Right now, there is little doubt that we are in the passing era. Rules have made it easier on wide receivers, and it feels next to impossible to have any chance to win without a top quarterback.
The other part is that the moment you get a top quarterback you are expected to succeed. The passing game is taking over the league and a lot of teams are falling behind.
Teams are getting stuck in a quarterback purgatory, unable to compete because of how difficult it is to find a top quarterback, and unable to rebuild in other areas because all assets must be spent on a quarterback until you get it.
The Dallas Cowboys feel great about their quarterback position. There is great trust with Dak Prescott, and he has proven that he can win with this team around him.
Even with Prescott, however, the Cowboys will not be interested in trying to out duel these top quarterbacks. When they let Dez Bryant go, they made it clear that they are not interested in investing a lot of money in the passing game.
They have cheaper options on the outside, and having Prescott on a rookie deal has allowed them to build something dominant, and in the complete opposite direction of most teams.
Instead of trying to build a passing game that can score with the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Drew Brees, the Cowboys are going to try and set different terms. They know that they should have the most dominant rushing attack in the NFL, and they are going to use that in as many ways as possible.
With Ezekiel Elliot, the Cowboys get the ball in their best play makers hand every time they hand it off. They are one of the only teams in the league that will not hesitate with a stacked box, and can abuse anything a defenisve front might try to do.
The Cowboys have invested their money to make sure they can keep this dominant offensive line in tact. One of the biggest issues with running so much is the absence of explosive plays. The combination of Elliot with the room that offensive line creates is the best big play option for the Cowboys.
Other than that, they should have great play action options, but they cannot expect many massive plays in the passing game. The Cowboys will do everything to make sure they are controlling the pace of the game, because that means the opposing quarterback will be on the sidelines.
The Cowboys want to make sure they do everything to get Elliot as many strong opportunities as possible. Additionally, the more they are running, the less opportunities the opponent has and the more rest their defense gets.
The Cowboys realize that they do not have the outside weapons and their quarterback is too young to expect him to be going out there and winning all these games with his effort. The Cowboys know what their strength is and it is an advantage that no one in the league can match.
It is still hard to imagine a run heavy team being able to score enough points against these top offenses, who really do not need many opportunities to succeed.
That is why the defense becomes so important, and why this is a difficult plan for the Cowboys. They are saving a lot of money from the most expensive positions, but that means they need to be solid everywhere else.
The defense needs to be opportune with their turnovers, because everything will be about keeping the Cowboys offense on the field as much as possible. The defense also knows they cannot be giving up big plays. If they start to break down, then there is nothing even the best rushing attack will be able to do to score enough to beat the best passing offenses.
Keep in mind, Prescott could end up growing a lot this season, and being able to have a real strong impact on each and every play. For now, however, he is too far away from these other top quarterbacks to put that pressure on him.
The offensive line and Elliot are where the pressure should be, because getting past these top offenses will come down to them setting the pace of the game and getting the back breaking explosive plays that will be missing from the passing game.
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