The Cowboys game was ugly on Sunday; we all know that, but when you dive inside the numbers, Ezekiel Elliott averaged just over 5 yards a carry on Sunday. The game never got beyond two scores, and it’s not like the Cowboys had to flip the script and continue to pass the football.
Elliott only had 10 carries but ran for 52 yards; if you watched the game, you could see that Dallas had some success on the ground but found themselves behind the chains too many times. The lack of separation from the receivers did not help either.
That said, the run blocking from the thin offensive line looked better than trying to pass protect for Dak Prescott. Now, with him out for several weeks the running game might get leaned on too much, and they could find themselves running with no positive outcome. But Sunday night, Zeke was going to roll if they stuck with it.
Jake Ferguson was on the field trying to help create some running lanes for Zeke on Sunday, so I anticipate seeing him going forward.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott gained between 5 and 7 yards on eight of his 10 carries Sunday vs. Buccaneers. Last year, when limited by knee injury, he went 11 straight games (Weeks 6 to 17) without recording that many gains of 5 or more yards in same outing. Good sign for run game. pic.twitter.com/YlroD18lFP
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 12, 2022
The run game was working, and the football game was within reach until Prescott got hurt, but the defense kept you in it, and Kellen Moore and the offense got away from something that was working just a bit.
It is not like Dallas was chasing a ton of points the entire game; the defense kept them in the thick of it. Yet the Cowboys continued trying to force the ball into unproven wide receivers’ hands, and don’t even get me started on the two trick plays they tried that put them way behind the chains. Throw those out of the playbook now.
The penalties did them no favors, but the offense had plenty of chances to continue to run the ball between the tackles, and they just flat-out went away from it, right? I don’t understand. Moving forward, they will have to slow the game down with Cooper Rush as QB1; Zeke needs more than 10 carries when Jerry Jones said multiple times this offseason that the offense goes as Zeke goes; how does that make sense when he runs the ball only 10 times in the first game of the season?
With insufficient firepower on the outside, teams will dare Rush to throw the football; this might not be ideal.
I always like the idea of having around an equal mix of pass and run plays, but of course that would depend on the defense of the opponent. EE’s best year was 2016, when he averaged 108.7 yards per game and was the best RB in the league. Even in his 2nd and 3rd years, he averaged close to 100 yards/game. Unfortunately, since then, his output per game has declined every year to just 58.9 Y/G last year. One can look at a few possible reasons why the decline; O-line, injuries, TP emergence, or maybe just wear and tear/age.
Yes, he did have a good yards per carry ratio on Sunday. And could they have run him more, sure. But then look at what happened to Pollard who had just 8 yards on 6 carries, for a 1.3 YPC. So somewhere along the line the Bucs bottled up some of this Cowboy run game.
Well 1 carry was on the reverse that cost them 8 yards, had that been a 3 yard gain on that play he would have averaged, just over 3 yards a carry on only 6 carries. The sample size being so small it really is not indicative of anything except that we simply do not call running plays.
KM simply does not care about boring running plays. He just doesn’t value it.
It would really be nice to have a candid conversation about the undeniable truth of this.
I mean how many games/years do we have to listen to well I wish we would have run the ball more after the game, before we just accept that he does not find it compelling.
Go look at Shanahan. He won’t STOP running until you make him stop, period. We on the other hand can run e tines in a row, gain 15 yards, and then feel compelled to mix it up, fir some unknown reason.
It just does not make any sense whatsoever.
I get it Sam, they should definitely run the ball more. At least an even mix. I think this upcoming game, they may do more running with Rush in there.
The game plan was terrible. One can argue whether Zeke or Tony is better but Zeke is a lot better of a pass blocker. They had Pollard getting ran over while trying to block and had Zeke on the bench. Just terrible coaching.
Kellen Moore is a Dumbbell! McCarthy is an empty shirt!!! Dan Quinn should’ve been elevated to HC Monday morning. Moore and McCarthy should’ve been fired Sunday night immediately after the debacle was over.
Incompetence throughout the entire organization! Jerry and Stephen Jones both seem to be sleep walking. Changing nothing, but expecting things to change! Not sorry about Amari Cooper, La’el Collins or Randy Gregory leaving. There were plenty comparable available veterans to replace them with during the off season. Instead the Jones Boys just tell everyone how much they love the young guys. Well, how ya like them now? 6th and 7th rounders typically can’t compete with pro bowlers. Senile Jerry and idiotic Stephen reffuse to understand and accept that.
Why does KM even have this job? He should’ve been fired on the field as soon as the clock hit zeros. That was the dumbest sequence of offensive play calling I have ever seen. 10 carries for a guy you’re paying the 2nd or 3rd most on the team? I’d be running on 1st & 2nd and throwing to him on 3rd. Screw that. What’s the point in paying him all that money and not using him. I just don’t get it.
I mean seriously!
Last year they wouldn’t give Pollard carries, insisting on feeding a guy who had a torn PCL, FOR 3 MONTHS !.
This year Zeke has a burst, they are in the game, he was the ONLY thing that was working, and he is basically benched for Pollard.
I mean these guys could not be any more clueless if they wanted to be.
The scary thing is, I am trying my best to NOT be unfair. I mean we are talking about handling simple substitution patterns here?
Someone forgot to teach KM, that being an OC is about building the units identity, NOT calling plays.
You just went with a draft strategy to try and bring more toughness, grit, and physicality to your team, do you not remember the plan?
Look, when you have young players, (especially in the OL) you do things that are easy for them to gain confidence and build upon that grit, it pays dividends in the future.
That means NOT running gadget plays at your own 20 yard line Kellen.
Even if it had worked, it would have not been a valuable chunk play, due to where the play was called.
KM run the God Danm ball, even in unfavorable situations and try again the next series if it doesn’t work out. At the very WORST you shorten the game. And give your D a breather.
BTW, the unfavorable positions created were almost all called pass plays, even the pre-snaps.
Good grief, come on man, wake up!
Hey Mike, you are the head freaking coach, if you are not experienced enough or competent enough to have this worked out after 2 years, it is time to pack it up and get out of the way.
Jerry, Stephen, if this guy doesn’t put his nuts out there and kick azz this weekend and continues to act like a semi interested disappointed fan, then move him out now.
You are wasting your limited and valuable time and your fans patience.
Yes I agree but our offensive Coordinator needs get with program and stop all that Fancy stuff and get back to football
Coaching has get better for us to win the coaches we have can not get us here we want to go kellen Moore socks period