Tag: Hunter Luepke

Cowboys Offense, defense, special teams snap counts as Luepke outsnaps all other RBs

Not Ezekiel Elliott. Not Rico Dowdle. Not Deuce Vaughn. Hunter Luepke. All Cowboys who played and how much. | From @KDDrummondNFL

They were never able to pull away, but the Dallas Cowboys held the advantage for much of the game on Thursday night in vanquishing their division rivals. The club arrived to rainy weather on Wednesday, but the skies cleared long enough at MetLife Stadium to allow the Cowboys to escape with a 20-15 victory where the defense held the opponents out of the end zone for the first time this season.

Meanwhile the offense was strong in the first half, scoring two touchdowns before bogging down in the second half. The final margin would’ve been more if it weren’t for the first 50-plus-yard field-goal attempt miss of Brandon Aubrey’s career, snapping an NFL record streak of 16 attempts.

So who all was a part of the festivities? Here’s a look at the snap counts from the contest on each of the three sides of the ball.

Total Snaps

Offense: 56
Defense: 69
Special Teams: 25

Offensive Players Snap Counts, Percentages

C Cooper Beebe: 56 (100%)
OT Tyler Guyton: 56 (100%)
OG Tyler Smith: 56 (100%)
OT Terence Steele: 56 (100%)
QB Dak Prescott: 56 (100%)
OG Zack Martin: 53 (95%)
WR CeeDee Lamb: 47 (84%)
WR Brandin Cooks: 46 (82%)
TE Jake Ferguson: 41 (73%)
WR Jalen Tolbert: 39 (70%)
FB Hunter Luepke: 29 (52%)
RB Rico Dowdle: 25 (45%)
TE Luke Schoonmaker: 19 (34%)
RB Ezekiel Elliott: 10 (18%)
WR Jalen Brooks: 8 (14%)
WR Kavontae Turpin: 7 (12%)
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford: 5 (9%)
RB Deuce Vaughn: 4 (7%)
OG TJ Bass: 3 (5%)

Defensive Players Snap Counts, Percentages

SS Donovan Wilson: 69 (100%)
LB Eric Kendricks: 68 (99%)
CB Trevon Diggs: 68 (99%)
FS Malik Hooker: 66 (96%)
LB DeMarvion Overshown: 59 (86%)
DE Micah Parsons: 57 (83%)
DT Osa Odighizuwa: 53 (77%)
CB Jourdan Lewis: 51 (74%)
DE Marshawn Kneeland: 36 (52%)
CB Amani Oruwariye: 33 (48%)
DE DeMarcus Lawrence: 30 (43%)
LB Marist Liufau: 27 (39%)
CB Andrew Booth: 27 (39%)
DT Mazi Smith: 26 (38%)
DE Chauncey Golston: 25 (36%)
DE Carl Lawson: 22 (32%)
NT Linval Joseph: 22 (32%)
DR Christian Watkins: 10 (14%)
LB Damone Clark: 5 (7%)
FS Juanyeh Thomas: 3 (4%)
DB Israel Mukuamu: 2 (3%)

Special Teams Snap Counts, Percentages

CJ Goodwin: 20 (80%)
Buddy Johnson: 20 (80%)
Brandon Aubrey: 10 (40%)
Brock Hoffman: 10 (40%)
Bryan Anger: 8 (32%)
C.Beebe C 5 (20%)
T.Guyton T 5 (20%)
T.Smith G 5 (20%)
J.Tolbert WR 3 (12%)
H.Luepke FB 15 (60%)
L.Schoonmaker TE 9 (36%)
J.Brooks WR 15 (60%)
K.Turpin WR 7 (28%)
B.Spann-Ford TE 9 (36%)
D.Vaughn RB 1 (4%)
T.Bass G 5 (20%)
D.Overshown LB 5 (20%)
O.Odighizuwa DT 5 (20%)
M.Kneeland DE 5 (20%)
A.Oruwariye CB 5 (20%)
M.Liufau LB 12 (48%)
A.Booth CB 8 (32%)
M.Smith DT 26 (38%)
C.Golston DE 11 (44%)
C.Lawson DE 5 (20%)
C.Watkins DE 2 (8%)
D.Clark LB 20 (80%)
J.Thomas FS 20 (80%)
I.Mukuamu FS 17 (68%)

