Is the Dallas Cowboys offensive scheme too simplistic?

A Hall of Fame quarterback calls the Dallas Cowboys’ gameplans too simplistic, and points out their lack of offensive threats.

One reoccurring criticism of Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and his coaching staff has been the belief that their offensive playcalling has been far too predictable. And that opposing defenses are able to accurately predict what play is coming before it’s even snapped.

Now, one NFL Hall of Fame quarterback is going after the Cowboys coaching staff’s game-planning for being too simplistic. And I believe what he said in a recent radio interview is something frustrated fans have been screaming about for several years.

"“When I watch [the Cowboys’ offense] on film, I think that they are very simplistic in what they do,” responded Kurt Warner during a radio interview on 105.3-FM The Fan via the Dallas Morning News. “I think they limit, to me it’s more about concepts when you don’t have guys across the board that are just great players, great route runners. And I look at Dallas and I go, I look at them and who scares me on that team that is going to be able to beat me on any given snap? or is going to be able to, you know, beat me in one-on-one situations every time? I don’t think they have those guys.”"

But here’s the rub. Simplistic doesn’t mean ineffective. It’s one thing to know what’s coming. But when you have running back Ezekiel Elliott and this talented offensive line coming at you, it’s another thing to stop it.

Let’s also not forget that offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was forced to “dumb things down” for rookie quarterback Dak Prescott during his first season in Dallas as the offense was originally built for Tony Romo, a much-more cerebral player at the end of his NFL career.

Before Prescott’s second year, Dak worked heavily on his playbook knowledge in the offseason. And although the offense was capable of being more complex last season, Prescott and the Cowboys actually performed worse.

Here are the facts: When the gameplan was simpler in 2016, the Cowboys went 13-3 and made the postseason. In 2017, under a more complicated scheme, they got worse, posted a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs.

And if you believe the Cowboys are too predictable in their playcalling, their third down percentage should be one of the worst in the NFL. Last season, Dallas ranked fifth in the NFL in that catergory by converting 42.9% of their third down opportunists. This is when being predictable should have hurt the Cowboys the most! Instead, Dallas had one of the league’s top third down conversion rates.

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The Dallas Cowboys are certainly too predictable at times. Their offense may be too simplistic at times. Could both be improved? Certainly, and they should. Especially in the struggling passing game. But based on the numbers and results, many NFL teams have struggled to stop simple Dallas. What’s that say about them?