Tag: offense

Elliott feels ‘in-tune’ for 2020, says ‘sky’s the limit’ for Cowboys offense

The star running back kept the details of the offense mostly under wraps, but looks to be more involved in the passing game this season.

Ezekiel Elliott tried really hard to stick to the party line laid out by his head coach. He made every effort to follow Mike McCarthy’s example and not divulge any insider information about what the 2020 Cowboys offense will look like when it’s unveiled Sunday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

After a preseason with no exhibition games, confidential training camp sessions, and a televised scrimmage that revealed nothing but standing around on the sidelines, no one outside the locker room really knows what to expect from Dak Prescott and Company.

But it didn’t stop the media from asking the running back for a preview during a Wednesday conference call.

“I don’t think that any changes that we’ve made are that big from what we were doing. Just like, little different playcalls,” Elliott said. “I think I’m ready. I’m pretty comfortable in the offense. It’s very similar to what we ran last year, so it’s not really anything that’s crazy-new or crazy-alarming, so it’s pretty much the same system I’ve been in the past four years.”

That may not be quite what Cowboys Nation wants to hear, given that Dallas reached the postseason in just two of those four years and have a disappointing 1-2 record in those playoff games to show for it.

So Elliott was asked instead to confirm the rumors that he’ll be more involved in the passing game under McCarthy.

“Yeah, I think I will be.”

That was it. That was the whole answer.

The no-nonsense McCarthy would have loved it.

The reporters assembled remotely waited for more, and then burst out in laughter when they realized it wasn’t coming. At least not willingly.

They pushed Elliott to elaborate.

“Just running routes from the backfield, running routes from slot, running from out wide,” Elliott said before flashing his signature grin. “That’s about how much I can give you.”

Elliott no doubt has the skills to hurt defenses as a receiver. But last season, he barely cracked the top 10 leaguewide when it came to pass receptions by a running back. And most of those catches came on garden-variety swings and screen dump-offs. His best season catching the ball came in 2018, when he had 77 grabs for 567 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2020, Elliott looks to surpass those stats by running more actual routes, but he’s still eyeing the big prize, too: a third league rushing title to go with the ones he earned in 2016 and 2018.

“Based off the whole mentality of the football team and that O-line we’ve got in front of us and all the weapons outside,” Elliott explained, “I think with my ability, I expect myself to be up there in the running for that rushing title.”

There are plenty of playmakers in Dallas looking for touches, as Elliott alluded to. One of them is in the same backfield. Tony Pollard impressed last season in his rookie campaign, despite totaling just 455 yards on the ground. While the Memphis product’s primary purpose may be to spell Elliott from time to time, fans were tantalized last season with the thought of seeing the pair on the field together.

The idea never truly took off under Jason Garrett’s watch. It just might in Kellen Moore’s first collaborative season with McCarthy.

“You saw a little bit of it last year,” Elliott admitted when asked about a scheme featuring both backs. “I would say just a bigger package, a bigger menu. Just more plays, like when you saw me and Tony together in there last year.”

Pollard came close to being the starter in Week 1 of 2019, after Elliott held out of training camp in a contract dispute. Zeke says his solo time in Cabo may have let him start last year fresher, but he feels more ready for action this time around.

“I definitely just feel in-tune. Like, I’ve been playing football for the past three weeks. Coming off the holdout, I jumped right into practice, the first day in pads, and then literally, three or four days later, we’re playing on Sunday. So just having those three weeks, it went by fast, but just having that and actually being in pads and seeing the run fits.”

It will all come together on Sunday night when Elliott, Pollard, Prescott, and the highly-anticipated receiving corps of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb finally take the field and unleash what looks to be- on paper, anyway- a legitimate offensive juggernaut.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Elliott said plainly.

But the 25-year-old rusher was also quick to temper initial expectations about that potentially-explosive Dallas offense, one that’s still trying to jell as a unit after the abbreviated camp.