Jake Ferguson injury opens door for out-the-box plan centered around under-the-radar UDFA

Hunter Luepke stands to gain the most in the absence of Cowboys starting TE Jake Ferguson. | From @ReidDHanson

Many feared the worst as tight end Jake Ferguson went down with an apparent knee injury in the third quarter on Sunday. Big things are expected of the third-year Cowboy, and the Dallas offense would have a tough time replacing the production planned from the young Pro Bowler.

Hunter Luekpe, a fullback by trade but Swiss army knife in application, has been named by Mike McCarthy as the man “at the front of the line.”

A bullet was seemingly dodged when Ian Rapoport reported it was not an ACL tear as originally feared but rather an MCL sprain that would likely require a more modest timetable.

Labeled “week to week,” speculation is Ferguson could be out anywhere from 2-6 weeks. One would assume by following next man up mentality Luke Schoonmaker would be the man tasked with picking up the slack. Schoonmaker was a second-round pick from 2023 who has considerable expectations in Year 2. Yet it’s actually an undrafted free agent from 2023 who the Cowboys appear to be turning to in the wake of the injury.

Luekpe was a key contributor in Sunday’s 33-17 win over the Browns and someone who can be deployed a variety of different ways.

Of Luepke’s 45 snaps in Week 1, only eight came out of the backfield acccording to PFF tracking. The bulk of his snaps on offense actually came as an inline TE.

His presence in the huddle offers the offense a decisive advantage over the defense. Since he can play both TE and FB, the Cowboys could be showing either 12 or 21 personnel any time he’s on the field. Where he lines up and where he motions will ultimately label his position, but he gives McCarthy the ability to move him wherever a mismatch can be found.

Luepke isn’t the player Ferguson is as a TE because he’s not really a TE, he’s something else entirely. As such the offense could change with him playing a more prominent role.

None of this means Brevyn Spann-Ford, John Stephens and Schoonmaker won’t get more opportunities because they probably will. It just appears the man to gain the most is the man listed as the FB on the Cowboys depth chart.

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Do the Cowboys need to add a RB from the outside before season?

It’s likely the Cowboys will only keep three of their eight RBs on their final roster in 2024, do they need to search for another? | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys have come under fire for their handling of the running back position this year. Letting Tony Pollard sign a three-year, $21,750,000 deal with Tennessee wasn’t an issue. Handing big money to the RB position has long been regarded as questionable behavior. Re-signing the veteran Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year, $2 million deal wasn’t an issue either. An inexpensive safety net like Elliott made sense in a back-up capacity.

Letting the draft tick by 257 players without the Cowboys claiming a single RB? That baffled a few folks. After years of accusations of overpaying, over-drafting and just generally overinvesting, the Cowboys have made a wild adjustment in the way they handle the RB position.

This 180-degree heel turn of theirs set them on the path to enter the 2024 season with some combination of Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, Royce Freeman, Maliek Davis, Hunter Luepke, Deuce Vaughn, Snoop Conner and Nathaniel Peat. It’s a group that some have called the worst unit in the NFL and one even the most fervent of Cowboys fans has been having a difficult time getting excited about.

In the Cowboys first preseason game, Dowdle offered glimmers of hope. The fifth-year back out of South Carolina ran the ball three times for 14 yards. His day understandably ended early since he’s expected by many to be the top ball carrier in Dallas in 2024. Held out of action were Elliott and Freeman. The former, a veteran in whom the Cowboys are already well acquainted and the latter, a veteran who’s already banged up.

The rest of the lot played fairly uninspiring ball after Dowdle left the field. Conner led the rest of the group with a paltry 3.3 yards/carry average while no one else surpassed the 2.5 yards/carry mark. Blocking obviously played a big role in that inefficiency, but the ball carriers struggled to add anything of added value to the runs.

