It’s safe to say the Dallas Cowboys 2024 season has not gotten off to the start that the organization hoped it would. Coming into the bye week with a 3-3 record before heading into the toughest part of their schedule is not something Dallas would have hoped for before the start of the season.
There’s as much uncertainty surrounding the Cowboys as a whole as there has been in years. The organization has plenty of short-term and long-term questions that will need to be answered in the coming months.
With that in mind, today three of our writers tackle the task of answering some of the questions facing the Cowboys six games into the season, and give their thoughts on what is to come. Let us know your thoughts on the questions in the comments section.
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1) Dallas’ offense has looked out of sorts all season long. What do you believe is the biggest contributing factor to their lack of offensive success? What can they do to fix the problem?
Howman: This is tough, because there’s lots of things wrong with this offense right now. I think it all boils down to this group just not having any chemistry right now. Dak Prescott has shown great trust in Jalen Tolbert but outside of that, everything feels disjointed. I think some of it is due to a lack of reps in the preseason, some due to rookies starting along the offensive line, and some due to the Cowboys having to play from behind in nearly all of their 3 home games. They just don’t have any rhythm right now, and that’s hard to just switch on
Holleran: There’s plenty of ways you could go here, but I think the biggest issue is the offensive line, particularly their struggles in the run game. Against good teams the Cowboys don’t just have a bad running game, they have a horrendous rushing attack. You’re not going to win many games against good teams when you force yourself to be completely one-dimensional. The Cowboys don’t need to build their offense upon their rushing attack like this is 2016, but they need to be at least an average running team to make up for their lack of offensive weapons outside of CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. If they continue to have zero success running the football it’s going to be a long season.
Poland: The biggest issue facing the offense is the offensive line. Everything starts and finishes in the trenches and unfortunately for Dallas the line is failing. The offensive line is allowing the ninth-most sacks, and seventh-most pressures, that’s almost impossible for any quarterback to operate from. Then everyone complains about the running game, again that can be attributed to the offensive line. There’s very little push or moments where the Cowboys offensive line is being the aggressor in the run game. All this leads to an underperforming offense, fix that and fix some of the offensive woes.
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2) Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have seemed out of sync from the start this year. The duo of All-Pros have been at the center of plenty of Dallas’ offensive mistakes. What do you believe is the biggest reason the two are unable to get on the same page? Should the Cowboys be concerned about this long-term?
Howman: I don’t know if the Cowboys are concerned about it, but I am. Without knowing the intricacies of the Cowboys playbook, I can’t say with certainty who’s to blame for all the miscommunication between these two. All I know is I don’t see Dak having these issues with Tolbert or Ferguson or even Jalen Brooks. What I do see is Lamb routinely being soft at the catch point or getting taken out of the play when he matches up with a physical cornerback. With how much this offense revolves around Lamb, you just need a little more fight in him, and Lamb hasn’t shown that this year
Holleran: If the Cowboys are going to turn this season around, it has to start with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb getting back on the same page. It’s easy to blame Lamb’s lack of a training camp on their early-season struggles, but there’s a chance this goes much deeper. If I’m the Cowboys, the disconnect between the two is as worrisome as anything that has happened so far this season. The Cowboys are committed to both of these guys long-term so there’s no way out of this. Dallas needs the duo to get back on track not just for this season, but to have any semblance of optimism on offense heading into the coming years.
Poland: We got asked this question last week and spoke to some members of the media team in Dallas. The answer was don’t panic and that the tandem are unified and working together. The biggest issue with the on-field production is the fact the pair missed an entire preseason and training camp regimen working together, meaning the first few weeks have been more like preseason for the pair. Even still, Lamb has connected with Dak for the eighth-most receptions and has the fifth-most receiving yards.
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3) Dallas’ run defensive has been historically bad through six games. Will the return of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence be enough to turn the run defense from awful to at least decent? If not, who is one outside addition you would like to see the Cowboys target to sure up their run defense?