“The first game, you know it’s not going to be your best game,” Elliott admitted. “You know it’s going to be a little sloppy, especially this year with no preseason and kind of a late start to the training camp. It’s going to be messy. You know those first couple weeks, it’s not going to be perfect, but you’ve got to fight for a win.”

Just as McCarthy had told the team.

Elliott ended up sticking to the script after all.

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Lions make it official, Jamal Agnew and Jason Cabinda make switch to offense

The Detroit Lions have made it official and switched RB/WR Jamal Agnew and FB/LB Jason Cabinda to offense.

Per their team website, the Detroit Lions have officially transitioned both Jamal Agnew and Jason Cabinda to the offensive side of the ball.

Agnew, who began practicing with the wide receivers at the end of last season, will be making the switch from cornerback to running back/wide receiver — indicating he may be used in a gadget role.

The 2017 fifth-round pick already has been used sparingly on offense, with four rushing yards and 16 receiving over three seasons. The All-Pro punt returner proved throughout camp that his skills warranted a switch from the cornerback position, where the Lions have plenty of depth already going into the 2020 season.

Cabinda, who will be moving from the linebacker position, was thrown into the fullback role after injury struck Nick Bawden during training camp. With Bawden on injured reserve and tight end/H-back Isaac Nauta on the practice squad, Cabinda was able to make the 53-man roster as the starting fullback.

The former linebacker took one snap at fullback in 2019 and made the most of it, clearing a path for a Kerryon Johnson goal-line touchdown in Week 17.

With the official changes in position, Cabinda will have to get a new jersey number, as No. 53 is not an eligible number for offensive skill positions, while Agnew will get to keep No. 39 as it is an acceptable number for running backs.

Both young players will look to make some contributions on offense in 2020, with the added benefit of providing extra depth on defense in a pinch.

[Editor’s note: Keep an eye out for number changes for rookies Jeff Okudah and D’Andre Swift as well]

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Cowboys’ Prescott ‘excited’ to unveil CeeDee Lamb, ‘take control’ in ‘Kellen’s show’

The Cowboys quarterback says he’s looking to take more control of the offense under OC Kellen Moore in Mike McCarthy’s first year in Dallas.

With the curtain on the 2020 season set to go up in just ten days’ time, there’s a talented ensemble cast waiting in the wings. And to hear their leading man tell it, they’re ready to put on quite a show.

Quarterback Dak Prescott sat for a brief conference call with reporters on Wednesday and set the stage for the unveiling of the Cowboys offense in Los Angeles in Week 1. But despite (or perhaps because of) a brand-new coach and just a handful of practice sessions in this shortened preseason, Prescott talked about picking things up where the Dallas offense left off in 2019.

There are some new faces in some key places, for sure, but this season’s offense won’t be a from-scratch overhaul. Mike McCarthy may be the head coach now, but it’s still offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s attack plan when the Cowboys have the ball.

“That continuity has been huge,” Prescott said. “Been important for me. And not just for me, but everybody within this offense, from some of the veteran offensive line guys to the receivers. I had a talk early on with McCarthy: just the importance of it being Kellen’s show and the way that he does things. The majority of the quarterbacks you look at in the league that have had a lot of success have stayed in the same system, so that was the big importance: for him to keep me and the rest of this offense in the same system and take what we’ve done over the past few years and grow on that. We’ve had some success, but we’re just trying to take that to the next level. And that’s what he offers us.”

McCarthy’s not the only addition that the Cowboys hope will take them to the next level. The most visible on-the-field change within the Dallas offense will be the introduction of rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb. Expectations couldn’t be much higher for the Oklahoma product, who was pegged by the team as the best pass-catcher in the draft, yet improbably fell in the Cowboys’ lap with the 17th overall pick.

Prescott’s already thrown to some elite talent over his short four-year career, but he says Lamb certainly lives up the hype.

