Dallas Cowboys rushing attack should result in 10-plus wins
The 2018 Dallas Cowboys only face four opponents with top-10 ranked run defenses. Their run-first offense could result in 10 wins or more next season.
Most of us in Cowboy Nation enjoy the battle of strategies between defensive and offensive coordinators.
Experts earn astronomical sums of money to analyze an opponents tendencies or habits.
When Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott have rookie year success, things get harder because opponents “have film on you”.
Maybe a player always spins to the left or looks to throw to a certain receiver when pressured.
Defensive coordinators focus on taking away the things that a player likes to do or does unconsciously.
The same defensive coordinators focus on removing the Cowboys’ strengths as well.
The Cowboys are believed and expected to be a run-first team now, even after signing wide receivers: Allen Hurns, Tavon Austin, Deonte Thompson and Michael Gallup.
And well, there are 11 wide receivers currently listed on the roster at DallasCowboys.com.
The Cowboys front office also added Sanjay Lal as wide receivers coach from the Indianapolis Colts. Lal has coached one receiver with 1,000 yards – Sammy Watkins (2015) – and one Pro Bowl receiver in T.Y. Hilton (2017).
The question remains – How effective is running the football, when teams know you want to run the football?
The Cowboys division contained the leagues best and worst rushing defenses.
The 2017 Washington Redskins allowed 134.1 yards per game.
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were the league’s best rushing defense.
They allowed a mere 80.8 rushing yards per game.
It’s safe to assume that the rest of the league fell in-between those two teams.
Team | 2017 Run Defense Ranking | Yards Allowed |
| Carolina Panthers | 3rd | 85.3 |
| New York Giants | 26th | 120.8 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 20th | 114 |
| Detroit Lions | 19th | 112.5 |
| Houston Texans | 12th | 109.2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 17th | 111.5 |
| Washington Redskins | 32nd | 134.1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 4th | 88.3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1st | 80.8 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9th | 104.2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 15th | 110.5 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 25th | 120.4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 23rd | 117.5 |
| * – Dallas Cowboys | 8th | 104 |
Run defense is a matter of pride for many defenses. Teams with bad run defenses like the Redskins, will realize it’s a weakness and seek to improve their ranking. Teams with great run defenses are prideful and will look forward to playing a team like the Cowboys just to make the statement – “Hey, you aren’t going to run the ball against us.”
As I stated earlier, offenses must attack their opponent’s weaknesses. Having four opponents in 2018 with run defenses ranked in the top ten last year gives the advantage to the Cowboys offense. It means there will be 12 games where our offensive strength of running the football should be super effective, like a Golem versus a Charizard in Pokemon Go.
Let’s hope it be enough to help the Cowboys earn their sixth Lombardi Super Bowl trophy.
#GoCowboys