Sport DFW
FanSided

The Dallas Cowboys success in 2018 will come down to creativity

By Daniel Ruppert

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys hands-off the ball to running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys hands-off the ball to running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

It’s the offense, not the defense, that will determine whether the Dallas Cowboys are successful or not in 2018. And for the offense to thrive, they’ll need to get creative.

If you have been following Reid Hanson’s articles about the RPO for the Dallas Cowboys this season I would suggest before reading much further you head over and catch up here and here.

He explains the RPO well and why the Dallas Cowboys need to add it into their offensive game plans for 2018. If the Cowboys want to be more than a middle of the pack fringe playoff team, they will have to get creative this season.

Right now it looks like the Cowboys will use more RPO this upcoming season. As a new wave in the NFL, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they will want to head this direction. It will be a sight to behold for fans to see Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan get creative and change their game-plans up from what we have seen for the last few years.

Part of the reason the Cowboys need to move toward creativity isn’t just because of the unpredictability of RPO. And not because it fits Dak Prescott‘s skill set more. But because with all of the change on offense, it fits the skill players more. Right now the Dallas Cowboys are young on offense and on paper don’t have a very imposing receiver or tight end corps. As Jerry Jones so succinctly put it, there really isn’t an X type receiver on the team.

Allen Hurns has a worrisome injury history, Terrance Williams has never really proven what everyone thought he might be, Cole Beasley is strictly a slot receiver. And after all of them, there is just a lot of inexperience. The tight end group has even less experience than the wide receivers. This isn’t a knock as much as it is a truth, they are young and unproven.

So Dallas lacks an X type receiver. They are relying on a young inexperienced wide receiver and tight end corps. And they have and a third year quarterback who admits he had a down year last year. All of this means being creative will be vital for success in 2018.

This won’t be and shouldn’t be a traditional, “use the run to set up the pass, play-action, beat teams deep” type of team.

More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

Opposing defenses will certainly be keying on Ezekiel Elliott this season. It is almost assured the Cowboys will face eight man fronts, at least for the early part of the season. Being creative early should help back defenses off of the line and open up more runs for Elliott. If Garrett and Linehan can’t get creative early, it could put the Cowboys in a hole early in the season.

With Tavon Austin joining the team and news leaking out that they signed him as a running back, it gives a sign that the RPO will be a focal point for the Cowboys offense. We can expect a lot of quick passes with expectations that there will be more yards after the catch (YAC), than there has been in the past with a more traditional quarterback and offensive playmakers.

Next: Why the Dallas Cowboys Need the Run-Pass Option (RPO) in 2018

The defense should be fine this season, which is something that has worried Dallas Cowboys fans over the past handful of seasons. This year it will be the creativity of the offense that will be the deciding factors in games. If the coaching staff really can change their traditional philosophies, then the Cowboys should be fine in 2018. If they can’t then we could see a new staff next season.

Home/Dallas Cowboys