Inside The Star
Phil Mafah could see action against vs. the Giants. Here’s what to expect from his downhill style and how Jaydon Blue’s speed complements him in Dallas.
I’ll keep it simple: I want to see Phil Mafah get real work.
When the Cowboys play the New York Giants, the season picture isn’t changing. But the evaluation can happen, and that is where this game gets interesting for me.
Dallas drafted Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue for a reason. Not because they’re the same kind of back, but because they are opposites.
Their running styles are different in the best possible way, and if the Cowboys let them loose even a little, we might get a glimpse of what this backfield could look like when it’s built with balance.
I’ve watched Mafah play in college, and he is a back who sets the tone without talking about it.
He’s a downhill runner with patience in his approach and power in his finish.
He doesn’t play in a hurry, but there is not much wasted motion in his game. He presses the line, lets blocks develop, and the moment a crease opens, he gets vertical.
What I think really stands out is how he handles contact.
Mafah doesn’t look like a guy trying to avoid defensive players, but someone who expects it and keeps rolling forward. He will not search for the sideline, he will be searching for the sticks.
That kind of style is what can stabilize an offense. It isn’t flashy, but it is realizable, and Cowboys fans have seen the same style come from Javonte Williams this season.
Blue is the opposite in the best way.
Many of us know his game from Texas, and his game is speed.
He runs like he is trying to stress the defense horizontally before he ever turns vertical.
Blue can threaten the edge, force linebackers to widen, and make defenders tackle in open space, which is what defenses hate the most.
Blue’s style also creates hesitation from the defense. If he gets going, we will see the defense start to cheat to the edge, but if they get sloppy, he has home run speed.
This is what I liked about Dallas drafting these running backs. Their styles don’t overlap.
Mafah is built to punish the interior, while Blue is made to threaten the perimeter.
When a team has both styles available, it’s harder for a defense to get comfortable.
If they lighten the box and play fast, Mafah can lean on them. If the defense chooses to tighten down inside and start over committing, Blue can make them pay around the edges.
It’s not a complicated strategy.
And if Dallas is serious about having a run game identity heading into next season,...
