Latest news with #offense
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Dana Holgorsen finds a comfort zone at Nebraska: ‘I'm back doing what I love'
LINCOLN, Neb. — A whiteboard covers the east-facing wall in Dana Holgorsen's office at the Osborne Legacy Complex. On it, scrawled terminology and diagrams of plays mark the signature of an offensive wizard in his comfort zone. 'I'm back doing what I love, what I probably know that I'm better at than the CEO-type stuff,' Holgorsen said in the third week of June, his eighth month as the Nebraska offensive coordinator. Advertisement His office windows allow a view to the north, and a glass door opens to a balcony with a table, where he can sit and watch over the practice fields below. Rain splashed the table on this Wednesday morning during an interview in his office. Holgorsen said he doesn't care about getting wet. Nor does he care about the temperature as it soars to 100 degrees in June or when it dips to 15 below in January, when he would walk to work, slightly less than a mile, from his pad in the Haymarket district. He cares about comfort. He didn't feel that at Houston, where he coached for the last five of his 13 seasons as a head coach. He'll always go back to visit his three children. He's closing on the sale next week of one home that he owns there, and he wants to unload the other. Holgorsen hasn't owned a car for more than a year and a half. When he was fired as the head coach at Houston in November 2023, the dealer who provided the vehicle came to retrieve it and made an effort to sell him another set of wheels. Holgorsen said no thanks. The dealer offered to let Holgorsen keep the car he'd been driving. He declined. Houston is paying Holgorsen's $14.8 million buyout over a four-year period. He inked a two-year deal with Nebraska in December that pays him $1.2 million annually. 'I'm in a good headspace,' he said. Holgorsen is wrapping his busiest three-week stretch of the year, he said. Nebraska hosts recruits and stages camps on a seemingly endless loop for much of June. Mixed in, the coaching staff is allowed eight hours per week with the current roster in organized team activities. The OTAs are generally broken into short segments. They don't include hitting or work in pads, but Holgorsen values the time to reinstall plays and concepts. The Huskers conduct film and meeting sessions and run individual drills, routes on air, and review motions and alignments. 'To me, it just gets you ready for camp,' Holgorsen said. Advertisement Training camp starts July 28, one month before the season opener against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Holgorsen is continuing a deep review of video cut-ups from spring practice. He's scripting the full first week of offensive install for camp. He'll be done with it this weekend. Then what? 'Dana things,' said Holgorsen, who turns 54 on Saturday. Holgorsen took control of the Nebraska offense in the second week of November after the Huskers lost four consecutive games. He'd been out of a full-time role in coaching for just short of a year and was living in Texas when Matt Rhule called. The move by Rhule, in his second season, hinted at desperation. At minimum, it was a gamble. But the Huskers needed to take a big swing. In 10 victories under Rhule before Holgorsen came on board, Nebraska allowed an average of 9.2 points, and not once more than 14. The problem was on the offensive side. Finishing the season with Holgorsen calling shots, Nebraska won two of four games, allowing 24 and 15 points. In its 20-15 win against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Huskers' offense was able to run out the final 4 minutes, 11 seconds of the clock. Quarterback Dylan Raiola took a knee three times at the end to secure the victory. It represented a big step. To that point, in four games with Holgorsen at the helm, Raiola completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 6.5 yards per attempt, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. In the four games prior, he connected on 58.5 percent for 5.4 yards per attempt, with one touchdown and six picks. Nearly six months after the bowl victory, Nebraska's first since 2016, Holgorsen sees more growth from his QB. 'He's not a freshman anymore,' the coach said. 'Having a year under his belt, I see that leadership stuff start to stand out. He's doing a really good job in the locker room. He's doing a really good job off the field. He's bonding with his teammates better. I think those are all signs of maturity.' Advertisement Raiola took receivers Dane Key and Jacory Barney to the College World Series in Omaha this week. That trio joined other pass catchers on a Raiola-sponsored trip to Texas for training exercises last month. Raiola is a former five-star signee who spurned Ohio State and Georgia to play for his father's alma mater. When it comes to his QB, Holgorsen believes that to whom much is given, much is required. 'He understands that component of being the starting quarterback,' the OC said. 'I've been very impressed with how he's attacked this summer. I think it's awesome. I see a different side to him now than I did when I got here.' The integration of Holgorsen's offense and how to build it with pieces at his disposal, he said, 'makes sense to me now.' In November, he had to adjust his standard approach to running an offense to avoid disrupting players. 