Chalk Talk: How the Cowboys Can Improve the Run Game in 2016 (Part 1)

In 2015, Oklahoma State managed to finish at 10-3 with an appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl, all without a decent run game. The Cowboys were 113th out of 127 FBS teams in rushing yards per game last season. Most of that was because of mediocre run blocking, but there were many instances when their run schematics left them in unfavorable situations.

With another offseason of improvement coming to an end, the run game should be better, albeit probably not by much. There are ways, though, to help run production increase, even by a little bit, for next season. I’ve settled on three of them and will discuss all three this week. Here’s No. 1.

In the Zone

For the past couple of years, the Cowboys have been predominantly relying on gap run schemes, such as power or power counter.

There are some times when the play is executed perfectly. The problem is that, because OSU is not a good power run team it often exposes the inability of the offensive line and limits the running back’s vision. Most gap schemes are limited in point of attack flexibility. When the hole gets clogged, or the offense gets overpowered at the point of attack, the result often leads to a minimal gain (if any).

Take this play from the Cowboys’ game against Kansas State, for example:

While the offense technically has the advantage in the box (6-on-6), a combination of missed blocking assignments and tight spacing leaves Jeff Carr, a relatively small back, nowhere to go.

In a zone scheme, though, there’s a little more flexibility. The outside zone, for example, allows for the back to find the hole that opens naturally, wherever that may be. The back can cut upfield into a crease, he can cut back if the defense flows too aggressively or he can bounce outside if the end crashes. This is why the zone scheme has been so effective and coaches like Gary Kubiak and Alex Gibbs have been basing offenses off it for years in the NFL.

The Cowboys had a decent amount of success using simple outside zone schemes last season, most notably against Iowa State. They successfully ran outside zone both under center:

And in the pistol:

Not only does the zone give the running back more flexibility but it also makes it easy on the lineman. Instead of a relying on one or two blockers to execute a key double team or kick-out, the entire line works as a unit to open up holes for the back; this applies both to the outside and inside zone. With Mason Rudolph’s recent announcement about the Cowboys’ increased focus under center, more zone usage could be in store for this season.

We will take a look at Part 2 later on this week.

Expect a Chalk Talk piece up every Monday until the start of the Cowboys’ season, and feel free to voice your opinion in the comments below.