The Cowboys’ running game wasn’t spectacular in Week 1, but it was good enough ✭ Inside The Star
Many will probably disagree with me on this point, because we all like to see six, seven, or eight yards gained on every single running attempt.
Sunday’s running game against the best defense in football wasn’t spectacular, but it worked.
The Cowboys ran the football a total of 25 times; the kneeling at the end of the game counts as a run. So 24 times for a total of 102 yards. Just over 4 yards per run.
Now that I can relax after the game, I realize that there will be nothing spectacular on the ground and there is a LOT of room for improvement, but that’s something I’ll take when playing against the best defense in away football.
Dak & Zeke forever. pic.twitter.com/qpZ5fScnXk
— NFL (@NFL) 8 September 2024
Findings
Ezekiel Elliott was the lead back on Sunday at least. He ran 10 times for 40 yards and found the end zone. That was entertaining to watch.
Zeke struggled to make a jump cut or get into the second round against the Browns, but I figured that’s exactly what we’d see.
Rico Dowdle ran eight times for 26 yards. They took turns almost every other possession.
As Mike McCarthy said over the summer, this team will be a running back by committee. I would have liked to have seen Deuce Vaughn touch the ball more than once. He gained four yards on his only run.
If you want to keep him in the squad, use him.
This team’s best running game is the jet sweeps they run for CeeDee Lamb and sometimes Brandin Cooks. Lamb was called three times and managed 25 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt.
As the game went on, I expected more and more from the running backs, but we have to understand what this team is capable of out there. Honestly, I’m taking 4 yards per carry. I thought it would be less.
What I’m most happy about is that they had no trouble getting the ball into the red zone when they got there. From first and goal just inside the five, the first run went to Zeke for the goal.
So refreshing.
Ezekiel Elliott played well in his first game back with the Cowboys
First half: 8 touches, 41 yards, TD pic.twitter.com/siLHfZbMrI
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) 8 September 2024
How will it improve?
I can guess as well as you, but I think they were more concerned that Myles Garrett wouldn’t ruin the game. Two rookies on the offensive line in the first game, I’d say over 100 total yards.
Cooper Beebe has been fantastic at center and will only get better, and Tyler Guyton hasn’t looked so great at times simply because Garrett is Garrett, but man, for his first NFL start, he held up most of the time.
With LT Tyler Guyton and C Cooper Beebe starting yesterday, it was only the second time since the NFL merger that the Cowboys started two rookie offensive linemen in a season opener, the other being Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy in 2011.
Dak Prescott on Guyton and Beebe: “I love …
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) 9 September 2024
It was only the second time since the NFL merger that the Cowboys started a season opener with two rookie offensive linemen, the other being Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy in 2011.
I guess at some point Dalvin Cook will at least get a chance to show if he has anything left in the tank, and it wouldn’t hurt for them to add him.
Not every game is going to be like that and they’re going to have to throw the football. So on Sunday it worked out, but next week that schedule could be completely different.
It would just be nice if they could put together a drive like the Lions did last night in the overtime win. March down the field and win the game.
Goff threw the ball 10 yards ONCE. The other seven plays were all on the ground.
We’ll see a lot of games where the total is over 100 yards, but we won’t see many individual players on this team doing that, and that’s OK. The run defense will get easier as the season goes on.
