Dallas Cowboys: Scott Linehan must turn rushing yards into points
The Dallas Cowboys ranked 2nd in rushing yards per game, but 14th in points per game in 2017. OC Scott Linehan must turn rushing yards into points.
It’s not a big secret that the Dallas Cowboys have become known as a team that wants to run the football. Success this season will rely on offensive coordinator Scott Linehan being creative within head coach Jason Garrett‘s Air Coryell offensive system.
In the NFL, offensive creativity is usually exhibited in the passing game. That doesn’t bode well for a run first team with an offense often described as vanilla or simplistic. Every NFL running back is limited to a few options when handed the football.
The back can run through the infamous ‘A-gap’ between the center and guard. The ‘B-gap’ between the guard and the tackle. The ‘C-gap’ which exists outside of the tackles and also between the tackle and tight end. With a tight end present, the ‘D-gap’ is outside of the tight end.
To stop the run, defenses can bring an extra player into the box. The box is the area occupied by defensive linemen and linebackers. That extra player forces five offensive linemen to block up to 8 defensive players.
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The mismatch in numbers usually doesn’t create an opportunity for offensive success unless a defensive player makes a mistake or running back Ezekiel Elliott breaks a tackle or eludes a defender.
The passing game offers a greater opportunity to be creative because a wide receiver is typically asked to run 9 routes. These 9 routes are often referred to as the route tree and include: hitch, slant, out, in, comeback, curl, corner, post, and go. Multiple receivers running complementary routes and double moves create nearly limitless options to pick secondaries apart.
In 2017, the Cowboys finished 2nd in the NFL with 135.6 rushing yards per game. Unfortunately, rushing yards alone doesn’t win games. The Cowboys ranked 14th by averaging 22.1 points per game and missed the NFL playoffs with a 9–7 record.
Is Scott Linehan capable of adding creativity to the 2018 Dallas Cowboys offense to maintain or improve the rushing game? Can Linehan help turn rushing yards into points? I don’t believe that he is.
Most would credit former offensive coordinator and running game coordinator Bill Callahan as the genius that established the foundation for our running game dominance in 2014.
I have been requesting that Linehan add sprinkles to our vanilla offense in multiple articles since 2015, so it’s hard for me to trust Linehan to be creative when he hasn’t proven to be.
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If the entire coaching staff was fired today, I would credit Linehan for adding one thing to the Dallas Cowboys offense since joining in 2014. That would be the ‘Lucky Whitehead‘ Jet Sweep.
If you can think of a Scott Linehan contribution, please mention it in the comments.