​Dak Prescott Proves Yet Again That Great Run Offenses Have Running Quarterbacks

Last week, I wrote that rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas offensive line are a perfect match, but there's a third key to the Cowboys' excellent running game this season, wand it deserves a little more emphasis: quarterback Dak Prescott.

In the modern NFL, you can have a great running back and fail to rush the ball well (see: Todd Gurley's Rams this year). You can even have a great offensive line and still be a poor run offense (see: the Cowboys last year). But one thing that is statistically proven to benefit a run game is a good running quarterback.

Let's take the top five rushing offenses for the past three seasons, and measure them by DVOA, a play-by-play measure of success and effectiveness

This year, Wilson has played hurt and the Seahawks were garbage in rushing DVOA … until Week 8. Seattle has posted game rushing DVOAs above 7.5% three times since then. At No. 1, the Bills continue to employ Taylor effectively. He has 58 carries and a 3.6% DVOA through Week 11. Oakland, Miami, and Indianapolis, the other current top-five teams, have likewise benefited from strong lines or running quarterbacks. Ryan Tannehill has 22 runs at a 11.0% DVOA. Andrew Luck, surprisingly, has 36 carries and a 26.1% DVOA.The only offenses that have been in the top five in rushing DVOA without a running quarterback have had both good offensive lines and good rushing backs. (Massive Bears fluke in 2015 excluded.) Meanwhile, there's a lot of evidence in the names Russell Wilson and Alex Smith that running well as a quarterback can buoy the overall stats in the case of bad offensive lines.

Then there's Prescott. The Cowboys are second in rushing DVOA, and he has a 42.8% DVOA on his 25 runs. The threat of him on option plays is enough to keep defenses honest against Ezekiel Elliott. While Elliott and the Dallas line are both playing well, it's Prescott that helps make the Dallas running game a perfect storm. They can play well with Tony Romo, but perhaps not quite this well.

And that's something to consider when the MVP debate comes into play. Maybe Elliott's statistics also don't look as well without Prescott running the show. Elliott and the line may very well get the credit if the Cowboys finish 15-1 or something ridiculous like that.

But the numbers are boosted, as usual in the modern era, by the running threat they have at quarterback.