The Cowboys are doing something that no other NFL team is
When Ezekiel Elliott rushed for the Dallas Cowboys' first touchdown of the game to take a second-quarter lead versus the New York Giants on Thursday, I wholeheartedly hoped he would jump into that red kettle to throw us all back to 2016. That iconic celebration really summed up the energy that that special team had […]
When Ezekiel Elliott rushed for the Dallas Cowboys' first touchdown of the game to take a second-quarter lead versus the New York Giants on Thursday, I wholeheartedly hoped he would jump into that red kettle to throw us all back to 2016.
That iconic celebration really summed up the energy that that special team had in Dak Prescott and Zeke's rookie season. But Elliott is not a rookie anymore. He's in his seventh season in the NFL. He'd leave the fun to the new kids.
You know who I'm talking about. The tight ends.
Those four oversized kids are allowing the Cowboys to change things up in the red zone as Kellen Moore dials up multiple plays with four tight ends in the lineup. Dalton Schultz isn't the only one making plays as he seeks a big payday next offseason.
Rookies Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot are contributing in big ways and while Sean McKeon remains the most under-the-radar player in the room, his presence in those multiple tight-end sets is also impactful.
Whether it was Schultz's two touchdown receptions, Ferguson hurdling a defensive back out of nowhere, or Hendershot walking untouched into the end zone, the Cowboys' tight ends were dominating on the field. Each played in at least 23% of the offensive snaps last against the Giants.
The pinnacle of their Sunday performance came in that red kettle, though. After Hendershot's score essentially sealed the game as the team took a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, the three other tight ends jumped into the kettle and ducked their heads (how big is that thing?).
Then they started popping their heads in and out of the kettle as Hendershot tried to hit them with the football. That's right. They literally started playing Whack-a-Mole. These guys are having fun!
But it's not all fun and games for the Cowboys' tight ends.
"We're always learning something new," Schultz told reporters following Thursday's win. "I think we have a group that complements each other's skill set really well."
As Schultz points out, this tight end group is doing a little bit of everything. It's even the little things like Schultz's key block on a Cowboys' speed option run in the team's first touchdown drive of the game.
The Cowboys' usage of their tight ends is also an example of Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore's good work this season. As defenses have focused on stopping the pass and getting more speed on their units, Dallas is going heavy on them. No one in the NFL is doing what they're doing.
Per ESPN's Ed Werder, the Cowboys have used four tight ends in seven plays this season. They've scored three touchdowns out of such groupings. The New Orleans Saints are the only other team to have put four tight ends on the field this season.
Per Sports Info Solutions, they're also sixth in the league in 12 personnel and tenth in 13 personnel. And don't forget that 03 grouping with Lamb in the backfield that they used against the Chicago Bears!
This group has self-proclaimed itself the "Four Horsemen" per Chris Arnold from 105.3 The Fan. Although I love it, it seems to me it doesn't begin to capture the pure fun and joy the unit is bringing to the Cowboys.
Featured image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
