Cowboys Finding Formula for Success Behind New-Found Emphasis on Running Game

It's no secret that the Dallas Cowboys have problems on defense. A unit that last year surrendered the third-highest yardage total in NFL history lost Pro Bowl-caliber starters Sean Lee (to injury), DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher (to free agency) in the offseason, so it's bound to struggle. 

But what the coaching staff seems to be realizing is that the defense can't possibly spoil everything if it's hardly ever on the field. At least that might explain why Dallas took full advantage of its superb running game Sunday, handing the ball off 43 times in a somewhat shocking 26-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. 

With DeMarco Murray running as much as quarterback Tony Romo threw (they had 29 attempts apiece), the Cowboys controlled the ball for 41 minutes and 11 seconds, keeping that depleted, much-maligned defense on the sideline for almost the entire afternoon. 

The defense did its part too. Safety Barry Church and linebacker Rolando McClain each had interceptions as they limited Tennessee to just 10 points and 314 total yards despite the fact Titans quarterback Jake Locker threw 34 passes. But with the offense chewing up clock by sustaining so many drives, the D wasn't even given a chance to screw up as royally as it has in the past. 

Criminally underutilized running back DeMarco Murray, who last year was the only back in football to average more than 5.1 yards per carry on at least 200 attempts, delivered with 167 yards on those 29 rushes. Never before had he run the ball more than 26 times in a game, and it was only the third time the team had 40 or more carries since head coach Jason Garrett took over in 2010. 

Date	Opponent	Rushing attempts	Result
Dec. 5, 2010	Colts	46	OT win
Sunday	Titans	43	Win
Oct. 14, 2012	Ravens	42	Loss
Oct. 5, 2008	Bengals	38	Win
Dec. 17, 2011	Bucs	37	Win
Dec. 22, 2007	Panthers	37	Win

The question now is whether the pass-happy Garrett and his cohorts will remain disciplined. Was this the plan all along? Did Garrett finally wake up and realize that his team could no longer afford to keep putting almost all of its eggs in Romo's basket?

Tough to tell because Romo still dropped back to throw on 11 of the game's first 20 plays, most of which are usually scripted. Murray and Lance Dunbar didn't become the centerpiece of the offense until the Cowboys were protecting a lead in the second quarter. 

"It's about winning," Romo said after the game, according to ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer. "We've done the stat thing plenty of times. It's about winning and if our football team can continue to run the ball like we can, I'm all for these types of games and that's exciting when you have the opportunity to have a team that can do that."

Since Garrett starting running the offense in 2007, Dallas is one of only nine teams that have run the ball fewer than 26.5 times per game, but it's the only team on that list who has averaged more than 4.2 yards per rush while doing so. 

	Yards/attempt	NFL YPA rank
1. Dallas Cowboys	4.3	11th
2. Tampa Bay Bucs	4.2	17th
3. New Orleans Saints	4.2	18th
4. Green Bay Packers	4.1	21st
5. St. Louis Rams	4.1	23rd
6. Detroit Lions	4.0	24th
7. Cleveland Browns	4.0	27th
8. Indianapolis Colts	3.8	30th
9. Arizona Cardinals	3.8	32nd

The difference this year could be the addition of new play-caller Scott Linehan, who also came to town with a pass-first reputation but actually ran the ball more often than the league average with Minnesota between 2002 and 2004. And despite having arguably the best receiver in football, his Detroit Lions offense was also above the NFL median in terms of rushing attempts per game last season. 

He and Garrett can't let Sunday's outing become an anomaly. 

The Cowboys have to be stubborn here. Everything was clicking Sunday for Murray, Dunbar and third-stringer Joseph Randle, who averaged 5.1 yards per attempt on a ridiculous 43 carries. But that won't always be the case. They have to stick to the run even when they aren't consistently getting holes like these...

Credit: NFL Game Pass

That's the only way this team will survive this season. Romo is 34 years old and coming off a second back procedure in less than a year. That offensive line is strong, and it's got some great weapons in the passing game, but the Cowboys still desperately need to keep opposing defenses honest while keeping their own off the field.