Super Bowl squads offer Cowboys blueprint to maximize running game
In the competitive barbecue world, ingredients and techniques are king. The process in which one makes their BBQ can be every bit as important as the cut of meat itself. The margins are slim and the stakes are high, which means everything is played close to the vest.
Stealing ideas (aka “shigging”) in BBQ is looked down upon. Pitmasters are expected to keep their eyes on their own work and only take advice when advice is offered. The NFL isn’t quite so guarded. Teams are displaying their ingredient list and cooking method for all to see. When it comes to maximizing their run-game efforts, the Dallas Cowboys would be foolish to not take advantage.
The NFL is a copycat league. So it only makes sense to take note of what the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are doing and determine if Dallas can duplicate the success. Books can be written about all the different tendencies and similarities of these teams, but Next Gen Stats noticed both lead the NFL in weak-side run rate.
The weak side is the side of the offense without the tight end. Historically, teams generally run towards the direction of their tight end because it means there’s an extra run blocker.
Super Bowl LVII will feature a the only two offenses to run to the weak side on over 54% of their RB carries in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).
Weak Side RB Run Rate (2022, incl. playoffs):
🔹 @Eagles: 56.9%
🔹 @Chiefs: 56.3%#SBLVII | #ChiefsKingdom | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/cOns8Rqr1k— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 31, 2023
At 56.9%, Philadelphia leads the league in weak-side run rate. The Chiefs are right behind them at 56.3%. These numbers aren’t just the highest in the NFL, but they’re the highest in the NGS era.
For years, the analytics community has touted the merits of running the ball into space and avoiding high box counts. It seems the two Super Bowl teams finally took notice and are reaping the rewards.
Obviously, a deeper look into the respective running games show the Eagles running scheme is considerably different from Kansas City’s approach. The Chiefs are clearly a pass-first offense while Philadelphia likes to use a triple-option of sorts. But in this one area, they have a shared belief.
Besides the weak side runs, both teams also offer (Mahomes’ health permitting) a run threat at quarterback. Hurts led the NFL in rushing attempts from the quarterback position while Andy Reid has been a little more selective in his usage of Mahomes.
Regardless of frequency, the threat of the run cannot be denied and both teams clearly have that element at the QB position.
While having a dual-threat at running back is nothing new for Super Bowl teams, a running game that targets the weak side certainly is new. Both are areas the Cowboys should look to as inspiration for their rushing attack in 2023.
