Do you trust the Cowboys to fix their running game this offseason?
Out of all of the new staff hires for the Dallas Cowboys in the Brian Schottenheimer era, there is one that should inspire confidence the most when it comes to trusting what the first-time head coach is looking for. Serving as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator for two seasons before being promoted to head coach, Schottenheimer had this very same role to fill (since he will call plays himself) on his inaugural staff. The Cowboys new offensive coordinator is former Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams.
The Cowboys have also kept continuity at tight end with coach Lunda Wells, something of a fan-favorite to at least be considered for the OC role himself if that promotion could guarantee he remained in Dallas. Instead, it will now be up to Schottenheimer, Adams, and Wells to all do their part in improving this team’s play in the trenches. Regardless of what the Cowboys want their new offense to look like, improved offensive line play must come with it for this team to have any chance at returning to contender status, and they believe they’ve found their man in Adams. Also bringing past experience as a tight ends coach, the cohesion between Adams and Wells should be strong to make sure the Cowboys are fundamentally sound up front.
Between Petzing and Adams, the Cardinals have built an offense that, in many ways, mirrors the offense that Stefanski runs in Cleveland. There are strong influences of the Shanahan type offense that Stefanski majored in with the Vikings, but with a more varied blocking scheme in the run game.
For example, the Cardinals have been one of the top gap-blocking teams in the league these past two years, using at least one pulling offensive lineman on just under two thirds of their run plays this past year. In 2024, they found great success running counter, finishing second in the NFL in counter run plays but showing a wide variation of formations they ran it from.
The Cardinals didn’t just have a strong running game, though. They excelled in pass protection too: their 28.0% pressure rate was the sixth-best in the league, ranking one spot ahead of the Cowboys, despite losing both starting tackles to injured reserve and playing with a quarterback in Kyler Murray whose frequent scrambling ability often makes it harder on the offensive line to hold up.
Part of this was accomplished through an insanely high play-action rate, something Schottenheimer has already mentioned as a priority for his offense. Only three other quarterbacks had a higher play-action rate than Murray this year, and only four quarterbacks threw for more yards off play-action.
One other point to consider with Adams’ hiring: the tight end position. Outside of the offensive line, Adams has spent the most time in his career working with the tight end position, and Trey McBride became a focal point for...