For as great as CeeDee Lamb has been as the Cowboys WR1 this season, Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks have been disappointing. Dallas’ WR2 and WR3 have combined for a paltry 39 receptions and 408 yards through Week 9.
Even the most conservative outlooks projected better numbers from the Cowboys’ two veteran WRs this season. Their performance indicates something could be wrong with their fit within Mike McCarthy’s offense and better personnel packages may be needed going forward. But as counterintuitive as it seems, the Cowboys are actually at their best this season when they’re operating out of 11 personnel.
11 personnel indicates the offense is fielding three WRs, one TE and one RB. It’s the most popular package in the NFL these days and something Dallas leans on 59 percent of the time.
And with it, the Cowboys have thrived.
With an average return of 0.13 EPA per play, it represents Dallas’ most successful personnel group with >30 snaps this season. Not only that, but the 0.13 is more than the Cowboys had in 2022, 2021 and 2020 under Kellen Moore.
Despite an underachieving WR2 & WR3, the Cowboys are shockingly efficient in 11 personnel. At 0.13 EPA/play, it’s the most efficient they’ve been in 11 since ‘19 and the second most efficient in the Dak Prescott era. Imagine how good they’d be if Cooks and Gallup were performing? pic.twitter.com/Ac74RnPdiv
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) November 8, 2023
Based on data from nflverse.com and disseminated from Chiefs analytics guru, Joseph Hefner, the only season Dak Prescott posted a better EPA/play out of 11 personnel was in 2019 when Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb and Gallup where the top-3 receivers.
I’ll take, “Things that defy logic” for 200, Alex.
For as disappointing as Gallup and Cooks have been this season, good things happen when the Cowboys go three-wide.