The Dallas Cowboys' emphasis on Rico Dowdle, running game is a winning formula

ARLINGTON — Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has had a consistent rhetoric about the Cowboys running game this season.

McCarthy has often stressed the importance of getting more “bats at the plate,” which has been understandable, given some game situations they’ve had, but simultaneously frustrating, due to Dallas’ willingness to deviate from the batter’s box quickly during games.

OK, enough with the baseball references. Actually, one more.

On Thanksgiving, the Cowboys went to the batter’s box the requisite amount of times and hit a home run. For the first time in a long time.

Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle became the first Dallas running back to have over 100 yards rushing since Tony Pollard did it against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 of last season. It was also Dowdle’s first time ever going for over 100 yards. He finished with 22 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown — his first rushing touchdown this season.

“I’ve got three receiving,” Dowdle made sure to mention after the game, “but it’s definitely crazy it’s my first rushing touchdown of the season.”

Speaking of crazy — well, kind of — here’s another statistic stemming from Dallas’ 27-20 win over the New York Giants on Thursday. The Cowboys had over 25 rushing attempts for the fourth time this season. Their record in those games?

4-0.

“This team needs that,” McCarthy said after the game about Dowdle’s rushing. “We need to run the ball not only for our offense but for our football team.”

Thursday marked the second-straight game the Cowboys have had at least 25 rushing attempts in a game. There could be two reasons for it.

The last two weeks, Dallas has remained close to their opponent early — a far cry from what had happened previously this season, especially at home. That allowed the Cowboys to also stay within a balanced offense, rather than deviating to comeback mode, filled with passing plays. Cooper Rush’s 55 attempts against the Houston Texans two games ago is a good example of it.

After the Texans loss, McCarthy pointed to the need to run the ball more. Against the Commanders, he said that the team made it an emphasis to “ground and pound,” especially with two starting guards out.

On Thursday, the mentality remained the same.

“When coach Mike says we’re going to run the ball, we get fired up,” Cowboys right guard Brock Hoffman said, “because we’re putting the game on our back. We’re taking control of that. You go into a game with that mindset and that’s the results you get, right?”

Dowdle added: “I think we started off really strong running in the first quarter, and then we had three different drives…”

Dowdle didn’t finish that thought, but insinuation — and the play-by-play record — would suggest that he wanted to say the Cowboys, momentarily, deviated from it.

The Cowboys had field goals on their first two drives of the game. They then followed that up with a drive that ended in a fourth down stop and three consecutive punts. Dowdle had one carry during that span.

Some of that can be attributed to halftime closing in. Still, after halftime, the Cowboys quickly reverted back to running the ball. Dowdle had eight carries for 50 yards in the first half. He had 14 for 62 in the second half.

Dowdle said earlier this season that he’s at his best when he can find a rhythm. That he can be at his best when he’s used consistently, rather than splitting time in a backfield that isn’t running that much to begin with, like Dallas was earlier this season.

“I’ve been firm on that since the beginning with the flow and getting that rhythm,” Dowdle said. “And I think it’s shown for itself and speaks for itself.”

Thursday’s game was the best example. Dowdle’s performance wasn’t only attributed to volume, however. He had 44 Rushing Yards Over Expected (RYOE), according to NextGenStats. For perspective: he had one RYOE the week before against the Commanders.

“The way he runs is infectious,” Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush said about Dowdle. “Runs hard, high motor. It’s two weeks in a row now that we’re getting contacted five more yards, pushing the piles. Those add up over time. You get into the fourth quarter and those four-or-five yard runs that he’s wearing on guys start turning into eight yards, 10 yards, and he [busted] a couple there late. That’s why it’s important to stick with it and he’s running really well.”

Dowdle had 93 yards heading into the second-to-last drive of the game. Externally, at least in the press box, people were aware that Dowdle needed seven yards to become the first 100-yard rusher for the Cowboys in 432 days.

Dowdle immediately eliminated any doubt about whether he would be the one to break the streak. He took the first carry of the drive 17 yards.

Hoffman said they had no idea in the huddle about how close Dowdle was to 100 yards.

“The only thing I knew is that we needed to run the damn ball,” Hoffman said, “and that’s what we did.”

Moving forward, the Cowboys should try and keep that same mentality. Because you can’t hit home runs if you don’t step into the batter’s box.