America’s team has suddenly been stopped to a complete stop. We don’t know what we can even expect from this team because they straight up are unpredictable. The latest head-scratching moment came on the gridiron this past Sunday. The Boys feel to the Washington Football Team and only scored 3 points in the whole game. One field goal from an offense that paced the NFL last year. The Cowboys are supposed to have something and this year we got nothing from them. It feels all too familiar for all Cowboy fans which had an offseason not too long ago. Although after that draft Elliot made his way to Dallas and put them back on the map. So where are the problems for this team, can they comeback this year?
Ezekiel Elliot
By far Elliot’s play has stuck out like a sore thumb in this season. When Dak went down earlier this year we expected the Cowboys to rely on the run. In fact, the game that Dak went down Elliot had his best game of the year. He had 2 touchdowns and 91 yards on the ground. That being said Elliot has had a problem holding on to the ball. He has fumbled 5 times already this year which is an absolutely horrible number. A few of these have put the defense in tough positions that they were not able to recover from. The Cowboys were so cautious with Elliot the past two weeks that they have only given him 24 total carries. This is a huge problem that the Cowboys have the ability to fix, the more they hand the ball off the more pressure is lifted off their backup QB. Teams in the NFL that run the ball have had a lot of success and it should be something that is looked into. Elliot will be the first piece to move to get the Cowboys back.
The Quarterback
Many people have been the first to point their finger towards Dak Prescott when the Cowboys have a big loss or a close loss. Well, they might be eating those words right now as the Cowboys have put up 10 and 3 in their last two outings. Is the problem the quarterback spot? I think there is a very big leadership aspect that is added to this. Elliot is not the leader that we thought he was, Dak is that guy for this offense. With him being out Dalton was supposed to be the next guy, and he has also gotten hurt. Ben DiNucci is next as a rookie quarterback for this team and there is a reason the Cowboys drafted him. His confidence is something that is a huge positive for all Cowboy fans. Check our Rewind That Tape Podcast for more analysis of the QB situation.
Defense
They do say that defense wins championships and that has slowly faded out in the NFL. The offense is key for any team, and defense is needed to be mediocre. In this case, we have none of the above for this team. Their defense continues to struggle and I have a hard time not blaming this offense. The defense hasn’t played well and that is given fact. But they also haven’t had any rest at all. We are used to seeing this Cowboys offense move down the field more which gives the defense more time to adjust. Now they are going three and out and that is just not any time. The Cowboys traded Everyone Griffen away today to the Lions which doesn’t bother me too much. He hadn’t played as well as they wanted him too and that type of stuff happens on the business side of the NFL. I don’t think anyone needs to get shipped away on this defense before they get some rest and see a real possession.
Final Thoughts
Who are the Cowboys? The drama that has ensued with this losing streak is unnecessary and is just hidden frustration. The coaching staff needs to bring this team together and that is just final. There is no if about it. The second thing is to feed the ball to Zeke. It not only takes some pressure off the QB, but it also takes time off the clock which is huge. Fewer possessions for the other offense to score is always beneficial for a team with an inconsistent offense. Lastly, they need to have confidence in their quarterback. Limiting Dalton and DiNucci to easy throws is not going to help this team grow. There is plenty of work to do for this team, is it possible for them to make the playoffs though. The answer is yes, have you seen the NFC East recently, they are in the race for the division for sure. The the only question for this team is do they believe?
Top Picture by Associated Press