'Going into Year 3 with coach Rhule, the continuity just makes a lot more sense,' Holgorsen said. 'And it's night and day compared to what we were doing toward the end of the year.' On Sunday, Holgorsen will travel to Key West, Fla. There, he plans to reunite with Hal Mumme and Kliff Kingsbury. They connected at the memorial service for Mike Leach in December 2022, days after Leach died of complications from a heart attack at age 61. They're a tight group. Mumme contributed heavily to the development of the air raid offense as head coach at Iowa Wesleyan from 1989 to 1991. Leach was Mumme's OC; Holgorsen played wide receiver for them. They all moved to coach at Valdosta State. During that stint, Holgorsen first visited Key West with Leach. Leach and Mumme went to Kentucky before Leach reunited with Holgorsen at Texas Tech in 2000. Holgorsen served as Leach's OC in Lubbock for eight years. They designed plays for Kingsbury, the QB who became Tech's head coach in 2013 and now coordinates the offense for the Washington Commanders. While at Leach's memorial, the air raid crew vowed to gather someday to celebrate Leach. Part of the group is doing it next week in Leach's favorite beach spot to relax. The legendary coach, who last worked at Mississippi State, visited Key West often and lived there between jobs at Texas Tech and Washington State. Advertisement 'He would just walk around Key West and talk to strangers all day long,' Holgorsen said. 'That was him.' The multi-day event was coordinated by Eli Manning's TV series, 'Eli's Places,' produced by NFL Films and ESPN. The idea calls for Holgorsen, Mumme, Kingsbury and possibly some others — Holgorsen doesn't know many details — to simply pay homage to their lost friend. 'We're just going to go to different bars and spots and tell stories about Mike,' Holgorsen said. From Florida, Holgorsen is headed to Europe with his son, Logan, to attend the F1 Austrian Grand Prix and tour the Swiss Alps. Dana said he might stay for a few days in Italy or Greece, then head to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico with his two daughters and Logan. 'Where I head after that is a mystery,' he said. He'll be back in Lincoln a couple of days before camp in late July, ready to change the trajectory of Nebraska's offensive play. He'll do it by starting each day on his feet, getting outside and walking. It clears his mind. 'There's scientific evidence,' Holgorsen said, 'that sunlight for the first hour or two in the morning, that's the best thing for you to wake up.' The walking, too, allows him to feel a connection to Leach, who famously walked to work often while at Washington State. Holgorsen said he feels a responsibility to help carry Leach's legacy. In a place like Lincoln, that's not difficult, with its affection for football. Holgorsen has taken well to this state — and to his place in the Nebraska football machine — since a hurried introduction last fall.
New York Times
19 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why ‘there's no panic' about the Yankees' offense, especially Aaron Judge
NEW YORK — The 1908 New York Highlanders were an awful ball club. They finished in last place in the American League, 17 1/2 games behind the second-to-last-place team, the Washington Senators. Their hitting was atrocious, and their pitching was somehow worse. The 2025 New York Yankees found themselves in the same sentence as the 1908 Highlanders this week. Only twice in franchise history has New York had a seven-game span with seven runs scored or fewer. But despite the historically woeful weeklong stretch for the Yankees, they're unconcerned about the lack of offense and view it as a blip in a 162-game season. Advertisement 'I don't really feel like there's any major red flags in terms of what they're doing,' Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said before Wednesday's game. 'We just need to get a few balls to fall. I think we're hitting some balls hard and not getting some luck. We're probably not stringing them together quite as well as we were at one point. But that happens in the ebbs and flows of baseball. There's no panic. There's no worry from my side. I don't feel any panic or worry from our guys.' The Yankees' offense finally broke through in Thursday afternoon's game against the Los Angeles Angels. They scored seven runs, equaling their total from the previous seven games, and had 13 hard-hit balls. They snapped their scoreless streak at 30 1/3 innings Wednesday, and ended their six-game losing streak in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Angels. It was a reprieve from a truly terrible week. The lack of offense has received the most attention, but during this stretch the Yankees also made several base-running mistakes — which they did again Thursday with Austin Wells forcing Anthony Volpe to get picked off — and their lack of fundamentals has been in focus, too, with their inability to get bunts down in a few key spots. But it's the offense that has perplexed the fan base the most of late. A week's worth of games is a small sample to draw any meaningful conclusions from because one game can harshly skew the data positively or negatively. Before Thursday's game, as a whole, the Yankees had the second-worst average exit velocity in MLB during their six-game losing streak. Is that a sign the Yankees' offense is crumbling? Well, no. The larger sample of games shows the Yankees with the second-highest average exit velocity on the season. Their isolated power ranked second-to-last during the six-game losing streak. But on the season, the Yankees rank first. Advertisement Rowson understands the fans' frustration though. A lot of time and money gets invested in fandom. When the team isn't producing, fans will speak out. 