off to Javonte Williams just to see the offense use the next two downs passing the ball to make up for the lack of a run game?
With the passing game this offense has, why isn’t it opening up running lanes? Or is the run blocking just that bad this year? In years past, our run blocking was our strength. This offense should make teams uncomfortable.
Klayton Adams talked about the problem when he discussed the team’s offensive identity. He said, “We’ve kind of been playing with one arm behind our back right now.” Here is the full statement:
Offensive coordinator Klayton Adams: “We have to develop an identity and we’re still searching for that. But so far what you’ve seen from us is streaky and somewhat inconsistent. And I would say some of
I get it, and I also expect the offensive coordinator to help fix the issue. Green Bay’s injuries give Dallas an opportunity Sunday, but the Cowboys will have to fix their own problems before kickoff.
Javonte Williams Touchdowns Hide the Problem
Williams has six touchdowns in five games. He also has 276 yards on 74 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. The Ravens are the only team he has averaged more than four yards per carry.
The touchdowns are nice, but I question how often Dallas can depend on the running game between those scores.
Against Tampa Bay, Williams gained 45 yards on 12 attempts, and one run accounted for 21 of those yards. His other 11 carries gave us 24 yards, barely two yards per attempt. Why does it always come down to the passing game? It shouldn’t have to.
I know the easy answer is, “Give him more carries.” The problem with that is the blocking has to create somewhere for him to go after the handoff. I want to see productive runs from this group when Schottenheimer still has the entire playbook available.
What Does Green Bay Lose Without Cooper and Hargrave
The Packers have allowed 638 rushing yards on 157 attempts, giving up 4.06 yards per carry, and opponents have scored eight rushing touchdowns. I like those numbers and believe that gives this team an opportunity to get the run game started this game.
Green Bay isn’t totally inept at stopping the run. They held the Bears to 81 yards on 24 attempts without Edgerrin Cooper in the lineup, but the Bears were without Kyle Monangai.
The detail I think is interesting though is that Javon Hargrave wasn’t injured until hustling after the fourth quarter, so that helped the Packers defense. We haven’t seen how Green Bay will handle a game without both of those guys.
Cooper had six tackles for loss before his injury, and his replacements are Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper, but can they cover his workload? Inside, Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks remain, with rookie Chris McClellan among the options for the rotation.
Needless to say, Dallas won’t be facing an empty defensive front.
I expect Green Bay to keep its basic defensive front and share the snaps with a rotation. I’d definitely pay attention to who’s in the game and test those players with pulling blockers and changes of direction. Make the linebackers identify their responsibilities before Williams reaches them.
My Javonte Williams Prediction
I really hope I’m lowballing him with this prediction, but I say 18 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown, and let’s throw in three catches for 17 yards because why not?
Williams has averaged 14.8 carries and hasn’t got more than 19 carries this season, which is absurd. 18 carries assumes Dallas stays close enough to keep running or far enough ahead to ice the game.
This game won’t impress anyone checking the box score Monday morning, but it could give Dak more manageable downs during the game. Forcing Green Bay to pay attention to something besides their receivers will pay off.
Klayton Adams explained what this offense is missing. Now let’s see if he helps get it going this Sunday.
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