It’s all reaffirmed what many feared entering the preseason and supported what was happening in training camp; the Cowboys are weak at the RB position.

In a not-so-bold roster prediction, the Cowboys will likely round out their RB ranks with a player who’s not currently on the roster.

It’s fair to say other NFL teams will release someone who’s good enough to be claimed by Dallas and the Cowboys are just bidding their time until cutdown day arrives on August 27. Of the eight players listed above, it’s likely only three will make the Cowboys final 53 in 2024. It’s a list that includes Luepke the fullback since he’s reportedly beloved by the coaching staff and cross-training at the tight end position to boost his usefulness.

As things stand today, it looks like Dowdle, Elliott and Luepke are the only RBs currently in camp who are in line for a roster spot. Vaughn and Peat would then be the favorites to join the practice squad with a veteran to be named later to round out the rotation on the 53.

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Mike McCarthy’s predictability here a detriment to Cowboys’ offense

The Cowboys are far too transparent in 2RB packages, and they really don’t have to be. | From @ReidDHanson

Two running back personnel packages (21 and 22 personnel) aren’t a common deployment for most NFL teams. Outside of San Francisco, most teams avoid putting two RBs on the field together since the intentions are typically pretty obvious to defenses.

Most commonly fielded as a fullback and halfback, 21 and 22 personnel typically indicate the team is going to run the ball. In short-yardage situations and lined up in bunch formation, it often comes between the tackles. It’s more a game of willpower, leverage and strength than it is strategy or deception. In today’s parity-filled NFL, that’s something most successful coaches try to avoid.

In 2023 the Cowboys ran 21 personnel (2RB, 1TE) 33 times and 22 personnel (2 RB, 2 TE) 17 times. In those instances, they ran the ball 66.67% of the time and 76.47% of the time respectively. Given the situations of those plays the Cowboys pass rate over expected in 21 personnel was -19.75 and in 22 personnel -15.64 (yes, those numbers are negative).

In each case the Cowboys are producing a negative EPA/play and in each case the EPA/play is markedly higher when they pass.

Being so run-heavy in 21 and 22 personnel, opponents had a good idea of the Cowboys’ intentions and played the situations accordingly. In both personnel groups the Cowboys produced better EPA/play passing than they did rushing, so it stands to reason they should have been passing the ball more often.

San Francisco, who plays primarily out of 21 personnel, are considered one of the better rushing teams in the NFL. Yet, like Dallas, they also perform better passing out of 21 and 22 personnel than they run it. A big difference between them and the Cowboys is the 49ers pass the ball at a pass rate over expected in each, while Dallas has a pass rate far below expected.

Looking at the rosters most will agree, San Francisco is the far superior rushing offense between the two teams. If anyone should be stubbornly and transparently rushing the ball in these situations, it’s them. But instead of relying on their talent to win in a transparent and predictable way, they employ strategy and deception and pass.

The Cowboys just seem to embrace their transparency.

Offensive coaches worth their salt will look to misdirection and deception to best their opponents. Even if they have the more talented roster, it’s considered the path of least resistance to be less transparent in play-calling and play design. It’s a way for the Cowboys to greatly improve their output in 2024 even if they didn’t improve their roster.

As luck would have it, the Cowboys have a FB who can be playmaker as a pass catcher. Hunter Luepke isn’t the most proven player in the Dallas backfield, but he’s one of the more versatile. Able to run the ball in a single set, a dual set, in short yardage, in pass protection, and as a pass-catcher, Luepke give the Cowboys a versatile piece to play with if they want to be less transparent in those two RB sets.

Even if Luepke’s not the answer to this problem, the point is clear – be less transparent on offense. If one player is so one-dimensional transparency is unavoidable, then avoid playing that player. That’s how important mystery is on offense.

