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Cowboys want to run it better, with or without Tony Romo
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas – It’s easy to say the Dallas Cowboys need to lean on the running game and the offensive line more without Tony Romo, starting with Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
That’s how owner and general manager Jerry Jones feels.
“We have to work hard to have a game that lets us dwell on the running game,” Jones said. “We haven’t had that. Now, maybe that’s because we didn’t get the running game going to begin with, but we all know how that works. But the reason Brandon Weeden has my excitement is because they better back off or he can hit it, and he can make the throw. That’s one of the reasons I feel good about him. If he keeps them backed off, then we’ve got to emphasize that we’re going to run the ball.”
Through two games, the Cowboys are averaging 94.5 yards per game on the ground, which is 20th in the NFL. They are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, and the running backs have one carry of more than 10 yards. Through the first two games last season, Cowboys running backs had 10 carries of at least 10 yards.
The running game was limited in the opener because of circumstance. The Cowboys were in a two-minute offense in four of their 10 true possessions. Last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, penalties made it difficult for them to get any consistency.
They ran it 33 times for 109 yards but they actually had a worse per-carry average in two games last year against Philadelphia (3.1) than they did last week.
Sunday’s foe, the Falcons, are allowing just 80 rushing yards per game through two weeks, but the Eagles and Giants are hardly running teams.
The Cowboys have put a lot of resources into their offensive line with Tyron Smith, Ronald Leary, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Doug Free.
“I think we have to do better but that has nothing to do with Romo being out,” said Leary, who did not play against the Eagles because of a groin strain. “We just have to do better all together. We all have to do our jobs. When we do our jobs right it makes everybody else’s job easier.”
Joseph Randle has been praised by Jason Garrett for picking up the “dirty yards” in the first two games. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan believes it is only a matter of time before the dirty yards turn into big plays.
Randle certainly hopes so.
“Really, in my mind, I feel like every run is going to break and be a touchdown,” Randle said. “At the beginning of every run play, I'm feeling like that. It's going to be like that until I retire.”
The Cowboys are without Romo because of a broken collarbone, and Dez Bryant is recovering from surgery to repair a broken right foot. But Garrett, while acknowledging the running game can be more efficient, doesn’t believe the offense will be broken.
To Garrett, it’s all about balance.
“When Tony Romo is our quarterback we want to run the ball well," Garrett said. "That makes a better environment for him. So we’ll continue to persist with the running game and continue to try to improve in the running game, but we have to be a balanced attack. We can’t have 11 guys standing on the line of scrimmage because we’re not going to throw the football. That’s not good for anybody. Makes it too hard on the running game and makes it too hard on your quarterback.”
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas – It’s easy to say the Dallas Cowboys need to lean on the running game and the offensive line more without Tony Romo, starting with Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
That’s how owner and general manager Jerry Jones feels.
“We have to work hard to have a game that lets us dwell on the running game,” Jones said. “We haven’t had that. Now, maybe that’s because we didn’t get the running game going to begin with, but we all know how that works. But the reason Brandon Weeden has my excitement is because they better back off or he can hit it, and he can make the throw. That’s one of the reasons I feel good about him. If he keeps them backed off, then we’ve got to emphasize that we’re going to run the ball.”
Through two games, the Cowboys are averaging 94.5 yards per game on the ground, which is 20th in the NFL. They are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, and the running backs have one carry of more than 10 yards. Through the first two games last season, Cowboys running backs had 10 carries of at least 10 yards.
The running game was limited in the opener because of circumstance. The Cowboys were in a two-minute offense in four of their 10 true possessions. Last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, penalties made it difficult for them to get any consistency.
They ran it 33 times for 109 yards but they actually had a worse per-carry average in two games last year against Philadelphia (3.1) than they did last week.
Sunday’s foe, the Falcons, are allowing just 80 rushing yards per game through two weeks, but the Eagles and Giants are hardly running teams.
The Cowboys have put a lot of resources into their offensive line with Tyron Smith, Ronald Leary, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Doug Free.
“I think we have to do better but that has nothing to do with Romo being out,” said Leary, who did not play against the Eagles because of a groin strain. “We just have to do better all together. We all have to do our jobs. When we do our jobs right it makes everybody else’s job easier.”
Joseph Randle has been praised by Jason Garrett for picking up the “dirty yards” in the first two games. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan believes it is only a matter of time before the dirty yards turn into big plays.
Randle certainly hopes so.
“Really, in my mind, I feel like every run is going to break and be a touchdown,” Randle said. “At the beginning of every run play, I'm feeling like that. It's going to be like that until I retire.”
The Cowboys are without Romo because of a broken collarbone, and Dez Bryant is recovering from surgery to repair a broken right foot. But Garrett, while acknowledging the running game can be more efficient, doesn’t believe the offense will be broken.
To Garrett, it’s all about balance.
“When Tony Romo is our quarterback we want to run the ball well," Garrett said. "That makes a better environment for him. So we’ll continue to persist with the running game and continue to try to improve in the running game, but we have to be a balanced attack. We can’t have 11 guys standing on the line of scrimmage because we’re not going to throw the football. That’s not good for anybody. Makes it too hard on the running game and makes it too hard on your quarterback.”