As we’ve been doing for many years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual player standpoint. Like last year, Josh Carney and I will cover the opposing team’s offense. I will focus on the scheme, Josh on the players.
Today, our scouting report on the Dallas Cowboys’ offense.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Cowboys Run Game
Point blank, the Cowboys’ running game has struggled this year and the team surprisingly didn’t draft a running back when virtually every analyst expected them to. Through four games, Dallas is dead-last in rushing yards per game at just over 75 per contest. They have hardly tried to run the ball, 31st with 85 attempts, and they haven’t been efficient either. Dallas is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry, 30th in football.
Their *longest* run this season is just 12 yards and that came from WR CeeDee Lamb. Between their top two runners in Rico Dowdle and Zeke Elliott’s return, their long is just 10 yards. There’s been a fairly even split between the two runners in carries, Dowdle with 34 and Elliott 24. Dowdle’s playing time has been consistent, about 45-percent each week while Elliott has been losing time. That’s come at the expense of fullback Hunter Luepeke, a Kyle Juszczyk type who is athletic and can wear a lot of hats. Not a true lead blocker. Luepeke logged over half of Dallas’ snaps last weekend and sees lots of third down work. Elliott has just a 37.5-percent run success rate, 54th of the 62 players this season with at least 20 attempts.
It’s worth noting their receivers are involved in the run game. Lamb has six rushes this year, four on first down and two on beyond 1st and 10. Some are true runs, like this crack toss on 1st and 19 that got back lost yardage.
As a team, they have just four runs of 10-plus yards. That’s last in the NFL.
It’s also worth pointing out it’s a big offensive line. Just from their website listings alone, and players are often heavier than what’s posted, this starting five measures in at 6-5 and-a-half, 322.8 pounds. But they look even bigger than that.
Now, they haven’t been effective running it but they’re still a group who looks the part and could make it tough for LBs like Patrick Queen to get off blocks.
Overall, their run scheme is concentrated to inside zone and duo. Lots of interior runs and they don’t mind running into the boundary. They’ll do this from one and two-back and will use tendency breakers to run away from the fullback’s path to keep defenses off balance.
On a 4th and 1 last week, the Cowboys went tempo and stayed in 11 personnel with Luepeke the running back, calling a run off-tackle they converted. So be aware it’s not all dives and sneaks.
Some other stats. Dallas is tied-11th in points per game at 24.3 but have been held at or under 25 their last three after posting 33 in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns. They’re an average situational team, 15th on third down (40-percent) and 16th in the red zone (55.6-percent). They’re plus-1 in turnover differential and have turned it over just three times this season, tied with Pittsburgh for fourth-best.
Cowboys Pass Game
Dak Prescott is the Cowboys’ quarterback of the present and the future, cashing in with a mega-deal right before the season began. He’s having a solid season, completing 64.4-percent of his passes with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s being asked to carry the team, throwing the ball at least 30 times in all four games. His 149 attempts are second in the league, only trailing Seattle’s Geno Smith and his 159.
Dallas is one of eight offenses to throw more than run on first down (through the first three quarters to help eliminate game circumstance). They are throwing 54.9-percent of the time, a top-five rate. They’re fourth in passing yards per game. Prescott has been sacked 10 times already, including exactly three in his first three games. He was only sacked once against the New York Giants, though he threw a season-low 27 times.
Lamb is the Cowboys’ top weapon. He has 20 receptions on 29 targets for 316 yards and two touchdowns. WR Jalen Tolbert has 13 receptions for 160 yards and a score. The team will be without WR Brandin Cooks due to a knee injury but he had only nine catches for 91 yards through the first month so it’s not like he was an integral part of the offense. TE Jake Ferguson gets involved underneath with 16 receptions for 159 yards. Luepeke has six grabs for 73 yards. Overall, Prescott is spreading the ball around well with his six touchdown passes going to five different players.
As a team, they have 11 completions of 20-plus yards. That’s tied with the Steelers and other teams for 12th-most around the league, though it’s a more disappointing number considering how often the Cowboys have thrown the ball.
Their pass concepts space the field horizontally well. There’s a lot of Hank/over the ball concepts, examples below.
They work hard to isolate and open up Lamb. Alert the slant when he’s backside in 3×1 formations.
They also use a “sniffer” against Mug and pressure looks, using Luepeke up near the line of scrimmage to stop interior rushes before the blitzer can get a head of steam. Look at No. 40 here.
Josh’s Individual Report
It’s Cowboys week, Steelers fans!
A big Sunday Night Football matchup between two historic rivalries awaits on the North Shore in Week 5.
