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Cowboys ride Jason Garrett's winning formula into NFC's elite class
8:51 PM CT
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- It took coach Jason Garrett four seasons to change the Dallas Cowboys' identity and provide his players with a formula for winning football games.
In 2014, DeMarco Murray rushed for 1,845 yards on 393 carries -- both single-season franchise records -- Tony Romo averaged a career-low 29 passes per game and the Cowboys went 12-4 to win the NFC East.
These Cowboys are using the exact same formula, with a different quarterback and running back. The results, however, remain the same.
Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL with 703 yards rushing, and quarterback Dak Prescott is averaging 30 passes per game for the 5-1 Cowboys, who are tied for the best record in the NFC. Subtract the 45 passes that Prescott threw in the opener against the New York Giants and he's averaging 27 throws per game.
For Dallas, this is all about being the most powerful team on the field.
"I feel like the most physical team wins the game, you know?" Elliott said recently. "When you can set that physical tone early in the game and carry it throughout the game, you find [opponents] not wanting to play in the fourth quarter."
The Cowboys play this style because Garrett saw the Cowboys win championships with it in the 1990s when he was the third-string quarterback. And it protects the Cowboys' defense, which is always going to be inferior to the offense because of how the Cowboys have chosen to build their team.
This season, they're spending $79.7 million of their salary cap on offensive players and $45.2 million on defensive players. Owner Jerry Jones loves offensive stars, which means he is always going to lean toward paying the big bucks to offensive players.
To win, the Cowboys must play complementary football that protects their defense.
Their winning formula involves grabbing an early lead, which puts pressure on the opposing offense. The Cowboys run the ball, controlling the line of scrimmage and limiting the number of possessions.
Once the Cowboys have the lead in the second half, their opponents tend to become one-dimensional: Because foes have been unable to stop Dallas, they must throw the ball.
Even average NFL pass-rushers can mount a quality pass rush when they don't have to worry about stopping the run.
The Cowboys lead the NFL in time of possession at 33 minutes, 9 seconds per game, which means their defense is only on the field for 26:51 per game. Fatigue is rarely an issue.
The Cowboys' run defense gives up 4.48 yards per carry, which is in the bottom third of the league, but teams can't exploit it because they're always playing from behind. Teams have rushed only 127 times against the Cowboys, the lowest total in the league.
Out of the possible 180 regulation minutes in their past three games, the Cowboys have led for 140 minutes, 49 seconds. They haven't trailed since taking a 21-17 lead over San Francisco with 5:49 left in the third quarter of Week 4.
The Cowboys have outscored their opponents 37-10 in the first quarter and 98-46 in the first half. They also have scored on their first possession in five of six games -- and on nearly 50 percent of their drives overall this season.
"You want to set the tone for the game," Garrett told reporters after beating the Packers at Green Bay on Oct. 16. "If your offense can drive the football and go get points, score a touchdown, it certainly gives you some momentum early on. And I think it helps the defense. They say, 'Now it's our turn. We have to start fast.'"
It's all part of the formula.
8:51 PM CT
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- It took coach Jason Garrett four seasons to change the Dallas Cowboys' identity and provide his players with a formula for winning football games.
In 2014, DeMarco Murray rushed for 1,845 yards on 393 carries -- both single-season franchise records -- Tony Romo averaged a career-low 29 passes per game and the Cowboys went 12-4 to win the NFC East.
These Cowboys are using the exact same formula, with a different quarterback and running back. The results, however, remain the same.
Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL with 703 yards rushing, and quarterback Dak Prescott is averaging 30 passes per game for the 5-1 Cowboys, who are tied for the best record in the NFC. Subtract the 45 passes that Prescott threw in the opener against the New York Giants and he's averaging 27 throws per game.
For Dallas, this is all about being the most powerful team on the field.
"I feel like the most physical team wins the game, you know?" Elliott said recently. "When you can set that physical tone early in the game and carry it throughout the game, you find [opponents] not wanting to play in the fourth quarter."
The Cowboys play this style because Garrett saw the Cowboys win championships with it in the 1990s when he was the third-string quarterback. And it protects the Cowboys' defense, which is always going to be inferior to the offense because of how the Cowboys have chosen to build their team.
This season, they're spending $79.7 million of their salary cap on offensive players and $45.2 million on defensive players. Owner Jerry Jones loves offensive stars, which means he is always going to lean toward paying the big bucks to offensive players.
To win, the Cowboys must play complementary football that protects their defense.
Their winning formula involves grabbing an early lead, which puts pressure on the opposing offense. The Cowboys run the ball, controlling the line of scrimmage and limiting the number of possessions.
Once the Cowboys have the lead in the second half, their opponents tend to become one-dimensional: Because foes have been unable to stop Dallas, they must throw the ball.
Even average NFL pass-rushers can mount a quality pass rush when they don't have to worry about stopping the run.
The Cowboys lead the NFL in time of possession at 33 minutes, 9 seconds per game, which means their defense is only on the field for 26:51 per game. Fatigue is rarely an issue.
The Cowboys' run defense gives up 4.48 yards per carry, which is in the bottom third of the league, but teams can't exploit it because they're always playing from behind. Teams have rushed only 127 times against the Cowboys, the lowest total in the league.
Out of the possible 180 regulation minutes in their past three games, the Cowboys have led for 140 minutes, 49 seconds. They haven't trailed since taking a 21-17 lead over San Francisco with 5:49 left in the third quarter of Week 4.
The Cowboys have outscored their opponents 37-10 in the first quarter and 98-46 in the first half. They also have scored on their first possession in five of six games -- and on nearly 50 percent of their drives overall this season.
"You want to set the tone for the game," Garrett told reporters after beating the Packers at Green Bay on Oct. 16. "If your offense can drive the football and go get points, score a touchdown, it certainly gives you some momentum early on. And I think it helps the defense. They say, 'Now it's our turn. We have to start fast.'"
It's all part of the formula.