“My confidence is to the roof with him,” Prescott said of Lamb. “When he came in, I had high expectations for him because of the guy that I initially met in the offseason when we were throwing and when we were getting together. You could just tell the type of guy he is, the type of player, the type of competitor he is. So my expectations for him rose immediately from that meeting. To get into training camp, to see what he’s done, to see what he can do… I think he’s had as good a camp as anyone has, any position on this team. It’s exciting. As I said before, he’s going to play a huge role in our success, not only this year but in the future. I’m excited for it. Excited for him.”

And it’s not just the starting cast. The Cowboys are blessed with a repertory of talented bit players, too. Guys like Noah Brown and Cedrick Wilson may not exactly be household names, but they’ve proven themselves to the point that the club released Devin Smith, a former second-rounder.

Prescott credited both Wilson and Brown for “their playmaking ability.”

“That ball is in the air, both of those guys feel like it’s their ball. Those are two guys you can almost throw fifty-fifty balls to and they’re going to come down with it more times than not. Very smart. Don’t make many mistakes, if any at all,” Prescott glowed. “Over the last couple of days in scrimmages, both of them have caught touchdowns and made big plays for this offense, so they’re just going out there and doing exactly what’s asked and letting their game speak for themselves.”

The first year of Moore’s offense was mostly successful. The Cowboys finished 2019 ranked third in the league in total passing yards behind Prescott’s best statistical year as a pro. With two more yards through the air, Prescott would have set a new Cowboys single-season record. As a unit, they scored 49 touchdowns, one away from placing in the league’s top five.

But that’s not to say that Prescott isn’t also looking to take a further step in his own evolution as an NFL passer. The two-time Pro Bowler will have a few new responsibilities on his plate in 2020.

“[I’m] Being asked to do some things, but I think they’re all things that I want to take. I want to take control of putting more of it in my hands, whether it’s getting from one place to another, whether it’s calling my own plays at certain times during two minutes, all things that makes the quarterback position special. More than anything, I’m happy that I get to take on these decisions and some of the things I’m being asked to do.

“I’m a guy that’s tough on myself, so I’m never to the point where I’m exactly where I want to be,” he explained. “But I’m always getting better, for sure, [I] can say that. Feel very comfortable in the offense, comfortable with the guys. Getting adjusted with communication, the new terms, the new words, that’s almost second nature, I guess you could say, now. I’m kind of right where I need to be and feel very comfortable with the offense and where we’re going as a team.”

McCarthy has put together an impressive cast, the kind that should be able to tear through whatever script Moore has crafted. But Prescott is the one with his name on the marquee. Where they ultimately go will largely depend on him and how he performs when the lights finally come up.

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Texas Football: Tom Herman expands on what Mike Yurcich’s role will be

During his media session, Tom Herman talked about his relationship with new Longhorns offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

In 2020, the Texas Longhorns offense has an opportunity to be even more lethal than it was a season ago. The Longhorns offensive finished in the 2019 year at 17th in points per game. The offense still finished in the top 20 but it wasn’t enough for head coach Tom Herman and company. Drew Mehringer and Tim Beck were relieved of their duties.

2019 offense rankings

2019 PPG Passing Rushing Total Offense
Per Game 35.2 289.3 177.2 466.5
FBS Ranking 17th 20th 49th 14th

Following the 38-point outburst by the offense in the Alamo Bowl, Tom Herman began his hunt for the new offensive coordinator. Mike Yurcich was the passing game coordinator for Ohio State but left to join the Big 12 Conference once again. He led the Oklahoma State offense from 2013-2018.

When asked about the the relationship between Herman and Yurcich, the head coach said “It’s been a great marriage thus far. We’re cut from the same cloth.” Herman went on to say how the addition of Yurcich has “enhanced” the offense with new route concepts and fresh ideas.

