3 crucial bye week adjustments from Mike McCarthy that revived Cowboys offense
By Jerry Trotta
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The Dallas Cowboys entered the bye week with a 4-2 record, but they did it with smoke and mirrors from an offensive standpoint.
In Week 6, a heroic Dak Prescott performance was needed to overcome shoddy coaching from Mike McCarthy. Sunday's 43-20 beatdown of the LA Rams was a completely different story, as Prescott threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.
It's apparent McCarthy and the coaching staff used the bye to focus on getting the offense back on track. The pre-bye blueprint wasn't sustainable, so McCarthy deserves credit for recognizing the problem and making adjustments.
While we saw a lot of the same concepts on Sunday as previous games, these crucial changes sparked the Cowboys' 43-point outburst.
3. More (purposeful) motion
It was bad enough that the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the NFL in motion usage before the bye. The fact their motion wasn't used with any intent to confuse defenses made it all the more maddening.
On Sunday, though, McCarthy used motion at the snap and the result was easier looks for Dak Prescott and bigger plays. Who would've thought?
We're not asking McCarthy to mimic Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins league-high motion percentage, but it's no surprise Dallas' offense exploded this week. The benefits of using at-snap motion are endless.
It causes defenders to change assignments on the fly and helps QBs pinpoint the coverage he's facing and matchups for his pass-catchers. Speaking of pass-catchers, motion also allows them an easier release when the ball is snapped.
The Cowboys aren't flush with speed at their skill positions, but motion makes things easier on everyone if used properly. If Sunday was a sign of what's to come in the motion department, Dallas won't have any trouble scoring points.