Dallas Cowboys Scrap the Playbook, Hit the Drawing Board

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Every year there are some adjustments and adaptations that coaching staffs have to make in order to stay competitive. Coming into this season, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking to revise their playbook on both sides of the ball to account for changes in personnel.

As the old saying goes, if you are not getting better, you are getting worse.

The Offensive Playbook

After a disappointing finish to 2008, a lot of blame was directed towards Jason Garrett and the Cowboys’ offense. While the defense improved last season, the offense’s performance did not live up to expectations.

In 2007, which was Garrett’s first season, the Dallas offense ranked third overall in the NFL. They were number four in passing yards, and were the second best scoring team with 455 points. In 2008 the Cowboys offense fell to 13th overall with less passing and rushing yards. They also fell to 18th in the league with 362 points scored.

Offensively, the Cowboys must to adjust to the release of Terrell Owens. Hopefully letting go of Owens will not only improve team chemistry, but also make the Cowboys offense less predictable and harder to defend. Jason Garrett should look to spread the ball around more in 2008, after two seasons of making sure that T.O. was kept pacified by a certain number of targets each game.

Matters weren’t helped by the way Jason Garrett used the team’s top wideout either. No matter how much he tries to convince the world he is a speed demon, T.O. did not have the wheels to run past defensive backs and get separation. This resulted in too many passes forced to a big play receiver who was no longer making the big play.

I could never understand why the Garrett didn’t seem to pick up on the fact that Owens had lost a step, and kept using him on go routes and screens. T.O. should have been used as a possession receiver.

He should have been running slants and drags over the middle of the defense, where he could use his strength and run after catch skills to help the offense more.

This is part of the reason that I believe the Cowboys will be just fine moving forward without Terrell Owens at wide receiver.

Many think that this is a crippling loss, but I believe those people are thinking that the Cowboys just released the 2003 version of T.O. instead of the slow, pass dropping target that he has become. He still has a lot of talent, he’s just not what he used to be.

Look for Roy Williams to be used as more of a possession receiver than a deep threat. Roy is a big bodied, possession receiver with the skills to occasionally break the big play. If Garrett can use him correctly, Williams will be able to contribute and keep this passing game from falling off.  

There are some changes that need to be made to the Cowboys playbook in order to take full advantage of their current roster. Other than Williams, there are no new additions to the starting lineup. But after seeing some of the young talent perform last season, there is an opportunity to take advantage of a plethora of contributors.

First and foremost, Dallas needs to commit to the run more. Over the last two seasons, the Cowboys have ranked 17th and 21st in the NFL respectively in rushing.

Although they haven’t racked up a ton of yards in recent years, the Cowboys have a solid line and are effective on the ground. In both seasons under Jason Garrett, the Cowboys have been in the top 10 in the league in yards per carry.

Last season showed us that Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice all have what it takes to contribute on the ground. With three running backs that have the ability to make plays, Dallas could use more of a committee approach this season. This will be priceless if it means a healthier, fresher Marion Barber come playoff time.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?