Advertisement

sportsCowboys

Why the Cowboys offense went from near-worst to first on third down

Dallas has converted 61.1% of third downs since Week 8, the best four-game stretch of any NFL offense this season.

FRISCO — Kellen Moore laughed Monday afternoon while lowering his head and shutting his eyes.

“Jeez,” he said under his breath. “Don’t remind me.”

As the Cowboys offensive coordinator well knows, his offense experienced a slow start on third down this year. Losing Dak Prescott for five games to a right thumb fracture did not help matters. When the quarterback returned in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, he rejoined an offense converting only 32.1% of its attempts.

Advertisement

No NFL offense has been better on third down lately than the Cowboys, and it isn’t close. They have converted 61.1% of attempts since Week 8 with the Philadelphia Eagles a distant second at 52.6%. Dallas looks to continue the success Sunday evening against the Indianapolis Colts.

Cowboys

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.

Or with:

The 61.1% conversion rate is the most efficient four-game set that any NFL offense has achieved at any point this season.

The Cowboys ranked 29th of 32 teams in third-down efficiency entering that Lions game.

Advertisement

Prescott’s return was not a magic bullet, at least not right away. They went 3-for-9 on third down during the 24-6 win over Detroit, dropping their season ranking to 30th at 32.2%. Today, Dallas today sits eighth in the NFL with a 43.3% third-down rate.

“Our guys have found a really good rhythm,” Moore said. “We’ve certainly put ourselves in much better third downs. Our big thing is, the statistics show you, third-and-4 or less, that goes to the offense. And once you get above that, the league trend obviously favors the defense. The more times you’re down there in those manageable situations, the better success you’re going to have.

“Certainly, we’ve been able to do that. We have a nice balance. …Guys have obviously made some tremendous plays. I think the run game certainly is a nice part of it as well.”

Advertisement

Indeed, more third-and-shorts are part of the success.

Of the 87 third-down attempts from Weeks 1 to 7, 39.1% were within 4 yards of the first-down marker. Of the Cowboys’ 54 third-down attempts since Week 8, 48.1% fell within that range.

The team also has executed with greater success from varied distances. Since Week 8, the Dallas pass game has converted 10 of 19 tries (52.6%) on third-and-7 or longer. The league average in that situation is 24.6% this year. Likewise, since Week 8, the run game has converted 15 of 16 attempts (93.8%) on third-and-4 or shorter, including a perfect 14-of-14 between 1 and 3 yards. The league average this season is 66.8% success within 4 yards.

The Cowboys converted 81.8% of third downs in a Week 8 win over the Chicago Bears, 33.3% in a Week 10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, 70.6% in a Week 11 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and 63.6% in last Thursday’s win over the New York Giants.

Briefly

Cowboys linebacker/defensive end Micah Parsons is listed as an outside linebacker on the Pro Bowl ballot. He leads all NFL linebackers in voting. Right guard Zack Martin leads all NFL guards. …Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said that his defense missed only two tackles against the Giants, down from nine missed tackles in their Sept. 26 meeting. …Left tackle Tyron Smith has not been cleared to resume practice, but McCarthy said he “looks great” in his progress from an Aug. 25 hamstring tear. “Tyron has been here every day,” McCarthy said. “His workouts are very impressive. He’s getting close.”

Twitter: @GehlkenNFL

Related Stories
View More
Advertisement

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.