Keeping Cowboys Eyes On The Prize
Dallas Cowboys running back Alfred Morris provides a dangerous right cross behind Ezekiel Elliott’s left jab.
The newest Dallas Cowboys dilemma involves the small choices. Does one wish to win the battle or the war? I think about the National Basketball Association and the Golden State Warriors during the 2015 – 2016 season. They finished the regular season with 73 wins and 9 losses, the best record in the NBA’s 70 year history. They won their first 24 games including 14 road games which was two more NBA records. In the end, they failed to win the championship.
That’s actually everything I know about basketball, so let’s talk Cowboys. Football is the ultimate team game and that’s one reason why I love it. I like to simplify things and say that the Cowboys will win because at the end of the game, they will have the most points. It’s true, but deeper than that.
For years, Cowboy Nation has seen quarterback Tony Romo carry this team without a top 10 defense. The offense needs the defense and they both need special teams. Remember losing to the Denver Broncos on my birthday by a score of 51 – 48 in 2013, where was the defense! October 25th, 2014, former Cowboys wide receiver Dwayne Harris returned a kick off 100 yards to help the New York Giants win 27 – 20, where was the special teams! In 2015, the only thing offensive was the performance of quarterbacks Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel.
Every running back thanks their offensive linemen because without blocking, they don’t have rushing lanes. During contract negotiations for receiver Dez Bryant, I wrote this article – How effective is Bryant without a quality quarterback? Pretty obvious that no receiver can catch passes thrown 15 yards over their head.
Individual accomplishments in football are great, but those successes within the framework of the team always requires reliance upon teammates. That’s why I frown upon suggestions that running back Ezekiel Elliott focus on getting the NFL’s rookie rushing record.
Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson had 390 rushing attempts in his 1983 rookie season while gaining 1,803 yards. In 1984, he set the record for the most rushing yards in a season with 2,105 with 379 rushing attempts. When running back DeMarco Murray became the NFL’s leading rusher while with the Cowboys in 2014, he used 392 attempts to gain 1,845 yards.
Dickerson was released after four years with the Rams. Murray was released after four years with the Cowboys. Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith lasted an amazing 13 years with our Dallas Cowboys. That’s the exception.
I’m hoping offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and head coach Jason Garrett are aware of the dreaded rookie wall. You know that moment when new players that aren’t used to the long grind of a possible 19 game NFL season face fatigue. Of course, I believe in the 21 year old legs of Ezekiel Elliott because I remember being 21 years young and invincible. I could recall some of my adventures, but my attorney has suggested against it. Unfortunately, that rookie wall is real and it is the moment when a player’s performance starts to decline.
Will that decline for Elliott occur during Week 12? Will it occur during the start of our playoff run? Nobody knows, but is that really what we need just because we want Elliott to pursue an individual record? It’s not necessary for Elliott to have 380, 390, 400 rushing attempts. For two years at least, we have quality depth at the running back position. With Alfred Morris, it’s not 1 and 2 on the depth chart, but 1(a) and 1(b).
Elliott has had 294 offensive snaps which works out to 71.4%. Morris has played in 58 offensive snaps or 14.1%. The numbers clearly indicate that Morris is being vastly underutilized.
In a copy cat league, the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos managed to split carries between two backs. Ronnie Hillman had 239 attempts and C.J. Anderson had 206. The Arizona Cardinals had a balanced attack with David Johnson (155) and Chris Johnson (196). The Green Bay Packers used Eddie Lacy (211) and James Starks (167).
I have already compiled a small list of effective duos in this article. It’s hard to have an effective one – two punch with your running backs, if you only throw the two 14% of the time. Alfred Morris provides the Cowboys with a dangerous right cross behind Elliott’s left jab.
This is why I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Cowboys front office is smart enough to focus on winning the war instead of the individual battles. Let’s get that 6th Lombardi Super Bowl trophy first – that’s the war. If Elliott sets an individual rushing record in the process, then that’s like eating at Sweet Georgia Brown’s in Dallas and having room to visit Steel City Pops for dessert.
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