Dallas Cowboys: 5 Steps to winning the next Super Bowl
By Randy Gurzi
5. Scrap the jumbo package
There was a lot to be happy with this season when rooting for the Dallas Cowboys. One example is their turnaround in the second half of the season. Another is the fact that running back Ezekiel Elliott led the NFL in rushing for the second time in three seasons.
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His 1,434 yards was impressive enough, but what made it more impressive was how often he turned out great runs despite the coaching staff set him up for failure.
Take for instance the two 4th-and-1 rush attempts against the Rams that Zeke had. Each time he did so, the Cowboys ran the ball from a jumbo formation.
They telegraphed to the Rams they were running — as they often do — and he went 1-of-2. The first attempt he made was pure effort whereas the second he simply ran into a brick wall. That wall was reminiscent of something Elliott saw a lot, especially in the red zone. It’s also why Dallas was one of the absolute worst teams inside the 20 this season.
If they want to maximize the prime of their best player, the coaching staff has to scrap the jumbo formation. Far too often Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan try and play 1990s offensive football while the rest of the league has evolved and runs more single back and spread formations to keep defenses guessing. Dallas must do the same or Elliott will never reach the immense potential he has.