Cowboys Questions: Run Defense Vs Run Offense, Rico Dowdle & More | GBag Nation

got some questions for you guys Eric I'll start with you on this one Cowboy questions is this a trick question no no no you know you know the game we play the game I ask you questions you kind of give good answers and well of course you have multiple choice answers for us to choose from and everything yeah I just want to make sure that you you know you you get these questions answered though I think it's important for this is how you make sure we've been paying attention in class like yeah like hey I've been talking a lot of football in a lot of different places yeah let's see if you've been paying attention let's see if you've been paying attention and I do appreciate your answer Chief yeah bigness bigness biggest Improvement Dallas's running game or their run defense their run defense for sure I mean they were they were so bad last year I mean just with the moves they made with having real linebackers here uh like the day you brought in Eric Kendricks in a that he's very familiar with and Mike Zimmer heck the day you brought in Mike Zimmer you got better at run defense with the scheme that he's got so I mean every step of the way they've done some things and then they just did it with the kabash there at the end with Phillips and Joseph hopefully those guys I think Phillips for sure is still capable hopefully Joseph still is as well uh and and even your Edge Setters like neand is is a guy that is here to play first and second down stop the run so I I I feel really good in the sense that I think you're a top half of the league run defense and I I can't say that about your your run offense right now how about you there Dawson yeah you know I know the running game was bad last year um and I don't think they've improved that I think they have they have swn the seeds that will eventually lead to run game improvement by getting a younger offensive line going that is going to cook but I mean Leah FAL Kendricks and and overshown along with nean and better better scheme I think for stopping the run I you know I'm much more confident in the defensive part of this you know I like what you guys are saying because you're bringing up all the really the right defensive pieces and I think the safety group at playing it too deep you know can play guys in the alley and can show up and now you're not dealing with 205 pound linebackers or safeties that are playing linebackers think they got guys that can run to the ball and all that what a breath of fresh air it's going to be for Maris Bell it will and and maybe even so what they've done inside you know with the defensive tackles yeah I will say this though I think their run offense will be better and just for what Dawson said earlier about adding gon and then having BB I'm really excited about BB Martin and Smith and those guys working because if we see how Dallas runs the ball it's really not perimeter runs and now you've got these backs that other than you know I think Rico D and and and and vaugh could get to the edge and get to the corner but it's more about that inside what's going on they're going to try and attack and then cut the ball inside cut the ball if you've got guys that have power like those three inside guys have I think they're going to be better running the ball they I think they will be better as well but it's not going to be as good as the run defense according to you guys yeah I still think it's the biggest question about the the team coming into week one like how much of a running game can you come up with are you going to be bottom third in the league can you can you be the 15th best rushing attack yeah uh and I think hopefully with the with the Youth of these guys as the season goes on assuming their health and everything like that this is something that you hope gets better along the way as gon and BB continue to to develop what was Rico D's 40 time I mean do they have anybody that can make a house 4 five4 they don't have anybody that can run away from a defense and give you that 60 or 70 yard gain to boost your yards per attempt this is going to be all really non-ir down running by all of these guys and for as much as I love the scheme defensively and the way you're trying to stop the run it's not like your offensive attack from a rushing standpoint is one of those that is super Cutting Edge and nuanced and keeping just the scheme itself is keeping defenses on their heels not you see you don't see creative running here no no the the most creative they get is like hey let's just put CD lamb over there or Turpin over there yeah and hand them the ball let him go okay this leads me to a question I had then and because I I I think that D is the best back they have on the roster the question is the health it's always going to be that's what we're going to say about him until he finds a way to make it through his whole season Eric I'll go with you on this one as well how long before they figure out that D is the best back well I think they they probably already know I think they already know but why do I get the gut that they're going that it's going to be Ezekiel Elliott right off the Jump well I do I do think that Ezekiel Elliott is is going to be starting the games but I think by the end of the game it will prove out to be with the volume going to dle so long as he's healthy I like I've imagined Zeke's your starting running back D's the guy that's getting the most volume I think if dle is healthy Brian I think you could see maybe week nine or week 10 because as long as they're winning I don't think the frustration is going to be enough like are we really running this Geyer you know but once you get to like lions Niners Falcons Eagles Texans that's a tough stretch of five games that could drag you back to 500 as you get to uh November I could see then I kind of feel like though that I I wonder if they learned a lesson from what how things went with with Tony Pard that are you going to waste opportunities remember that we with our own eyes eyes we saw Tony per you know it you you could look at the metrics you can even the yards simple as yards per carry that that was like how do you not play Pard I just don't think dle has that extra level of juice it's you know it's going to be but better than what they're yeah I think I think the guy with the juice is vaugh I think dece V and I think where I've I've I've really appreciate now du vongh a lot more I think there's a lot less dancing with him yeah more decisive more it's like hey this is going to be a three yard gain go get it but if you don't have like great speed or power going in a straight line isn't how you're going to produce against NFL first team defenses you got to dance I think he's just going to run into people quicker you know I I I don't know I I'll believe duvon when I see it is the biggest problem you have with duvon is just the lack of height well and speed you know like the maybe he maybe I think the initial burst with him and the quickness is good the long speed yeah it's not there it's not there he'll get fetched you know he'll get fetched but maybe you could produce four plus yards per attempt and that should be enough to win this job on a week in week out basis I'm not I'm not sure which one of these guys is going to be the answer I just hope one is I hope they're not all at 3.4 yards in attempt but they might be how committed do you think they are going to be to try and run the ball or are they going to put everything on Dak Prescott's lap oh I don't I don't think they're going to be that committed at all I think you saw last year they realized we're not good at this and you know we're kind of screwing ourselves by running it so much on first and second down the offense got better the you know once they after the that after the week five situation I think Mike knows we got to run the ball and that's why Tyron Smith and botes aren't here anymore they're like if we're ever going to run the ball we need a a better offensive line as good as Tyron was in pass Pro he couldn't help you there everything I hear and see though is dak's the one with the with all the autonomy at the line of scrimmage he's got as much as anybody in the league so often times comes down to him and changing changing the play or whatever and if he's he's always going to be confident in himself dropping back and if he doesn't see it quickly with the offensive line in the rushing attack like heck yeah he's going to probably be killing it at the line of scrimmage plenty checking into Dak the CD yeah yeah and that's you know probably what we need to be doing that you're going to get that whenever you have a veteran quarterback in his in his prime you know and lack of a running game it's like hey let let this guy make the adjustments at the line of scrimmage to at least get us in a play That's Not Dead on a Ral um and I I think that's probably a big reason why the offense was so successful last year points per game wise even though you had very little running game yep [Music]