After a disappointing loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, the Steelers will host a Dallas Cowboys’ team coming off of a mini-bye after a Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants on the road.
Coming out of that game, the Cowboys are banged up, losing two star defenders and a key No. 2 receiver entering Week 5.
The Steelers are banged up, too. Everyone is. No excuses.
After a poor defensive showing against the Colts, the Steelers don’t get any breaks this week against the Dallas Cowboys, featuring the star QB-WR duo in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
Prescott got a huge contract extension just hours before the start of the season to remain a Cowboy long term. He remains one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, period.
The Cowboys’ quarterback is remarkably accurate with the football, throws with great touch and pace, and is usually making the right decisions time and time again. He’s thrown for 1,072 yards and six touchdowns through the first four games with just two interceptions.
He does most of his damage throwing to Lamb, who is arguably the best receiver in football, right there in the same conversation with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson and Miami’s Tyreek Hill.
Lamb is a great route runner, wins consistently in contested-catch situations and is dynamic after the catch. Teams have tried sending extra attention and coverage at him, and it just doesn’t matter.
He had a league-high 130 receptions last season, and he’s already at 20 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
The Cowboys do a very good job of scheming up ways to isolate him, and when he’s in those looks, Prescott is always looking his way, trusting his star to make a play.
More often than not, he’s making a play. It’s quite remarkable to see.
Without Brandin Cooks this week though, the Steelers might be able to put more attention on Lamb because the likes of Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy aren’t needle movers overall.
Tolbert has some nice size and speed to his game, but he’s inconsistent and struggled with penalties in Week 4. Turpin is a burner and is challenging out of the slot, but he’s more athlete than receiver.
Tight end Jake Ferguson will take on an even larger role for the Cowboys in the passing game without Cooks. He’s quickly become a key piece for Prescott in the passing game.
Ferguson isn’t all that flashy or athletic, but he’s a sound route runner that knows how to find space, has great hands and body control, which allows him to win in contested catch situations up the seam.
He’ll be a real handful for Steelers linebackers and safeties on Sunday and can really change the game if the Steelers aren’t careful. Really good weapon for Prescott and Dallas.
Former Michigan standout Luke Schoonmaker is the No. 2 TE for the Cowboys. He hasn’t gotten much work in the passing game, but he’s a good blocker and has helped in the run game when on the field.
Sneaky red zone option moving forward, too.
In the backfield, the Cowboys brought back Ezekiel Elliott in free agency and have put him into a timeshare with Rico Dowdle, who has been an intriguing developmental story for Dallas.
Neither has had much success on the ground so far this season as the Cowboys have struggled to run the ball. Dowdle is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and has 34 carries for 134 yards. Elliott isn’t any better, either. He’s averaging 3.4 yards per carry with 81 yards on 24 carries.
The two have had their best moments as receivers out of the backfield. Dowdle had a 16-yard touchdown out of the backfield in Week 4 against the Giants on a screen, while Elliott had a 16-yard catch against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.
Dallas will need to be able to have some semblance of a run game Sunday to keep the heat off of Prescott against the Steelers’ elite defensive front. Dowdle and Elliott aren’t really all that threatening though.
Up front, the Cowboys have a sound offensive line on paper. They’ve had issues in the run game and in pass protection, though.
Here’s how I expect them to line up left to right on Sunday:
LT — Tyler Guyton (rookie)
LG — Tyler Smith
C — Cooper Beebe (rookie)
RG — Zach Martin
RT — Terence Steele
Martin remains one of the best guards in football, period. He’s a future Hall of Famer and continues to be sound in pass protection. He, like the rest of the Cowboys’ offensive line though, hasn’t had much success in the run game.
The additions of Guyton and Beebe have been rather intriguing. Guyton was a right tackle in college and is now a left tackle in the NFL. He’s playing well early in his rookie season, but still has some of the issues a young tackle has with penalties. Beebe has quietly been very good for Dallas.
On special teams, the Cowboys have been great to start the year.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey is arguably the best in the game. He’s a machine, period. The guy can seemingly hit from anywhere on the field. He’s missed just three kicks in his career. Think about that. On 51 career attempts, just three misses.
Machine.
Punter Bryan Anger is quietly a good punter. When you think of the Cowboys you think of offense and points, not a punter. But he’s steady and is averaging 51.5 yards per punt on the season.
In the return game, Turpin is dangerous. He already has a punt return for touchdown on the season, taking one back 60 yards against the Browns in the season opener. He’s a blur with the football.
He also has a 35-yard kickoff return on the year, too. He just needs a sliver of daylight and he can house it on you. I’m very worried about him in the return game on Sunday night.
