You know about the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive issues. You know about the offense struggling to handle the blitz. One of the biggest and least discussed problems in Dallas, though, is the Cowboys’ inability to run the football consistently.

It’s a strange problem, and it has confused me all season. By success rate, the Cowboys actually have a top-5 rushing offense, per Sumer Sports. And yet the team talks about the run game like it’s broken, and anyone watching the games can see it isn’t the same unit it was in 2025.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has offered some explanations. Let’s see whether they hold up.

Schottenheimer’s theory only goes so far

Schottenheimer has pointed to unfavorable scoreboards as the main reason Dallas can’t run the ball well. That’s true to a point. When you’re down multiple possessions, you have to throw to get back in the game, and the run naturally takes a back seat.

But I believe the Cowboys have abandoned the run too early at times. I also don’t think the scoreboard explains the whole problem.

Schottenheimer’s view is that more carries will bring more rhythm, better combination blocks, and more continuity up front. That might be true. Here’s where he deserves some scrutiny, though. On Friday, Schottenheimer described himself as an elite play caller in the NFL. Now he has to back it up.

You and I can debate that label. Dallas had a monster offense in 2025, and some will credit quarterback Dak Prescott and the talent around him for that. Others will point to this season and argue an elite play caller would get wide receiver George Pickens involved, wouldn’t abandon the run, and would figure out the blitz.

What comes next is a three-game stretch in which the Cowboys can stack wins. That has happened only once in the Schottenheimer era, when Dallas won three straight in 2025. If his play calling shows up, we can revisit the conversation.

The Cowboys are striking out now

The reason the run game feels bad despite that success rate comes down to two things. Dallas is getting hit at the line of scrimmage far more often, and it’s far less explosive.

When running back Javonte Williams had his bounce-back season in 2025, the whole idea was simple. The Cowboys weren’t hitting home runs, but they hit plenty of singles and rarely struck out.

This season, they’re striking out and hitting less and less homers. 

According to Sports Info Solutions, Dallas produced explosive runs on 7.3% of carries last year, which ranked 23rd in the NFL. Not great, but it fits the identity. Williams was asked to keep the chains moving. This year, that number has dropped to 4.9%, which ranks 31st.

The Cowboys are also getting hit at the line of scrimmage 48% of the time. Williams can break tackles, and he did it at a high level in 2025. But on a lot of these plays, there just isn’t much he can do.

Cowboys need to shake things up

That leads me to my biggest concern: The run game has grown stale.

Dallas lives in 11 personnel, with three wide receivers on the field most of the time. They use it at the third-highest rate in the league. In 12 and 13 personnel, when there are extra blockers on the field, the Cowboys are a top-5 rushing offense by EPA per play. Out of 11, mostly from the shotgun, they rank 20th.

Why? Out of 11 personnel, Dallas runs inside 70% of the time, the second-highest rate in the NFL. Last year, the Cowboys ran it inside only 62% of the time. Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson is close to a 50-50 split. The Buffalo Bills under coach Joe Brady are near 50-50 as well. Even Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams sit at a 64-35 split, which is slightly different from 70-30.

Dallas specifically runs inside zone 40% of the time, fourth most in the league, according to SumerSports. That is as predictable as it gets.All the counters, traps, and man-scheme runs that made the 2025 offense work appear to be gone, and I honestly don’t understand why.

Look at the Bears out of 11 personnel. Chicago runs man schemes 11% of the time, power 5% of the time, counter 3.7%, trap 3.7%, and “other concepts”  12% of the time.

The Cowboys run counter 5% of the time, which isn’t bad, and trap 3% of the time. But power shows up just 1% of the time, and their “other” category sits at 3.3%, which ranks 22nd.

None of that has much to do with trailing on the scoreboard, facing tough matchups, or missing All-Pro guard Tyler Smith. The Cowboys need to spice up their run game. The numbers illustrate it, but you don’t need them. Watch the games, and you’ll see Dallas can’t run consistently out of 11.

So it isn’t just about running more, which the Cowboys will surely try to do. It’s about running in multiple ways to keep defenses on their toes.