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Follow the Money: Breakdown of Cowboys RBs salaries, cap hits

A breakdown of the cap spending at the running back position and how despite the cupboard being bare, there’s a sizable chunk being spent at the spot. | From @ArmyChiefW3

As quarterback takes up an enormous percentage of the Dallas Cowboys salary cap for 2024, something they should hope to reduce before the new league year begins, other positions have taken a back seat in how Stephen Jones’ proverbial pie has been divided. And while recent years have seen a sizable investment in the pasture where the bell cows have grazed, that will likely not be the case for the upcoming season.

The lack of a run game in Dallas is a huge concern, but the problem has a clear path to recovery. And while the solution may reside more along the offensive line and its performance, the club will still need to add additional investments to the running back room as it will more than likely look significantly different come training camp. With the top two backs hitting unrestricted free agency, here’s what the Cowboys currently have under contract to replace Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle’s contributions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cowboys still searching for optimal roles, identities on offense

How have the Cowboys answered questions regarding their various roles and responsibilities on offense in 2023? From @ReidDHanson

15 games into the 2023 season and the Cowboys are still trying to figure things out on offense. Who’s the optimal short yardage back? Who’s the third down go-to guy? Who’s the linchpin of the offense, are just some of the questions which appear to be up in the air.

In all fairness, it’s not as if the Cowboys don’t have options. They are ranked No. 2 in offensive EPA and No. 2 in points per game. They are a talented bunch with plenty of potential answers to the above questions. But in a win-or-go-home game in the playoffs, when a single mistake can end a season, who are the Cowboys turning to?

Last week in Miami the Cowboys showed the short-yardage situation is still unresolved. Tony Pollard failed to convert a seemingly convertible goal line play and then Hunter Luepke fumbled away a goal line exchange with Dak Prescott. There’s just no clear answer in Dallas.

CeeDee Lamb has been the linchpin the Cowboys can’t quite seem to commit to. The offense hummed when he was fed the ball, but like so many times before, things slowed to a crawl when he was left out. Lamb has proven to be a weapon as a rusher as well as a receiver. He makes it easy to scheme because he can line up anywhere on the field and execute effectively. Yet, he disappears from the gameplan from time to time.

The go-to guy on critical downs has been a timeshare of sorts in Dallas this season. At times it’s Lamb, other times it’s Brandin Cooks, and still other times it’s TE Jake Ferguson. All three have shown the ability to convert in these critical situations.  All three have also dropped easy balls and/or failed to elude that first critical tackler. When the game is on the line and the Cowboys need to convert, who’s the optimal target?

Gifts and Coal: Lamb, Luepke opposite sides of Cowboys’ studs, duds

CeeDee Lamb’s record and Hunter Luepke’s fumble are among the impact events in the Cowboys’ Week 16 loss. | From @BenGrimaldi

Santa Claus wasn’t kind to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 as they fell to the Miami Dolphins, 22-20, on a last-second field goal. The Cowboys spent most of the afternoon trying to crawl their way back into it after being down for much of the contest, but couldn’t hold the lead once they earned it.

This wasn’t the same old story for Mike McCarthy’s team on the road. They had plenty of fight in the Christmas Eve matchup of 10-4 teams. However, they couldn’t get the one thing they wanted for the holiday, a W in the win column.

In defeat, the Cowboys have their first losing streak since 2021 and now they’ve fallen behind in the NFC East race with two weeks remaining. Here’s the Christmas edition of the studs (gifts) and duds (coal) in Dallas’ Week 16 loss.

How Pollard, Cowboys 4 other RBs stack up thus far in 2023

An analysis of the Cowboys different RB options looking at how they’re doing, how they impact the offense and their best role going forward. | From @ReidDHanson

For the better part of the season, the Cowboys’ run offense has been a one-man show. Tony Pollard has carried the lion’s share of the load since taking pole position on the Dallas depth chart. He’s is on pace to set career highs in most categories and up until last week, he was leading the entire NFL in carries and overall touches.

As the season drags on, the Cowboys will feel compelled to divvy out the workload. Pollard’s pace is probably unsustainable, and Dallas will want their top weapon to be in peak form once the postseason arrives.

