Power Rankings: Top Post-Draft Offenses (11-15)
Nov 28, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) in the pocket against the Oakland Raiders during a NFL football game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys 8-8
Last Season’s Rankings: #16 Overall Offense (341.1 total yards per game) #14 Passing Offense (247.1 passing yards per game) #24 Rushing Offense (94.0 rushing yards per game)
Last Season
Choking Tony Romo and horrendous defense aside, the Dallas Cowboys have a legitimate offense. Had Romo not gotten inured against the Redskins and had DeMarco Murray been 100% all season, the Cowboys most certainly would have had a higher ranking than 16th. This off-season saw some great offensive moves by the Cowboys in the selection of OG Zack Martin out of Notre Dame and WR Devin Street from Pittsburgh. After Miles Austin was let go to sign with Cleveland, many speculated that the Cowboys’ passing offense wasn’t going to be as effective in 2014. Quite the contrary actually, Austin only played nine games in 2013 and was replaced by the small and quick Cole Beasley. As well, Street should add some depth at the receiver position and should give Tony Romo as much opportunity as any to improve the Cowboys 14th ranked passing offense. DeMarco Murray and Romo will be back healthy for 2014 and thus the Cowboys should see massive improvement as a result.
Run Offense
Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Murray only started 13 games in 2014. Murray started off the season strong, rushing for 71 yards per game through week six. Unfortunately he sustained injuries which side lined him for two weeks and hampered his play during week six and nine. In Murray’s final seven games, he was able to rebound and rush for a healthy 82 yards per game. By year’s end Murray had finished with 1,121 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, which happen to rank 10th and T-fourth best in the league last year. What many people don’t take into account with the Cowboys’ rushing offense ranking is that their defense was absolutely terrible in 2013, ranking dead last in the league. Therefore, because their defense was in fact that bad, they were forced many times to come from behind and throw the football, giving Murray and the Cowboys’ running game little opportunity to really establish itself. This next season I expect Murray to have a much better season granted he doesn’t injure himself. Murray has rookie OG Zack Martin who was one of the most highly rated guards in the country blocking for him. For nearly the entirety of the Cowboy’s 2013 campaign, their offensive line was plagued by numerous false starts and holding calls. Injuries ravaged their front five and caused many players to play positions that they weren’t comfortable playing in the first place. With the addition of OT Zack Martin, the Cowboys gain a huge addition to their front line. The addition of Martin as the starting right offensive guard will give the Cowboys added run and pass protection that can give their offense the needed boost to dominate the NFC East. Former rookie Center Travis Fredricks will be returning and has shown that he can improve his game from college to NFL level. Because the NFL Draft saw the Cowboys make primarily defensive selections, their defense will be much better suited for a running style offense because the Cowboys’ offense won’t be forced to play from behind all the time. Murray is a talented back who can play with speed and power; it is all up to the Cowboys’ offense to see if he gets a chance to prove himself in 2014.
Pass Offense
I’ll probably see at least one or two “Romo Sucks” or “Romo Chokes” comments below, however I know for a fact that Tony Romo is perhaps one of the top-five best regular season QBs in the league. Since 2011 Romo has thrown for an average of 4,305 yards per season , his biggest season coming in 2012 when he threw for 4,903 yards, 28 touchdowns and 425 completions on 628 attempts (65.5 completion percentage). Unluckily for Romo last season, he was injured right before the season finale, leaving him with 3,828 yards. I think had he played against Philly in the season finale, he could have reached at least 4,000 yards against the league’s worst pass defense. Regardless though, last season saw some good things from the Cowboys’ passing offense, one of which was their receiving corps. One example that comes to mind is the then rookie WR Terrence Williams out of Baylor University. During his senior season at Baylor, Williams was able to catch a monstrous 97 passes for 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his rookie season, Williams flashed a bit of that same talent, catching 44 passes for 736 yards and five touchdowns. Of course the usual suspects Dez “Pez” Bryant and Jason Witten played well last season (Witten caught 73 passes for 851 yards and eight touchdowns, while Bryant had 93 receptions for 1,233 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2013). Next season, regardless of Romo’s abilities, the Cowboys are going to have a great variety of receivers in 2014. I believe that Williams develops to be a star alongside Bryant as Witten and Beasley provide some help over the middle and on screen plays. As for rookie Devin Street, while he probably won’t be seeing that many passes come his way, he has the statistics to show that he is ready for the big time.
At the University of Pittsburgh, Street was able to produce pretty moderate numbers at the WR position despite numerous injuries. In his career as a Pitt Panther, Street caught 202 passes for 2,901 yards and 16 touchdowns. In his senior season at Pitt, Street was able to manage 85.4 yards per game along with 7 receiving touchdowns. While his career numbers may not be as monstrous as other receivers, he still has the talent to make him an NFL-quality star. According to scouts, Street has a lanky build (making him susceptible to injuries), great hands and pretty fluid motion. Considering that the Cowboys only had Cole Beasley (39 receptions for 368 yards) and Terrance Williams to back up WR Dez Bryant, Street should be another good rookie WR addition. Last season Williams was able to catch for 736 yards and 5 touchdowns as a Rookie. This season I expect him to be able to mentor Street, meanwhile producing starter-like numbers for the improved Cowboy offense. With the loss of Miles Austin, the Cowboys needed and got their #4 receiver in Street.
Zack Martin was most definitely a needed piece of the puzzle for the Cowboys, seeing as though Tony Romo has been injured quite a lot in the past seasons. For nearly the entirety of the Cowboy’s 2013 campaign, their offensive line was plagued by numerous false starts and holding calls. Injuries ravaged their front five and caused many players to play positions that they weren’t comfortable playing at. With the addition of OT Zack Martin, the Cowboys gain a huge addition to their front line.
Tony Romo is one of the Cowboy’s lingering playoff hopes. As many may deny, without Romo the Cowboys are basically dead in the water in terms of the playoffs. With Brandon Weeden under center, who knows where the Cowboys will go. The addition of Martin as the starting right offensive guard will give the Cowboys added run and pass protection that can give their offense the needed boost to dominate the NFC East. Martin should be able to adequately protect Romo in the pocket, giving him enough time to complete his passes and win the Cowboys some football games. With Martin starting at right guard, DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo have a solid line to work with for the future. Bryant and Witten alone could power an offense. With Street, Williams, Beasley and even PR specialist Dwayne Harris; the Cowboys could figuratively explode next season.
In The End
Now while there is a certain stigma attached to Jerry Jones’ ballclub, the Cowboys do in fact have a reason to be in the top 10 or at least the top-15 offensive ball clubs in the NFL. Injuries did do the Cowboys a disadvantage last season, however I think that America’s team should see some progress on the offensive end, particularly in the running game with Murray coming back healthy and OG Zack Martin leading the Dallas offensive line. Last year the Cowboys scored the fifth most points in the NFL (27.4 points per game), but because of a poor defense, they were unable to rank any higher in yards gained. I expect pro bowl numbers from these Dallas receivers in 2014 as the Cowboys push once again for the playoffs (fingers crossed).