“Mike (Yurcich) has an excellent track record as a playcaller and preparer of game plans,” Herman said after being asked what the ideal offensive coordinator is. He added that he believes that Yurcich’s ideas are going to jump start the offense. They were a top 15 offense in terms of total offense but the head coach believes that Yurcich could take them to a top five-ten offense in the country.

“I envision it to being very similar to what it was like at Houston with Coach Applewhite,” Herman goes on to say that he will give input throughout the gameplanning process. He mentioned that on gamedays Yurcich will call the plays on a play-by-play basis with input from the head coach.

PPG Rank Passing Rank Rushing Rank Total Off. Rank
2013 39.1 14th 277.2 29th 171.6 66th 448.8 37th
2014 27.6 77th 242.2 54th 136.6 102nd 378.8 87th
2015 39.5 14th 353.2 7th 126.5 114th 479.6 23th
2016 38.6 17th 323.9 9th 171 68th 494.9 14th
2017 45.0 4th 389.2 1st 182.2 47th 571.3 2nd
2018 38.4 13th 308.7 10th 190.7 46th 499.4 10th

Given the history of what his offenses have done in the past, there is a lot of optimism surroundng with Mike Yurcich can do at Texas.

Texas Football Scrimmage: Notes from Tom Herman’s media session

Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman met with media following the second scrimmage. He talked at length about several aspects of the team.

Longhorns head coach Tom Herman spoke with the media on Saturday following the Longhorns second scrimmage of fall camp. In his opening comments Herman mentioned that the offense won this scrimmage. The first and second team received about 35 snaps total. The team will resume practice on Tuesday, which gives them a couple of days off.

When asked about the linebacker position, Herman pointed out that Jaylon Ford is getting better every day. “Jaylon Ford is proving every day that he is going to be a solid player for us at some point. We are trying to accelerate that learning curve.”

Image courtesy of Texas Sports

Herman went on to say that he thinks they have four capable guys at the cornerback position it is just a matter of the “cream rising to the top.” The head coach did bring up they haven’t had their full compliment of guys due to precautions. Any time a player has a sniffle, a cold or a stomach bug they are reporting it to the staff and they hold the player out until they are cleared. Herman did mention they haven’t had any positive cases of COVID-19.

In response to being asked about the NCAA’s decision to freeze eligiblity for players this season, Herman said “The NCAA got it right. It is the fair and right thing to do.” Coach did say that the information about how to move forward with the new ruling is very limited. He only knows that the seniors this year won’t count against the scholarship limit in 2021.

When the topic of how different this camp has been, Herman stated that it has been “drastically different.” Not from a COVID-19 standpoint but since the team didn’t have spring and summer workouts. They are trying to condition their bodies. He mentioned giving the team a day off following padded practice. The scrimmage on Saturday and Tuesday’s practice were the only ones in pads.

Image courtesy of Texas Sports

“It’s been a great marriage thus far. We’re cut from the same cloth” -Tom Herman on his relationship with Mike Yurcich

Herman went on to talk about the new route concepts that Yurcich has introduced to the offense. “The quarterbacks and wide receivers have really liked it. But at the end of the day we all run the same plays,” Herman said jokingly. He did mention that Yurcich has done a great job of enhancing the offense. Herman stated that Yurcich will call the plans with input from himself throughout the game when the situation dictates.

“We’re very very thankful that we have him, because we need him”- Herman on Tarik Black

Herman mentioned the second scrimmage was “so much cleaner than last week and that’s encouraging.” During the scrimmage on Saturday the tight ends were playing on the line, inside and outside receiver due to being thin at receiver. Herman mentioned they played the entire scrimmage in 12 personnel. The 12 personnel group is one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends.

Image courtesy of Texas Sports

When asked about quarterback Sam Ehlinger, Herman mentioned that he is always working and never satisfied. The big difference he noticed is a bigger jump from his off platform throws. He is getting the ball out quicker.