'I always respect how the fans feel,' Rowson said. 'I respect that, because deep down, I'm a fan of baseball. I think it's because you care about the team and you want to see the team win. I completely get it and understand it. What I would tell them is that this is a good team, and we have good players. These guys are going to do what they normally do and not to get worried about it. Ultimately, this is a good group that's going to be there until the very end.' Aaron Judge in particular has struggled over the past week. He's in the middle of the worst stretch of his season, going 4-for-31 with two home runs, one double and 18 strikeouts. Judge had a monthlong stretch to begin last season in which he did not see results, yet ended up with the greatest season ever by a right-handed hitter. A down week shouldn't be too concerning considering his track record. During this stretch, Judge has noticeably struggled with expanding the zone. His chase percentage entering Thursday was at 36.8 percent, up from his season-long rate of 23.3 percent. He doubled in his last at-bat Thursday to finish the day 1-for-3 with a walk. 'He's the best I've ever seen,' Paul Goldschmidt said. 'He always has a chance to leave the yard. When he gets hot, watch out.' 'I do know this is the most dangerous man in baseball, and everybody else knows that,' Rowson said. 'His track record shows you he's going to catch up, and you're not going to be able to do these things forever, and he's going to do what he normally does. … I don't think he's worried about it at all. I know I'm not.' In baseball, whatever happens in one game doesn't necessarily carry over to the next one. The same applies for a week of bad baseball in a season that's now been nearly three months long. Before this losing streak, the Yankees had the best offense in the sport. It's certainly frustrating for fans to watch a week's worth of 1908 Highlanders-esque baseball, but nothing statistically suggests that the first few months of the season were a fluke, nor that this past week is who the Yankees truly are. Advertisement 'There's never been a year in baseball where you don't go have an up and down, and you don't have a rough at-bat,' Rowson said. 'You just kind of reflect on how the game has been for 100 years. It's been five or six tough games, but also know I fully expect this team to come back and do what you expect them to do. They're fully capable, and know that these guys are ready to go. 'These guys are not wearing it. They're not down. They just want to get going.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Bears QB Caleb Williams is proving his commitment this offseason
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is entering a crucial second season, where the team has done everything they can to surround him with the pieces to succeed in 2025 and beyond. The biggest move was the hiring of head coach Ben Johnson, who gives Williams a bonafide offensive mind to help develop him, as well as an improved offensive line and even more weapons. While the sky's the limit for Williams working with Johnson, it's going to take some time for that to come to fruition. But William is already putting in the work to learn Johnson's offense, which includes showing up for a final set of voluntary OTAs where rookies are the only ones mandated to attend. Johnson praised Williams for his dedication this offseason, where he continues to seek out opportunities to improve and learn this new scheme. Advertisement "He's committed to learning the offense," Johnson said. "We're not where we need to be yet as a team, and he understands that. Any chance he gets to get a few more full-speed reps, it sounds like he wants them." Williams' actions also haven't gotten unnoticed by teammates. That includes rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, who said Williams is already inspiring all of the young guys in the building. "It's great," Hyppolite said. "He wants to get better. He cares, obviously, about his team, about winning, about getting everything right, getting all the I's dotted and T's crossed. Seeing him around the building is very important for not only the team but for the young guys to see, including myself, that you have the leaders of the team always here and present, even when you know it's voluntary." While Williams has been in the headlines for his initial pre-draft concerns about joining the Bears, he's embraced the challenge of becoming the franchise quarterback this organization has been needing for decades. There's still a long way to go before Williams can develop into that player, but the commitment he's already showing at this point of the offseason is a good sign. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: How Bears QB Caleb Williams is proving his commitment this offseason
