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DMN: Breaking down the Cowboys' short-yardage plays this season
Oct 12 2011
Breaking down the Cowboys' short-yardage plays this season: 18 runs and 11 have gone for 1 yard or less
by Brandon George / Reporter
IRVING -- Teams that win consistently in the NFL can run the football when they have to the most, and that certainly includes picking up first downs in short-yardage situations.
The Cowboys have continued to struggle running the ball in short-yardage situations this season.
The Cowboys have had 31 plays through their first four games in which they've needed to pick up three yards or less. They've passed 13 times and run the ball 18 times.
Only 14 of those 31 plays (45.2 percent) have been successful, meaning that the Cowboys either scored a touchdown (three times) or picked up the first down on the play.
Tony Romo is 7-for-13 passing for 51 yards and two touchdowns in short-yardage situations (needing three yards or less). He's also thrown one interception and lost a fumble on short-yardage plays.
But here's the kicker: Of the Cowboys' 18 runs in short-yardage situations, 11 have gone for one yard or less. Two others have been for only two yards. They've totaled 40 rushing yards on 18 carries in short-yardage situations for a 2.2 average.
And it gets worse when looking at how the Cowboys have fared in the fourth quarter in short-yardage situations. When needing to pick up three yards or less on a play in the fourth quarter this season, the Cowboys have run nine times for six yards. That's not going to milk the clock with the lead or keep drives alive when trying to rally.
Felix Jones has six carries in short-yardage situations for 10 yards (four of those runs were for one yard or less). Tashard Choice's first four runs this season in short-yardage situations went for a total of zero yards, but his last two have totaled 20 yards. Rookie DeMarco Murray has the Cowboys' best average per carry in short-yardage runs with three for 13 yards.
Another interesting note about the Cowboys' runs in short-yardage situations is that they've run behind rookie right tackle Tyron Smith more so than left tackle Doug Free, who the team re-signed to a four-year, $32 million contract before training camp. And the Cowboys have been more successful running to the right in short-yardage situations.
Of their 18 runs in short-yardage situations this season, the Cowboys have run left five times for six yards, run up the middle four times for zero yards and run to the right eight times for 35 yards (six of those eight runs to the right side have been right behind Smith, who has been praised more for his pass blocking ability than his run blocking skills).
"You look at the Detroit game and there were some short-yardage situations and obviously the goal line that you have to think you got to get it in there," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said Tuesday during an appearance on 1310-AM The Ticket. "No, we're not where we need to be. We got a lot of weapons to do that and be really good. Obviously Felix and Tashard and even DeMarco has done a great job and has a bright future. We need to get our running game going even more as the season goes on to be the best and most efficient we can be offensively. We've done some good jobs with it at times, but we need to be more consistent with it."
Oct 12 2011
Breaking down the Cowboys' short-yardage plays this season: 18 runs and 11 have gone for 1 yard or less
by Brandon George / Reporter
IRVING -- Teams that win consistently in the NFL can run the football when they have to the most, and that certainly includes picking up first downs in short-yardage situations.
The Cowboys have continued to struggle running the ball in short-yardage situations this season.
The Cowboys have had 31 plays through their first four games in which they've needed to pick up three yards or less. They've passed 13 times and run the ball 18 times.
Only 14 of those 31 plays (45.2 percent) have been successful, meaning that the Cowboys either scored a touchdown (three times) or picked up the first down on the play.
Tony Romo is 7-for-13 passing for 51 yards and two touchdowns in short-yardage situations (needing three yards or less). He's also thrown one interception and lost a fumble on short-yardage plays.
But here's the kicker: Of the Cowboys' 18 runs in short-yardage situations, 11 have gone for one yard or less. Two others have been for only two yards. They've totaled 40 rushing yards on 18 carries in short-yardage situations for a 2.2 average.
And it gets worse when looking at how the Cowboys have fared in the fourth quarter in short-yardage situations. When needing to pick up three yards or less on a play in the fourth quarter this season, the Cowboys have run nine times for six yards. That's not going to milk the clock with the lead or keep drives alive when trying to rally.
Felix Jones has six carries in short-yardage situations for 10 yards (four of those runs were for one yard or less). Tashard Choice's first four runs this season in short-yardage situations went for a total of zero yards, but his last two have totaled 20 yards. Rookie DeMarco Murray has the Cowboys' best average per carry in short-yardage runs with three for 13 yards.
Another interesting note about the Cowboys' runs in short-yardage situations is that they've run behind rookie right tackle Tyron Smith more so than left tackle Doug Free, who the team re-signed to a four-year, $32 million contract before training camp. And the Cowboys have been more successful running to the right in short-yardage situations.
Of their 18 runs in short-yardage situations this season, the Cowboys have run left five times for six yards, run up the middle four times for zero yards and run to the right eight times for 35 yards (six of those eight runs to the right side have been right behind Smith, who has been praised more for his pass blocking ability than his run blocking skills).
"You look at the Detroit game and there were some short-yardage situations and obviously the goal line that you have to think you got to get it in there," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said Tuesday during an appearance on 1310-AM The Ticket. "No, we're not where we need to be. We got a lot of weapons to do that and be really good. Obviously Felix and Tashard and even DeMarco has done a great job and has a bright future. We need to get our running game going even more as the season goes on to be the best and most efficient we can be offensively. We've done some good jobs with it at times, but we need to be more consistent with it."