“The competitor that you see on Saturdays is the same competitor that he is with himself”- Herman on Sam Ehlinger

The running back position is another group that came up during the media session with Herman. When asked about the rotation of the three, Herman said “I have no idea.” Being that they are three weeks away from the first game, he alluded to the fact that it is a bit early. Herman did say having only three backs on scholarship at a violent position makes him a little “apprehensive.”

 

 

Dolphins poised to offer NFL’s biggest offense in 2020

Dolphins poised to offer NFL’s biggest offense in 2020

The Miami Dolphins have embraced a clear identity for the 2020 season on offense. They’re going to attempt to play multiple styles of offensive play in order to find winning matchups on a week to week basis, but no matter what the concepts are, these Dolphins are going to be big. Size isn’t everything on the football field, but it is certainly something — and with the Dolphins’ roster updated to reflect that latest heights and weights of their talent, the Dolphins are going to have a clear size advantage against nearly any opposition they come across this season.

You can start up front on the offensive line. If we presume the Dolphins are going to get their young rookies on the field and implement a starting lineup of Austin Jackson, Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras, Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt, we know that this team will make plenty of rookie mistakes — but they’re also going to have plenty of raw power to fall back on. Just look at the size of these blockers up front.

Jackson: 6’5, 325 pounds
Flowers: 6’6, 343 pounds
Karras: 6’4, 314 pounds
Kindley: 6’4, 339 pounds
Hunt: 6’6, 323 pounds

This offensive line would average 6’5, 328.8 pounds across the front. And it only gets more eye-opening when you consider that the Dolphins are likely to get TE Mike Gesicki more reps in the slot as the team’s third wide receiver. If Gesicki plays a hybrid TE/WR role and the team runs ’12 personnel’ with one running back and two tight ends (including Gesicki in the slot), the Dolphins are going to get plenty of chances to lean on the opposition. Their ’12 personnel’ currently projects to the following:

WR (X): DeVante Parker – 6’3, 211 pounds
WR/TE (Slot): Mike Gesicki – 6’6, 250 pounds
WR (Z): Preston Williams – 6’5, 218 pounds
TE: Adam Shaheen – 6’7, 257 pounds
RB: Jordan Howard – 6’0, 232 pounds

This pass-catching group (sans Howard) offers an average height in excess of 6’5. Miami’s average weight of the offense in this look without the quarterback in the equation is over 280 pounds per player. With Ryan Fitzpatrick projected as the starting quarterback, the Dolphins’ average weight per player on offense is 276.4 pounds.

If Miami can combine that size with conditioning to play well in the South Florida humidity, the team can capitalize on a home-field advantage that won’t be mitigated regardless of the status of fans in the stands. There’s still plenty that needs to go right for the Dolphins — but the team’s vision for their offense is pretty clear. They’re going to try to beat you up in the box and at the catch point.

Texas football’s highest-graded returners on offense per PFF

According to PFF, these were the top five players on offense for Texas last season.

The once uncertain college football season is now rapidly approaching. Continue reading “Texas football’s highest-graded returners on offense per PFF”

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DK Metcalf sets 2020 goal to reduce drops and soak up more of offense

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf seeks to reduce his number of drops and soak up more of the team’s offense in the 2020 season.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf seeks to cut down his drops and glean further knowledge of the offense in his sophomore season.

“Basically just building on last year. I know had a few drops last year that I’ve got to clean up,” Metcalf said during his Zoom press conference last week. “And just expanding my role in the offense and learning the offense more. I know last year I was just getting my feet wet with everything in the offense and being in the league. It’s just taking the next step, taking my game to the next level.”

Metcalf spent this offseason working out with quarterback Russell Wilson. Coach Pete Carroll stated on Monday that fans will see an improved Metcalf in 2020, if there is a season.

“He’s going to be better this year,” Carroll said. “He had an incredible offseason. He spent, I don’t know, at least a month with Russell (Wilson) working out, they found a way to do it, and they had a phenomenal summer in that regard. What gives him a chance to be a really exciting player is his mentality. He knows exactly who he is, he knows where he’s come from, he knows what it’s all about.”