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Raiders, Bears, Jaguars among 6 offenses ready for a breakout: Nguyen
Aside from winning the Super Bowl, there are few things more fun for a fan base than an offensive breakout. Especially when a team has been in the offensive doldrums for years. Finding a star quarterback is usually the main catalyst, but having the stars assemble around a competent signal-caller can also spark a breakout. For example, a competent to dominant offensive line can make a quarterback's life much easier, and finding a complementary weapon to pair with a No. 1 receiver allows the offense to take advantage of the extra attention the No. 1 receiver routinely gets. Advertisement The Commanders' offense took the league by storm last season with a phenomenal rookie season from quarterback Jayden Daniels. The year before, quarterback Baker Mayfield had a resurgent season, establishing the Buccaneers as one of the best offenses in the league. A few years ago, pairing receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Mike McDaniels' system created one of the most explosive offenses we've seen. Who will be the teams to finally break into the upper echelon of offenses this season? In 2023, the Cowboys ranked second in expected points added (EPA) per play, eighth in explosive play rate, and first in points per drive. In 2024, quarterback Dak Prescott was injured in Week 9, but before that, the Cowboys' offense floundered, ranking 22nd in EPA per play. They couldn't run the ball effectively and struggled to find a consistent option outside of receiver CeeDee Lamb. Though it'll be difficult for the offense to put up the same numbers they did a couple of seasons ago, there's a chance it could be one of the best this season and have better answers against good defenses than the 2023 team, which funneled targets to Lamb. Lamb had 79 more targets that season than the next leading receiver, tight end Jake Ferguson. The offense was built on timing and precision but needed another explosive option. In the playoffs that season, the Green Bay Packers' defense doubled Lamb, and the Cowboys' other receivers struggled to get open. The offense only scored 16 points in the first three quarters before making a late push when the game was mostly out of hand. This offseason, the Cowboys traded for George Pickens. Pickens has a very siloed skill set — he's a deep-ball winner. But he's elite at it, and he perfectly complements Lamb, who excels at winning inside and in the intermediate parts of the field. If teams double Lamb, Pickens can punish them deep and Ferguson can eat underneath. The skeleton key for the Cowboys' offense is the development of left tackle Tyler Guyton, last year's first-round draft pick. Guyton was relatively new to playing offensive line, having converted from defense in college, but he's a physical freak who understandably had a rough rookie season. If he lives up to his vast potential, the Cowboys will have a dominant left side with Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith. They also committed more resources to building upfront, drafting right guard Tyler Booker in the first round this year. The line has the potential to be a real strength for the Cowboys to go with their talented receiver duo. With Prescott's return, the stars could be aligning for the Cowboys' offense. Advertisement This will be the year quarterback Trevor Lawrence lives up to his draft billing! *ducks* After Lawrence's best season in 2022, when he threw 30 touchdowns to only eight interceptions, former head coach Doug Pederson gave up play-calling, which began his demise in Jacksonville. A lot went awry for the Jaguars besides play calling, but they hired one of the hottest offensive minds in the league in Liam Coen to give Lawrence an advantage in that department. Last season, as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator, Coen was the architect of one of the most creative run games in the league. The Buccaneers went from 30th in EPA per rush in 2023 to tied for second in 2024. Week 13, 5:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, second-and-5 Bucky Irving big run! 📺: #TBvsCAR on FOX📱: — NFL (@NFL) December 2, 2024 The Jaguars ranked 28th in EPA per rush in Pederson's tenure (2022-2024). Pederson's offensive philosophy was built on the drop-back passing game, but Coen will emphasize a diverse run game and make Lawrence's life easier with play action. Of course, every coach says they want to build their offense this way, but we saw proof of concept last season with the Buccaneers' run game and Mayfield's career year playing for Coen. The Jaguars signed Robert Hainsey, who was Coen's starting center in Tampa Bay, and former Ravens guard Patrick Mekari to bolster the offensive line. Walker Little is a solid left tackle, but there is a position battle at right tackle between former first-round pick Anton Harrison and Chuma Edoga. Harrison was a glaring weak link for the Jaguars last season. They need him to improve or find a suitable replacement for