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New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys on Offense

Let's get to know the personnel, scheme, and other intangibles about the Dallas Cowboys offense.

Brandon Olsen

New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys on Offense
New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys on Offense /
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Week 1 with a new offensive coordinator usually means that some players are still trying to learn the system, and that could very well be the case when the New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys, who have a new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer at the helm and a new play caller in head coach Mike McCarthy. 

So, let's see how it could play out for the Giants this weekend in their regular season opener.

Cowboys Personnel

Dak Prescott is one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL right now - it seems to be that people either think he’s a top-ten quarterback or below average. The truth is he’s got Kirk Cousins syndrome to the public; he’s good but boring, which makes him worse in the eyes of the public.

When the pocket is clean, Prescott is one of the more reliable quarterbacks in the league that has no problem taking what’s available and making defenses pay. When pressure gets home, the issues start. We’ve seen how he struggles when he plays aggressive defenses.

One person who could help alleviate that pressure for Prescott in 2023 is new lead running back Tony Pollard. Pollard is a threat as both a runner and receiver that could help make defenses pay if they get too aggressive, a stark contrast to Ezekiel Elliott, who would often be kept in to pass protect against the blitz because of his lackluster ability as a receiver.

At wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb is looking to further prove himself as a top-flight receiver after finishing the 2022 season with 398 yards over his last four games. Lamb is one of the smoothest route runners in the league who isn’t much of a deep threat but dominates out of the slot. Lamb had over 1,300 yards last season without having a single catch that went for 40 or more yards.

Lamb didn’t have a reliable running mate at receiver last season. In 2023, Brandin Cooks joins the room as a deep threat capable of making something happen after the catch. Cooks has had over 1,000 yards in every fully healthy season of his career, so the question isn’t whether or not Cooks can be effective but more so if he can stay healthy.

Dalton Schultz was the Cowboys' second leading receiver in 2022, but he’s no longer with the organization, leaving in free agency this past offseason. Insert second-year tight end Jake Ferguson here as the next man up.

Ferguson isn’t much of a shake-and-bake kind of tight end after the catch, but his hands are very reliable as a safety valve underneath. Ferguson is also consistently above average as a blocker, more than can be said for most young tight ends entering the league now.

For what feels like the 20th season in a row, the Cowboys will likely have a strong offensive line. There isn’t a true weak spot on this offensive line. The best argument would be for Tyler Biadasz, but when he’s got All-Pro Zack Martin to his right and Tyler Smith coming off of an impressive rookie season to his left, that weakness is minimized.

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Scheme

Schottenheimer is the new offensive coordinator for the Cowboys. If his career tendencies indicate what we’ll see in Dallas this year, the offense will be relatively simple but effective.

The last time we saw Schottenheimer as an offensive coordinator was with the Seattle Seahawks from 2018-2020, so we have to use those tendencies and expect that he would have modernized some of his decisions. When he was with the Seahawks, Schottenheimer would primarily run inside zone to get the ground game going.

A zone-blocking scheme could find plenty of success with an offensive line like the Cowboys'. To modernize the offense, I would also anticipate Schottenheimer introducing more wide-zone runs.

With an effective running game that opens up play-action passing more than anything else, Prescott further creates an opportunity for success. When working off of play action in 2022, Prescott had a 63.2% completion percentage, 741 yards, seven touchdowns to just one interception.

The biggest difference for the Cowboys going from Kellen Moore to Schottenheimer will likely be the emphasis on getting the ball to playmakers over the middle of the field and letting them run after the catch. Giants fans should get used to seeing CeeDee Lamb on slants, digs, and drags in a Schottenheimer run offense.

What This Means for the Giants

The best way for a defense to stop inside zone is to dominate the A-gaps to either side of the center. Luckily for the Giants, they have arguably the best nose tackle in the NFL in Dexter Lawrence, who should be able to wreak havoc in the interior.

If the Cowboys look to work in more outside zone, then the defensive linemen need to shrink rushing lanes while linebackers fly into the other lanes to give the running backs nowhere to go. A strong and aggressive front like the Giants should help them stifle any rushing attack.

With the amount of play-action passing that the Cowboys will likely bring to the table, the Giants must be disciplined to not be too aggressive in coverage. Especially with man coverage being the bread-and-butter, one player biting in on a fake could be a Dallas touchdown.

To get Dak Prescott at his worst, the Giants have to be able to get into the backfield and pressure him. We know that for Wink Martindale and this Giants defense, that’s the goal no matter who they’re facing, but against Dallas specifically, that has to be a focal point.

Final Thoughts

The Cowboys' offense will likely be their weak spot this season, and the Giants' defense matches up fairly well against them. If Schottenheimer hasn’t significantly improved as a schemer, then Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams should be able to wreck his game plan.

If the back end holds up in coverage and the Giants can force Dak to make some mistakes under pressure, the Cowboys' offense could be in for a long night.

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Brandon Olsen
BRANDON OLSEN

Brandon Olsen is the founder of Whole Nine Sports, specializing in NFL Draft coverage, and is the host of the Locked On Gators Podcast. 

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