Written & Edited by: Cameron Schoffro
Last year, just about everything went wrong for the Dallas Cowboys. The defence was abysmal, ranking at the bottom of the league by every measurement, although the biggest disaster was yet to come. Dak Prescott was playing at a historic pace, while his receiver room appeared to be among the league's best… the offence was clicking. In Week 5 however, the franchise quarterback suffered a gruesome season-ending injury. Many questions surrounded the team prior to the 2021 season: can Dak bounce back? Will Jerry Jones and his newly-hired coordinator, Dan Quinn, rejuvenate this dreadful defence?
As of now, yes and yes. Dak has looked sharp, as he is facilitating the most balanced offence in the NFL. After a season of watching Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, and Garrett Gilbert, Cowboys fans deserve to see their star quarterback return to form. Dak has been spreading the ball to his teammates effectively. Two wideouts, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, have been battling injuries, but this hasn't affected Dak. He has been finding depth receivers and tight ends in the endzone instead. Prescott hasn't replicated the statistics of his monster 2020 season, but he hasn't had to.
Ezekiel Elliott looks revitalized after adjusting his training and diet programs and shedding 10 pounds in the offseason. Zeke is back to his old ways of breaking tackles and tacking on extra yards after contact while regaining some of the speed he lost in recent years. His running mate, Tony Pollard, is the perfect change-of-pace back, using his slim frame and incredible speed to shoot through gaps in the line. The duo has achieved the second-most rushing yards per game, behind Cleveland's stellar backfield. However, their success wouldn't be possible without the dominant offensive line in front of them. Even after losing their starting right tackle, La'el Collins, to suspension, the offensive line is the best it's been since 2016. Their pass protection has been top-notch as well, allowing only six sacks in 4 games. Most notably, they held Carolina's daunting defence to no sacks in their most recent game.
Most Cowboys fans would have predicted the offence would look great, but no one could have expected the defence to look this good. In the 2021 draft, Jerry Jones picked defence with his first five selections. Of these, linebacker Micah Parsons was the highest-regarded. Parsons has looked fantastic thus far. He is incredibly fast for his size and tackles with conviction. After Dallas' best pass-rusher, Demarcus Lawrence broke his foot in practice, Parsons was forced to play defensive end for the first time since high school. He didn't miss a beat. He recorded one sack with four QB hits in his first game. Third-round pick defensive tackle, Osa Odighizuwa, has been a surprise, using his quick release to accumulate several sacks. Cornerback Kelvin Joseph, their second-round pick, has yet to play due to injury, but he showed out in preseason and projects to be the perfect complement to Jourdan Lewis and Trevon Diggs.
The rookies have been great, but sophomore Trevon Diggs is primarily responsible for the defensive improvements. Dallas has lacked a number one cornerback to trust against the league's best receivers for years. Diggs has amassed five interceptions in only four games and received the honour of NFC Defensive Player of the Month. Pro Football Focus has ranked Trevon at #1 amongst cornerbacks in coverage. So far, he shut down Mike Evans and Keenan Allen; as the season progresses, he will look to add more of the league's best to that list. The safeties Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee, and Malik Hooker have been solid behind the stellar cornerbacks.
This week, the Cowboys made headlines by releasing former Pro-Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith. Although with the emergence of Parsons, Keanu Neal and Leighton Vander Esch looking more effective in coverage, and Jabril Cox looking ready for more playing time, the decision makes sense. Smith was receiving an expensive contract, although releasing him won't provide cap benefits until next year. He always seemed to be a second late to break up the pass, whether that was due to a poor read or footspeed, he wasn't good enough to start, yet he was receiving the biggest paycheque.
Some of Mike McCarthy's coaching decisions are questionable, to say the least. He has displayed poor clock management several times this season, and his play-calling, especially on third down, is concerning. If Dallas sees continued success this year, it will not be because of Coach McCarthy, it will be in spite of him. Fortunately for McCarthy, fans have refrained from heavy criticism, in part because of comparison to their previous head coach, Jason Garrett.
The Cowboys have a relatively easy schedule for the rest of the season, which is a direct product of playing in the lacklustre NFC East division. Look for Dallas to run away with the division; they probably have the easiest path to the playoffs in the NFL. The season opener in Tampa Bay should give Dallas fans some hope; they were a game-winning field goal away from defeating the reigning Super Bowl champions and the greatest football player of all time. The Cowboys will likely see the Buccaneers again if they expect to be vying for an NFC championship. It's too soon to draw conclusions whether Dallas is a legitimate contender this year, but at this moment, they appear to be after holding their own against some of the league's best.
ความคิดเห็น