this team to take a step forward. The biggest reason for optimism is receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who appears to have superstar potential. He's nearly 6-feet-3 with a 90th percentile wingspan and ran a 4.3 40-yard dash. Thomas ran a limited route tree at LSU and was seen as a bit of a project, but he exceeded expectations, leading all rookies in receiving yards (1,282) and touchdowns (10), already becoming one of the league's biggest deep threats. Theoretically, first-round pick Travis Hunter will see a lot of time at receiver and complement Thomas. If Hunter takes time to develop or ends up playing more defense, free-agent signing Dyami Brown has a chance to be a strong No. 2 option. Brown was excellent in that role for the Commanders last year in the playoffs. Advertisement If Coen can scheme up an above-average run game and either Hunter or Brown emerges as a reliable No. 2 option, Lawrence will finally have the help he needs to excel. The Raiders arguably have improved more than any other team in the league this offseason. However, you can also argue they were one of the teams that had the furthest to go. Over the last two seasons, they ranked 27th in EPA per play and points per drive, and 31st in explosive play rate. This season, they've added stability by hiring coach Pete Carroll, who made one of the more interesting hires in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Kelly's offensive philosophy has thoroughly evolved since his last stint in the league. Instead of relying on tempo to create advantages, he's shown the ability to scheme up a diverse run game and set up explosives off play action. The evolution of Chip Kelly's offense — Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) May 8, 2025 Geno Smith is an underrated quarterback who had to mitigate the most quick pressures in the league (pressures allowed under 2.5 seconds) during his time in Seattle. The Raiders brass is relying on the development of center Jackson Powers-Johnson and right tackle DJ Glaze to anchor the line and protect Smith. If Smith can get average protection, he has the football IQ and arm talent to produce like a top-10 quarterback. With All-Pro Brock Bowers and 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer, who missed time last season for personal matters, the Raiders could have an effective two-tight end attack to counter the trending defensive meta of playing with light boxes and smaller defenders. Jakobi Meyers is one of the best No. 2 receivers in the league, first-round rookie Ashton Jeanty should step in and immediately be one of the best running backs in the league, and Dont'e Thornton, the 6-foot-5 rookie receiver with 4.3 speed, has been opening eyes in organized team activities (OTAs). The key will be whether they can get average offensive line play, but there is a lot to be excited about with this Raiders offense. There was much optimism for the Bears' offense and Caleb Williams entering last season, but the offensive line didn't perform and former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired midseason. A bad offensive line and a failed play caller are a lot for any rookie quarterback to overcome. This season, the Bears hired one of the best play callers in the league in Ben Johnson as head coach and fortified the offensive line by completely revamping their interior. The Bears are another team that committed resources to putting together an effective two-tight end duo. They drafted Colston Loveland with the 10th pick of the draft and his crafty route running will help him quickly establish a role, allowing Johnson to diversify his personnel usage. The biggest question is at running back. Johnson will want to run the ball, but they'll likely use a committee, led by D'Andre Swift, who is explosive but inconsistent with his vision. Williams had the fifth-highest average time to throw (3.13 seconds) last season. That'll have to drastically change in Johnson's offense, which requires making quick decisions. For context, Lions QB Jared Goff ranked 24th in average time to throw (2.88) last season. Johnson emphasized to Williams in OTAs the importance of quickly making his progressions and getting rid of the ball. Johnson got in Williams' face for being late on a throw and explained what happened to the media after practice. Ben Johnson correcting Caleb Williams for being "late" on a — the phantom of the gridiron (@RaidersAnalysis) June 15, 2025 How Williams responds to this type of coaching will determine whether the Bears' offense is ready to break out. The Bryce Young resurgence wasn't just a feel-good story last season; he was legitimately playing some good football and displaying the intelligence and play-making ability that made him a No. 1 overall pick. Notably, his ability to avoid sacks was drastically improved last season from his rookie year. According to Pro Football Focus, in 2023, Young ranked 38th in pressure-to-sack rate — 24.5 percent of the plays in which he was pressured became sacks. In 2024, he improved to 13th in pressure-to-sack rate (16.9 percent). Some thought his small stature would make it hard to get away from NFL pass rushers, but he's shown he can excel at creating plays. However, he's not reliant on out-of-structure