Saturday, November 12, 2016

NFC Title Fight: The Dallas Cowboys

In addition to the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks the Dallas Cowboys are the another prime contender for the NFC Title. Coming into the season the Cowboys were not pegged for success. They finished the 2015 season with a 4-12 record. They were a turnover prone team with an ineffective offense and a mediocre defense. During the 2016 preseason the Cowboys veteran starting quarterback Tony Romo broke his back leaving rookie Dak Prescott as the starter for at least half the season. But despite those challenges the Cowboys have impressed so far. They are currently 7-1 and leading the NFC. The Cowboys success is based around an excellent run game led by rookie star Ezekiel Elliott and the best offensive line in the league, quality defense, and disciplined play.

The Cowboys top rusher in 2015 was Darren McFadden, who was unable to capitalize on having the most talented offensive line in the NFL blocking for him. With their disappointing 2015 record the Cowboys decided to upgrade their run game and used the fourth pick in the draft to take Ezekiel Elliott. The pick was a bit of a surprise because it spurned the current NFL trend of not drafting running backs early. Many thought it another Jerry Jones ego pick (which it probably was) that was doomed to fail. The doubters have been proved wrong.

Elliott has already rushed for 891 yards in only 8 games, averaging 111 rushing yards per game (ypg). Put another way Elliott leads all NFL players in total rushing yards despite being a rookie and already having sat during the bye week. He has also been able to find the end zone frequently, having scored seven rushing touchdowns (TD) in his first eight NFL games. Zeke is a great player taking advantage of excellent run blocking. As a Seahawks fan stuck watching Christine Michael, I am envious every time I see a highlight of Elliott running the ball.

Led by their sensational rookie running back the Dallas offensive attack has been great. They are averaging 27.9 points per game (ppg), which ranks fourth in the NFL. As would be expected on a team that features Elliott, the offense is based around running the ball. The Cowboys are currently leading the NFL in rushing averaging 165.3 ypg. Running the ball that effectively has led to the Cowboys leading the league in time of possession (TOP) per game. The Cowboys holding the ball on offense for an average of 33 minutes a game (and they haven't even played the Seahawks yet!). The terrifyingly good rushing has also allowed the Cowboys to convert third downs at a high clip. They are ranked fifth in the league converting 46.5% of the time.

The Cowboys offense focuses on the running game, but their passing game is no slouch either. Filling in for the injured Tony Romo rookie Dak Prescott has been a big success. Flanked with good receivers Prescott has producing 246.3 pass ypg for the Cowboys. He currently has 12 passing TD and only 2 interceptions. A TD/INT ratio like that is stellar. It is in the same realm as Tom Brady (12/0), Derek Carr (17/3), and Matt Ryan (23/4). Dak is also completing 66.5% of his passes. Prescott's quality play and has probably cost Tony Romo is starting roll. It will be hard to sit down the skilled rookie for an aging and injury prone Romo.

A great offense like that in Dallas can't consistently win games by itself. A team has to also stop the other team from scoring. Dallas's defense has done exactly that, giving up only 17.5 ppg, which is fourth best in the NFL. They do this by stopping the other teams runs and containing the other teams passes. They only give up 86.8 rushing ypg, which is sixth in the NFL. They conceded 246 pass ypg, which falls squarely in the middle of the pack ranking 15th. The defense is helped by the previously mentioned best offensive TOP in the league. It allows the defenders to stay fresh longer. However, those fresh legs aren't everything. The defenders still have to make plays to stop their opponents offense and they are doing exactly that. Although not great the Dallas defense is solid.

The final factor that is letting the Dallas Cowboys excel in 2016 is their discipline. The offense has only received 51 penalties thus far, seventh fewest in the league. Much like the offense the defense never beats themselves with stupid mistakes. They have been penalized the fewest times in the entire NFL this year with only 44 penalties called against them on defense. Smart disciplined play means the Cowboys never hurt themselves. The other teams have to earn every offensive yard and fight for every defensive stop. The Cowboys are going to gift them anything.

To many the Cowboys have been a surprise success story to start off the 2016 NFL season. Their 7-1 record puts them comfortably in the lead for the number one seed in the NFC. Their teams offensive success has been anchored by tremendous talent running back Ezekiel Elliott and their offensive line. While the defense has done their part keeping opponents from scoring points. Finally the team doesn't give up free yards from bone headed penalties. They are among the least penalized teams in the NFL on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys are a good team built around running the ball, limiting opponents scores, and minimizing self-inflicted wounds from penalties.


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