Cowboys Concern: Ground Game vs. Buccaneers Better, But Good Enough?

While the Cowboys will be happy with their Wild Card win, they must improve the run game in a hurry before their matchup with the 49ers.

With their 31-14 blowout win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys are off to the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers. 

At a cursory glance, this would appear to be a seemingly flawless victory for the Cowboys. After all, winning by 17 is never easy, especially once you get to the playoffs. 

However, there is still a potential area of concern for the Cowboys moving forward, and that is their ground game struggling to get going. Against the Buccaneers, they ran for 128 yards as team on 35 carries for a mere 3.7 yards per carry. That is, of course, a huge improvement from the 2.7 they averaged in their final two regular-season games.

Better. But good enough?

Take away Dak Prescott's seven rushes for 24 yards and a touchdown, though, and the duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard only combined for 104 yards on 25 carries. Elliot ran for 27 yards on 13 carries while Pollard looked more lively, recording 77 rushing yards on 15 carries. 

While it didn't negatively impact the Cowboys against Tampa Bay, it could hurt them next weekend against the 49ers. The Buccaneers run defense, while solid, doesn't hold a candle to the 49ers. 

For comparison, the Buccaneers hold opponents to 120.7 yards per game on the ground, while the 49ers have held teams to 79.2 yards per game. 

The Cowboys should ultimately be happy with their win over Tampa Bay, especially after breaking a historic road playoff win drought. Moving forward, though, if they can't get the offense going on the ground as well, it could spell trouble for a potential deep playoff run. 

---

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?

America's Team ALERT! Get your Dallas Cowboys game TICKETS from SI Tickets ... here!

Follow FishSports on Twitter

Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts and reports!