plays — he's reading defenses and making quick decisions when needed. Advertisement Head coach Dave Canales put together a creative offense that got receivers open despite not having a lot of talent at the position. The Panthers have a pulverizing offensive line that opened up holes for running back Chuba Hubbard. They ranked 11th in EPA per rush and 12th in rushing success rate. The entire offensive line is returning, so they should be able to run the ball efficiently in 2025. Last year's first-round pick, Xavier Legette, had eight dropped passes in 2024, but the Panthers aren't entirely dependent on a Legette breakout. They also drafted Tetairoa McMillan No. 8 in this year's draft. Both are big, physical receivers with the ability to win on the outside. To reach their ceiling, the Panthers need Legette or McMillan to establish himself as a No. 1. Hunter Renfrow, who was one of the most productive slot receivers in the league in 2021, missed last season while recovering from an autoimmune disease. He could be a sneaky signing that will give Young an easy underneath target. Adam Thielen plays that role for the Panthers, but he'll be 35 years old this season. A physical run game and Young's play-making ability give the Panthers one of the most exciting young offenses in the league. The Falcons have all the right ingredients for a breakout: • A strong run-blocking offensive line without any notable weakness. • A star running back in Bijan Robinson, who finished third in rushing yards last season (1,456) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (14). • A No. 1 receiver in Drake London, who finished fourth in receiving yards (1,271), and a good complementary receiver in Darnell Mooney, who nearly had a 1,000-yard season. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson helped get the best out of the Falcons' young talent last year and did so with Kirk Cousins playing on one leg for much of the season. First-round pick Michael Penix Jr. took over for the last three games and instantly gave the offense a spark — the Falcons averaged nearly a point more per drive in that stretch than they did in the first 14 games. Aside from mobility, Penix's arm allowed the Falcons to access throws Cousins just couldn't complete. The experience at the end of the season was invaluable for Penix, who was aggressive and saw what kind of throws he could pull off in the league. He'll have to cut down on some of the easy misses, but he's shown that his ability to make rare throws can overcome some of his misses. Of all the teams on this list, the Falcons feel likely to be the offense that has a true breakout. Advertisement Texans: New offensive coordinator Nick Caley should fix some of the schematic issues they had against pressure teams, but the offensive line depth chart is the stuff of nightmares. 49ers: Despite a down year, the 49ers still finished strong in several important metrics, so they don't qualify as a potential breakout offense.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys' Jake Ferguson Scouts New Offense: ‘Can't Cover Everybody!'
Cowboys' Jake Ferguson Scouts New Offense: 'Can't Cover Everybody!' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys' offense in 2025 is poised to be one of the better units in football. With the addition of George Pickens to play alongside CeeDee Lamb, a group of backs led by Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams, along with tight ends Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Luke Schoonmaker, Dak Prescott has some weapons. Advertisement Now, it all has to come together for Brian Schottenheimer, but there is more than enough talent there for Prescott to do some serious damage with. And when it comes to what defenses are going to do to combat the weapons Prescott has at his disposal? "I mean you can't cover everybody," Ferguson said. "So I mean having him [Pickens], 88 [Lamb], and then Jalen [Tolbert], some of the young guys, myself, Brevyn [Spann-Ford], Scoon [Schoonmaker], you physically cannot cover everybody. I think it's going to be really hard in the pass game, but then also we can run the ball too.' George Pickens (right) And CeeDee Lamb (left) By Tony Fisher Lamb and Pickens, as the go-to tandem, have the potential to be one of the better duos in football. Adding Tolbert as the No. 3 receiver, or even Jonathan Mingo, suddenly makes things look less bleak. Advertisement The run game looms as Sanders, Williams, Deuce Vaughn, and Jaydon Blue are tasked with making Prescott's life easier by establishing the run game. However, all eyes will be on Pickens and Lamb in 2025, both seen as No. 1. As Ferguson said, defenses can't cover everyone. Pickens has already seen what having Lamb on the field does for him and how it can open up things for the rest of the offense, and that looms as a big watch as training camp begins. With ample weapons at Klayton Adams' disposal, defenses are going to have a tough time curtailing this offense, provided everyone stays healthy. Why? Because you can't cover everybody. Advertisement Related: Cowboys Minicamp Off To Ominous Start For Luke Schoonmaker Related: Cowboys Dak Prescott Success In 2025 Defined By 1 Schottenheimer Word This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
