The Dallas Cowboys have a deep lineup of offensive weapons, but how Dallas will use them has been hotly contested by names like Dez Bryant and Jason Garrett.
The two former Cowboys have recently spoke out about Dallas’ path forward this season under head coach Mike McCarthy. Namely, how McCarthy and the Cowboys will utilize running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
As Heavy has previously covered, Garrett believes in feeding Elliott as a feature back. Bryant, on the other hand, thinks the Cowboys should head in the opposite direction: split up distribution.
“don’t put pressure on Zeke whenever you have guys like [Tony] pollard [KaVontae] Turpin who should be apart of taking handoffs jet sweeps and swings. Put it on 21 88 20 9 and mange the game like you do 4..let your skill guys do the work.. 7/11 automatically have game changing moments on the D” Bryant Tweeted in response to Garrett’s comments.
It’s a direct counter to what Garrett recommended, and there is definitely a sense of irony present since Bryant played under the former Cowboys coach. The two obviously have different philosophies when it comes to the Dallas offense.
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Garrett’s Advice for Elliott, Dallas
As the highest-paid running back in the NFL, focusing on Zeke may make financial sense. Plus, he has always been a “feature” back that is expected to take 75% or more of the handoffs. To maximize his output and value, Garrett believes repeated opportunities is the answer.
“They have to quiet the game down. They have to hand the ball to Zeke Elliott time and time again in the middle of the defense,” Garrett said, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “It might not be real productive, but they have to be patient and then make some plays with run after the catch.”
With that said, Elliott has been the “bell cow” for Dallas for the past half decade and his averages are consistently slipping. After averaging over 4.5 yards a carry in three of his first four seasons, he has averaged just 4.1 yards per attempt over the last two years, according to PFR.
That being said, Garrett did make another valid point: Dallas has to diversify the offense. In the opening loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, quarterback Dak Prescott had to throw far more times than is ideal.
“One thing they can’t do is throw it 58 times like they did last year,” Garrett said. “They have to be balanced. That’s the formula against this (Tampa Bay) defense.”
Cowboys Prepping for Buccaneers
Saying that Dallas’ running game struggled against the Buccaneers in 2021 is an understatement. No offense throws the ball 58 times by choice, but the Cowboys had to generate offense in any way possible due to Tampa Bay’s run defense.
The Cowboys’ running backs took just 14 handoffs, with 11 going to Zeke and three going to Pollard. Elliott totaled just 33 yards for a 3.0 average, while Pollard earned 14 yards on his three touches.
Dallas wouldn’t be rolling with Prescott if they weren’t comfortable with the quarterback, but it is imperative that they find early success in the run game. Otherwise, it becomes a passing duel with Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, and that’s a battle most teams would like to avoid.
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Ex-Cowboys Star Fires Back at Advice from Former Dallas Coach Jason Garrett