Earlier this week I tweeted the odds (at that time) for MVP and there were several people who were unsatisfied with Dak Prescott’s place within them. At this time Prescott is +1700 at FanDuel Sportsbook (he was +2200 when I first tweeted about it so there has been some movement).
Prescott is playing at an unbelievable level and he should be included in those types of discussions, but it is also important to contextualize things for the Dallas Cowboys as a whole this season. We need to underscore that a big reason for everyone (seemingly) shining on offense is the balance that is at play.
Brian Schottenheimer has a history of running the ball. He pledged to bring this facet of the game back to the Cowboys as the team’s new head coach and offensive play-caller over the offseason. We all laughed when the front office said that Javonte Williams was the man who would help do that. Apologies have been made, clearly.
Offensive balance has helped everyone on this team
Javonte Williams’ emergence through Brian Schottenheimer’s new-look Marty Ball has been a rising tide for all boats involved. Things work in harmony and having every part of the offense’s capabilities singing at a high level has made for an impressive sound.
We will say now that we are “only” through Week 5 and that this is a small sample size, but it is a big enough one to draw legitimate conclusions. If we focus on the run game specifically, we can see that Dallas is top-shelf with regards to the rest of the NFL.
- Dallas ranks 1st in rushing DVOA
- They also rank 1st in unadjusted rushing DVOA
- The Cowboys rank 5th in overall offensive DVOA
- From a passing standpoint they are 12th in passing DVOA (11th in unadjusted)
These numbers are courtesy of FTN Fantasy and in no way meant to disparage what the passing game is doing. Context helps for everyone here as well what with CeeDee Lamb, KaVontae Turpin, and almost the entire line dealing with injuries. That adds to the impressiveness.
Just think about those four bullet points for a moment. Right now it “feels” like the passing game is carrying things in some ways, but the rushing side of the offense is the one that is operating at a league-leading level. It is this balance that has allowed for things to work so well.
Javonte Williams ranks third in overall rushing yards, he trails only Jonathan Taylor and James Cook, and is the leading running back in the NFL in terms of rushing EPA at +8.9. He is second in RYOE (rushing yards over expected) per game. Everywhere you look inside NFL Pro’s database of statistics his name is at the top.
The most impressive, and perhaps telling, number for Williams might be his yards after contact per game. He is averaging 71.5 here, third in the league. It is clear that he has a very physical style and so he is well-suited to capitalize on the opportunities he is receiving, even when they aren’t involving a parting of the proverbial sea.
Seasons are long and demanding. It is possible that perfect balance is threatened for the Cowboys and that they have to lean into one side of the ball more than another as the season marches on.
What they are doing right now, once again especially amid injuries, is very impressive, though. All players and staffers involved deserve immense credit. Brian Schottenheimer deserves incredible praise for leading it and calling the offense.
Through five games he has done just about everything here that we could have asked for. Perfect balance.
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