The question is to who and to what extent should the carries be split. The Cowboys don’t have a proven entity or obvious answer waiting in the wings. They have a sixth-round pick and a couple undrafted free agents populating the ranks behind Pollard. Each brings a unique skill set to the table so ranking a true hierarchy is hard to do with such specialization. But certain traits have been shown and the numbers indicate some players should be given more chances while others probably deserve a few less.

 

Cowboys must embrace strengths of RBs without becoming too transparent

The Cowboys must be careful in how they deploy their diverse group of RBs because specialization could tip their hand in play-calling, says @ReidDHanson

For the first time in recent memory, the Cowboys are expected to take a committee approach at running back. For years, Dallas has preferred the workhorse and dual models at the position. Ezekiel Elliott was the bell cow for the first half of his career and with the arrival of Tony Pollard, the Dallas RBs started working as a tandem.

With Elliott now in New England and Pollard slated to be the unquestioned RB1, the Cowboys are forced to take a different approach in 2023.

Pollard is expected to take on bigger workload, but he’s never surpassed 200 carries in his career. To remain explosive, he’ll need other RBs to help carry the load.

Who carries the load behind him is a matter of debate heading into the new season. The RB room consists of two rookies and a 25-year-old with seven total carries to his name. There’s no clear answer to replace Elliott in the duo format, so the Cowboys will likely use a full committee approach.

Such a strategy allows the Cowboys to play to their specific players’ strength and let their young runners do what they do best. Deuce Vaughn dropped jaws in the preseason but he’s extraordinarily undersized and may not be able to contribute much in pass-protection or short-yardage runs.

Hunter Luepke looked like a capable runner but seemed best suited to be the short-yardage runner and third down specialist (good in pass-protection and receiving). Rico Dowdle appears to have the most well-rounded skillset behind Pollard but he has an injury history longer than a ballpark bathroom line. Dallas also doesn’t want to overwork this top special teams player.

Taking a committee approach at running back isn’t without its drawbacks, either. While it lets the Cowboys focus their guys on their best tasks, it also tends to tip their hand to opponents.

If Vaughn enters the game on 3rd-and-2, the defense can probably surmise he’s not going to be pounding the ball up the middle. They’ll know to look for the pass and cover the edge and flat.

Similarly, if Luepke enters on 3rd-and-2, they will be more inclined to protect the middle and become less concerned with a run bouncing outside.

The Cowboys will have to find a way to play to their various players’ strengths without tipping their hand in regard to their play call.

Ideally, Pollard would handle 80% of the duties since he can do it all effectively. But that’s probably not a realistic expectation for Pollard since they want him fresh and explosive for all 17+ weeks of the season.

They need a committee but can’t be transparent in how they use it.

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Look: Hunter Luepke has big night in trying to make Cowboys’ 53-man roster

Luepke makes the cutdown day decision much more difficult after a stellar performance against the Las Vegas Raiders. | From @ArmyChiefW3

After not showing much in his first two opportunities, running back Hunter Luepke made a case for a roster spot Saturday night. The undrafted free agent from North Dakota State had himself a game in the Cowboys’ 31-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He ended his night with 15 carries for 58 yards while also catching 5 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Just before halftime, Luepke used some nifty footwork and picked up 29 yards on a pass from quarterback Will Grier before being tackled at the 15-yard line. He scored on the ensuing play on a 15-yard out route.

Luepke has been sort of a jack-of-all-trades during training camp attempting to show his versatility to the Cowboys coaches and front office. He’s competing for the fourth running back spot behind Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, all of whom had the night off showing their security for final cuts.

Meanwhile Luepke shared carries with Malik Davis, a 2022 UDFA who saw playing time in the regular season last year, but hasn’t secured a role for 2023 yet. Ronald Jones, Jr. also shares a chance, but injuries kept him out of the entire preseason and he’s facing a two-game suspension to start the year.

While it’s anyone’s guess as to what the final roster and practice squad will look like, Luepke should have a shot at being retained on one or the other. Cuts must be completed no later than Tuesday, August 29 at 3:00 pm Central.