Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy probably just lied to us before and that’s a good thing

The Dallas Cowboys offense has one question to answer as we enter the 2024 NFL season: Will the team lean on the passing game like they did halfway through last year or will it go back to trying to "establish the run" and play more conservative football?

Based on the latest comments made by head coach Mike McCarthy, you would think it's the latter despite a questionable running back core spearheaded by Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle.

"We will be good running the football and that's because we're going to commit to it," McCarthy confidently told 105.3 The Fan on Friday.

That's the quote of a coach that wants to, as it's often said in football circles, "run the damn ball." Or at least, those of someone who wants you to believe that. After all, when the Cowboys offense was at its finest in 2023, it was when Dak Prescott was slinging the ball around. After the team's bye week, the Cowboys ranked as the fourth pass-happiest team in the NFL in early downs in neutral situations, per RBSDM.com .

Not only that, but in such spots, they were the sixth best team in EPA/play passing the ball while ranking 28th in rush EPA/play. This team is better off throwing the ball and my guess is McCarthy probably knows this, too.

This isn't rocket science. In the passing game, the Cowboys offense features Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and Brandin Cooks. The run game essentially includes Zeke, Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn. Chances are McCarthy is bluffing when he talks about "committing to the run." If he's indeed lying, that's a good thing. You should want the Cowboys to commit to the pass, not the other way around. x

With that being said, I don't doubt the Cowboys want to do a better job running the ball, considering they were far from great at it last year. Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe might improve the offense in this particular lineup.

"To me the run game is the one area where you have the least opportunity to really practice it full speed just because of the limited pad practice compared to how much more you can you can practice the passing game," McCarthy said earlier in the interview.

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