
Decoding Linehan, Week 5: Offense struggles on the road - again
New York TimesThis offense continues to frustrate on a week-to-week basis and the issues are beginning to follow patterns. Like we predicted in this very space all summer long, the idea that the Cowboys would just ground and pound the NFL into submission because “Zeke is back” and they drafted a second-round guard appears either completely rendered useless because Travis Frederick became ill or because the NFL is too good a league to let a one-dimensional offense with a game plan from the 1950’s run things. DAK PRESCOTT THROW CHART This week’s Next-Gen throw chart demonstrates what we saw last year and through much of this season — the Cowboys seldom use the middle of the field. Look at their yards/attempt and passer rating by 11 personnel: Season G Pass Cmp Pass Att Pass Cmp % Pass Yds Pass Yds/G Pass Yds/Att Pass TD Pass Int Pass Long Sacked Rate 2016 16 217 332 65.4 2542 158.9 7.7 16 4 83 23 99.5 2017 16 224 356 62.9 2337 146.1 6.6 18 10 81 26 87 2018 5 47 77 61 461 92.2 6 1 2 38 10 71.4 37 488 765 63.8 5340 144.3 7 35 16 83 59 90.9 Keep in mind that 11 personnel is the #1 grouping in football and almost exclusively what teams use on third downs, up-tempo possessions, and as their base offense. Dallas used that 11 personnel we mentioned earlier and too often, it doesn’t look like there is much open to work with against a nickel secondary.
History of this topic

Cowboys focus on run game to start free agency with running back Williams, lineman Jones
Associated Press
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