39 Passes in 40 Plays: The Cowboys Can't Keep Giving Up on the Run

Cowboys Nation, we all watched it happen Sunday night in Green Bay, and the numbers are even uglier on paper.

Dallas threw 54 passes and ran it 15 times in the 23-13 loss at Lambeau Field, per the official NFL game book. Javonte Williams carried 11 times for 41 yards and the Cowboys' only rushing touchdown, a 1-yard run that cut it to 17-7 with 9:19 left in the third quarter. Then the run game basically disappeared. RJ Ochoa, in a breakdown published on Yahoo Sports, counted the final 40 offensive plays: 39 passes and one run. The Dallas Morning News, via Blogging The Boys, noted Dallas had just one rushing attempt in the fourth quarter and has dropped from 16th in rushing attempts last season to 31st this year.

Even Dak Prescott said after the game that the Cowboys shouldn't lose offensive balance when the game is still manageable, per the Morning News.

Our Take: Down 10 with a quarter and a half left is not a two-minute drill. Nobody is asking for 39 runs, but 39-to-1 makes this offense easy to defend, and it puts every snap on Dak's shoulders. Williams averaged 3.7 a carry. That's enough to keep a defense honest.

What to watch: Monday night in Philadelphia. If Dallas stays committed to Williams early and keeps the run in the plan in the second half, the play-action game opens up for Dak. If it's 50-plus passes again, expect the same result.

Sources: NFL game book, Yahoo Sports, Blogging The Boys