Decoding Schotty Wk6 - Offensive Failures
The Offense had been rolling right along, but this one fizzled late and it cost them.
Tuesdays – since about 2008 – have been my day to evaluate the offense in this space. We have called it “Decoding” over those years and then the name behind the decoding is the man with the play-sheet calling the plays and hopefully putting them in an order to attack that week’s opponent. This is where we try to figure out the tactical and strategic plot-lines of the game and get a feel for how well it worked out for that side of the ball. For those of you new here, two things: 1) ask questions of anything you don’t quite understand and 2) be aware that we do defense on Wednesdays.
Here we go. Our objectives for today:
How the offense played a key role in this loss.
The Running Game was absolutely brutal.
The Offensive Line’s overall performance.
George Pickens is a superstar WR.
The Late Game Failure of the Offense.
Look at plenty of All-22 film and see what we can see.
OVERALL OFFENSIVE EVALUATION
The reason we want to offer an individual evaluation of the two sides of the ball for the Cowboys is very simple and obvious. We don’t want to get tunnel vision about what matters because there are always issues on both sides of the ball that affect the other. If the defense is failing the team right now (it is), then how do we evaluate the offense?
Well, I think we have to hold them to a standard – as we expect the coaches to – that factors in such things as trying to take things off their plate and handle it offensively. For instance, in this failure on Sunday in Carolina, anyone in their right mind knew that the game on Sunday would require the fourth quarter to be won by the Cowboys offense in terms of time of possession and plays run. If the Cowboys were to own those two categories, this game was going to be won. They were up 24-20 when the Quarter began and now simply needed to nurse this home offensively. They would have to methodically run out the clock with some ground and pound and make Carolina defend the final 15 minutes.
Instead, the offense ran 13 plays and had the ball for slightly more than 5 minutes. They would gain two first downs and run for zero. Carolina, meanwhile, were the team to drag the Cowboys defense out into the deep water and the tired Cowboys simply were left to drown. They did. Carolina had the ball for 9:49 and ran 23 plays. They gained eight 1st downs, and, of course, out-scored the Cowboys in the final quarter, 10-3.
You may want to blame the defense entirely and tomorrow, they will get their moment on the stand. But, today, we look at how the stronger side of the team could have helped the weaker side. Sometimes, you have to drag them along and the offense did not help the cause much at all as the game went along. For that reason, I would suggest the offense can and should wear a great deal of blame. Sometimes complimentary football does no such thing.
The Running Game was absolutely brutal.
This is where we will start.
The offense has been wonderful this year because the running game has existed. Below, as we look at the game-by-game production, you will see that the Dallas rushing offense tumbled on Sunday in Charlotte. To the Panthers credit, they were not impressed with the Cowboys being the 8th-ranked run offense in the league. Look at the red box:
The Cowboys were the 8th-ranked offense. Now they tumbled to 15th in one game. Now, there are two sides to this story that are important.
First, Carolina is a top-tier rush defense and that might be one of the league’s well-kept secrets. I know that I was caught off-guard, but I will also confess that my Carolina Panthers attention span is pretty low these days. I assume Dallas knew, but when I ran the entire NFL this season to see how many games where one side rushed for less than 40 yards in a game, here were my results:
There were only two games and they were the last two games that Carolina has played! This is what we would call an Ejiro Evero-heater. Evero is the young and talented defensive coordinator for the Panthers who I am absolutely tabbing as a big name in the future coaching searches in the NFL. His work on Sunday is so impressive given what he has to work with and we already saw him as part of the Rams Super Bowl winning staff, then the Broncos in 2022, and now he is rapidly improving the Panthers defense. So, let’s give him credit.