FRISCO, Texas — The midpoint of the season has passed and the 2-7 Dallas Cowboys are hoping to string wins together, beginning on Sunday in Minnesota against the 4-5 Vikings.
The Cowboys’ run defense is currently ranked 31st in the league and Dallas will be striving for a shot at redemption on Sunday.
Dallas still has a bad taste in their mouth, as do many fans, from the Browns matchup in week four where the club allowed 307 rushing yards by the dawgs, the most given up in a single game in franchise history. Frankly, it did not matter who was carrying the football or if it was inside or outside zone, the Cowboys could not stop it.
The Browns’ rushing attack is similar in nature to that of the Vikings, with a heavy emphasis on outside zone run schemes. Prior to the Browns hiring Kevin Stefanski in January to become the team’s head coach, he was a first-time offensive coordinator in 2019 for the Vikings. Last year’s Minnesota offensive consultant Gary Kubiak taught Stefanksi his old-school system that he carried over to Cleveland, controlling the tempo with the run game. Kubiak replaced Stefanski as coordinator for the Vikings and continues to place reliance on outside zone runs, screens, multiple tight end formations, and a play-action passing game to complement the run game.
Cowboys’ defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence emphatically told media on Wednesday, “ I feel like we’re a different team, we’re playing totally different and this will not be a repeat of the Browns game.”
Dallas’ run defense did improve in week nine against the Steelers, holding Pittsburgh to just 46 yards on the ground. A small sample size but the Cowboys’ defense seems to be playing with more confidence and cohesiveness as a unit in Mike Nolan’s scheme. The strides forward are largely due to more snaps from Antwaun Woods and Neville Gallimore in the interior plugging holes with the release of Dontari Poe.
However, this week the group faces a different animal in Dalvin Cook. Cook leads the NFL in practically every rushing category- rushing yards (954), rushing touchdowns (12), yards from scrimmage (1,143), and total touchdowns (13). His average of 119.3 rushing yards per game is also the best in the league.
Cook is hard to contain with his vision, balance, and patience on runs. He is a three-down back that can create for himself with his one-cut ability and explosiveness.
On what makes Cook such a challenge for defenses to contain, Jaylon Smith told D210SPORTS “ Dalvin’s elusiveness, being able to make any cut, his patience, allowing his blocks to develop, and then from there just his heart, and for us- I played him a couple of times in college and got a chance to play him last year. It’s about learning. It’s about us. It’s the guys. It’s about preparing and getting ready to stop this high-powered offense.”
The Cowboys are hoping to take full advantage of the opportunity for redemption against Dalvin Cook and co. on Sunday. Arguably the best running back in the NFL stands in their way.