Metcalf’s relationship with Wilson has grown stronger over the course of this offseason, and Wilson has given Metcalf invaluable advice that the latter has taken to heart.

“Nothing is going to be handed to you,” Metcalf said. “If you want to be great you’ve got to go get it.”

Wilson and Metcalf potentially making more magic on the field is an exciting thought, particularly because Metcalf is only entering his second season and his potential is limitless.

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Dolphins OC Chan Gailey explains how his offense lets WRs thrive

Dolphins OC Chan Gailey explains how his offense lets WRs thrive

Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has been at this for quite a while, now. Gailey has been coaching long enough to say he served as John Elway’s quarterbacks coach in the late 1980s — and here he is all these years later stepping back into a coaching role with the Miami Dolphins as a play caller. Gailey’s short-lived retirement may have recharged his batteries, but Gailey’s offense will retain a critical component with Miami in 2020 — it is going to continue to allow his players the chance to execute while simultaneously giving them the freedom to do it with their own style.

What exactly does that mean? Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has plenty of experience playing for Gailey — and he offered some context regarding route freedom during a recent press call.

“Stevie Johnson in Buffalo was a guy that didn’t really play a whole lot and as soon as he got with Chan and Chan gave him the freedom to be creative on some of his routes and do some things that were a little unorthodox, it really catapulted his career,” said Fitzpatrick.

“So players love playing for him because he gives them freedom – a certain amount of freedom, not a whole lot.”

Gailey was asked on his press call yesterday to expand on that route freedom his offense provides — and why his offense allows receivers to be creative in the first place.

“The great receivers I’ve been fortunate to be around through my years – and I’ve been doing this for 40-something years now – they’re artists,” Gailey explained.

“They run a route and they never paint the same picture twice because of the way the defender is, because of the route they’re running, because of whatever it might – the coverage – they paint a different picture every time and if you take an artist who knows how to get open and who knows what he’s doing versus a defender and you try to fit him into a box, that’s where you make the guy less of a player than he really is. I want guys to be able to go out and be creative. I tell them, ‘you’ve got to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there, but how you get there – that’s up to you.’ So we give them the freedom to go get open and then we think we have talented enough quarterbacks that can see that and get them the football.”

The appeal to this style of play is that is allows receivers to do what is natural to them. By knowing the timing and knowing their objective, there can be less thinking involved and players can become more instinctive in how they attack defenders. And for the quarterback, timing should be uninterrupted because he’s working to a spot on the field to attack with the ball — not waiting for his receiver to hit a certain step or break off of his route stem.

How quickly the Dolphins will be able to create the chemistry between passer and receiver to allow this all to work without hiccups? That’s the magic question — and the variable that may end up determining the Dolphins’ early-season success in 2020.

John Elway says Broncos will likely lean on defense in 2020

“We have veterans on the defensive side that we can rely on as we grow as an offense,” Broncos GM John Elway said.

With limited offseason work and several inexperienced starters, the Broncos’ offense might start slowly this season. To win games, Denver might have to lean on the defense, a unit with more experience and familiarity.

“With the veterans that have been here with another year of understanding Vic [Fangio’s] defense and what it’s about, obviously, we’re going to have to lean on the defense,” general manager John Elway said on July 28.

“We have veterans on the defensive side that we can rely on as we grow as an offense. That’s the hope. I’d love to see us come out and score 40 points against Tennessee on Monday night. I’m not saying that can’t happen, but with the youth that we have, it’s going to take some time.

“Hopefully we can play better defense with the veterans we have coming in and give us a chance. Ultimately, [the goal] is to win football games.”

Last year, the Broncos’ defense ranked 10th in points allowed. If they can improve on that ranking (perhaps ranking among the top-five squads), Denver’s defense will help the team stay in games and take some pressure off a young offense that will have some growing pains with second-year quarterback Drew Lock.

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