Overview of How Klayton Adams helped build one of the NFL's most exciting offenses
This Athletic Football Show interview with Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Clayton Adams explores how one of the NFL’s most inventive run-game designers thinks about building a modern offense. The conversation focuses on Adams’ evolution from college coach to NFL assistant to coordinator, the importance of diversity and adaptability in the run game, how he evaluates defensive fronts, and how he collaborates with head coach Brian Schottenheimer, quarterback Dak Prescott, and the rest of the staff.
Key Takeaways
- Adams is a run-game architect first, but not a run-only coach. He emphasizes that a strong run game makes the whole offense better and creates stress for defenses.
- Variety matters. He believes an NFL run game must be able to attack all areas of the defense, not just live in one or two schemes.
- The gun run game can be highly effective. Adams rejects the idea that shotgun-based offenses must be limited in the run game.
- Under-center football still adds value. It gives offenses more tools, especially with play-action, quick game, and dropback concepts.
- NFL coaching is about adaptation, not control. Adams repeatedly stresses flexibility, humility, and the need to adjust to the players you actually have.
- Dak Prescott changes the math. His processing, competitiveness, and protection responsibility allow the Cowboys to do more schematically.
- Offensive line coaches can grow into bigger leadership roles. Adams explains why that transition is possible, but not always natural for everyone.
Modern Run Game Philosophy
Build a run game that can attack multiple looks
Adams says the starting point is not “what’s our favorite run?” but rather:
- What kind of defense are we facing?
- Are they an attack front, a more read-and-react front, or a front that is mostly pass-rushing and reacting to pass?
- What tools do we need to win this specific week?
His belief is that an offense should have enough scheme volume to handle different defensive structures, but not so much that the players lose sharpness.
Run game as the “jab”
He describes the run game as a core part of winning football, not just a complement:
- The run game is the jab
- The pass game is the uppercut
- Explosive runs help create winning game scripts
A major theme was his belief that if an offense can consistently create several explosive runs in a game, it has a strong chance to win.
What Makes Gun Runs Effective
Shotgun does not mean limited
One of the most interesting parts of the discussion was Adams’ pushback against the idea that shotgun offenses are boxed in. He argued that a gun-based offense can still run:
- inside zone / duo-type concepts
- same-side runs
- gap schemes
- moving-back variations
- pull-based concepts that stress defensive ends
Why gun gap schemes work
Adams explained that gun gap schemes can be especially effective because:
- defensive ends often react differently to pullers
- the back naturally ends up in a “trail” position behind the second puller
- the offense can create explosive opportunities with movement and misdirection
He also emphasized that many of his best ideas come from changing the presentation of the same core concepts.
The Value of Under-Center Football
Adams said getting to the NFL opened up a lot of possibilities that were less available in college, especially:
- under-center run game
- under-center play-action
- under-center dropback
- more varied quarterback footprints
He views under-center football as a way to add layers to the offense rather than a return to old-school football for its own sake.
How New Ideas Enter the Playbook
“Cool shit” folder mentality
Adams described a very practical process for finding new ideas:
- He watches every explosive run around the league each week
- He organizes ideas into a personal “cool shit” folder
- He sorts concepts by bucket and difficulty
- He chooses a few ideas to test each week
He’s selective about what makes the call sheet, but he wants at least a little bit of deliberate unpredictability each week.
Trusting new concepts
He also stressed that if a concept:
- has a high degree of difficulty
- is new to the team
- depends on rare blocking execution
then it should be used selectively, not force-fed into every look.
Building the Offense Around the Personnel
The offense changes as the season progresses
Adams said the team often doesn’t know exactly who it is until around Week 5 or 6. That means:
- offseason installs matter a lot
- early-season exploration is necessary
- the offense should evolve based on what the players do well
He emphasized that what works in one year or one stretch of the season may not be the right answer later on.
Adaptability is a coaching skill
A recurring point was that good coaches:
- accept uncertainty
- admit when something didn’t work
- adjust without ego
Adams framed this as a core part of being successful in the NFL.
Defending the Run in the Modern NFL
Adams identified three broad defensive buckets:
- Attack fronts
- Read-and-react / strike-block fronts
- Pass-rush-first fronts where defenders act like it’s a pass
He said the best run defenses often:
- play “gap and a half”
- strike blocks violently
- keep linebackers and DBs integrated into the fit
- make life difficult without always producing visible tackle totals
His point was that the league’s best run defenses are often built on technique, violence, and discipline rather than just loading the box.
Dak Prescott, Protection, and Quarterback Trust
Dak’s best trait: competitive stamina
Adams described Prescott as an elite competitor who:
- never really leaves a fight
- handles adversity well
- is focused on winning, not personal stat lines
Protection responsibility matters
He noted that some systems place more of the protection burden on the quarterback than others, and that Prescott is very capable in that area. In Adams’ view:
- quarterback comfort should shape the system
- some quarterbacks are asked to do too much
- there may be a future league-wide shift toward a middle ground
He also contrasted the Cowboys’ approach with systems that prioritize easing the quarterback’s burden in protection and instead invest more heavily in progression teaching.
Brian Schottenheimer’s Staff-Building Approach
Adams praised head coach Brian Schottenheimer for being:
- direct and honest
- open to outside ideas
- willing to hire beyond his immediate circle
- intentional about staff chemistry
He said the staff spends time together outside of football because trust matters, especially when a season hits its inevitable rough stretch.
Why that matters
According to Adams, the biggest staff-building lesson is simple:
- tell the truth
- hear the truth
- build trust before the crisis arrives
Why Offensive Line Coaches Don’t Always Become Head Coaches
Adams offered a thoughtful answer on why the offensive line-to-head coach pipeline is less common than people assume:
- offensive line coaches sometimes think in terms of “us vs. the world”
- head coaches must care about the whole roster, not just one room
- some coaches simply love coaching offensive line and don’t want a broader job
- the skill set has to include leadership, communication, and organization across the entire team
He also noted that some of the best coaches may simply not want to leave the part of coaching they enjoy most.
Final Thought
The interview paints Adams as a coach who combines scheme creativity, practical flexibility, and strong communication. His approach to the run game is less about one signature play and more about building a system that can:
- adapt to the opponent
- evolve with the roster
- create explosive plays
- support the quarterback
- keep defenses guessing
That blend is a big reason why he’s viewed as one of the more exciting offensive minds in the NFL.