Howman: I’m not sure there’s anyone out there that can fix this run defense right now, because there’s so many things wrong with it. Getting back DeMarcus Lawrence, one of the best run defending EDGEs in the league, will definitely help but I’ve not been pleased with what the interior DL has shown. Mazi Smith has flashed but he hasn’t been consistent, while Linval Joseph just doesn’t have the motor to sustain a large enough role in this defense. There aren’t many home runs available right now, but two potential sleeper picks that might be available are Browns DT Dalvin Tomlinson and Panthers DT A’Shawn Robinson
Holleran: The Cowboys’ struggles to stop the run this season feel a whole lot like the issues they had back in 2020. Those problems didn’t get solved until after the season when they hired a new defensive coordinator. Unfortunately, I think this year will follow suit. The returns of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Erick Kendricks will help, but it’s still not going to be enough to turn the NFL’s worst run defense into one that is even league-average. Like it was in 2020, Dallas’ struggles to stop the run will likely be their defense’s Achilles heel.
Poland: The run defense was bad while Parsons and Lawrence were on the field. This was a problem last year and Mike Zimmer was supposed to be the answer to that problem. But the problem is this year it’s only gotten worse. To help solve problem would mean trading, and for someone who can two-gap in the middle effectively and consistently. That trade is possible but the front office will never go for it. They’ve proven in preseason and the start of the season they are unwilling to splash out, so it’s hold on tight and take the ride for now.
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4) What is one internal change the Cowboys can make after the bye week to help turn things around?
Howman: One internal change is to go back to what they doing before Week 6 in terms of the running back rotation. Rico Dowdle had been picking up steam and it paid off with a career night against the Steelers. Then Ezekiel Elliott’s role in the offense becomes a talking point and he magically gets more carries than Dowdle. He was also wildly inefficient versus Detroit while Dowdle led the team in rushing despite having less touches. Go back to what’s working, which is not Zeke.
Holleran: I’ll echo what David said and even go a step further. It’s time to cut bait with Ezekiel Elliott. There’s no doubt Zeke’s name will forever live on as one of Dallas’ best running backs, but there’s just no fuel left in the tank at this point. Every offensive snap given to Elliott seems like a wasted play, and it’s not plausible to continue to give him chances. Whether it’s giving his snaps to Hunter Luepke or promoting Dalvin Cook, something has to give here soon.
Poland: DaRon Bland coming will be a big help. Getting Parsons back and hopefully Brandin Cooks. The biggest change on defense the team can make is stop playing so much base formation. It’s crazy to watch how predictable it’s become and for opponents to manipulate the defense.
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5) How many of the following will be in Dallas next season? Mike McCarthy, Mike Zimmer, DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, and Will McClay.
Howman: Will McClay isn’t leaving Dallas. He has the perfect gig right now, getting loads of credit for good draft classes but rarely getting blamed when things go wrong. After that? I don’t know. Lawrence’s contract is up and they just drafted his replacement; Martin hinted at retirement before he started showing his age on the field; and it’s going to take a huge turnaround out of this bye for McCarthy to get a new contract with the way things are going right now. Ditto for Zimmer. If I had to put money on it right now, I’d anticipate they’re both shown the door.
Holleran: Things can always change, but at this moment it’s hard to find any way that Mike McCarthy is still the head coach of this team next season. If that’s the case, there’s about a 99% chance Mike Zimmer will be out the door with him. As for Will McClay, I don’t see him leaving the position he’s in. Yes, the Cowboys’ last two draft classes haven’t been great just yet, but he’s built himself an outstanding reputation with his work over the past decade or so. On the player side of things, I think we are seeing the end of Zack Martin’s time in not just Dallas, but the NFL. I believe the future Hall-of-Famer will retire at season’s end. As for DeMarcus Lawrence, it would be amazing if the Cowboys could keep him, but he’ll likely demand more money than they are willing to pay. If I had to put money on it, I’d say McClay is the only one back in Dallas next year.
Poland: The only one on this list I see here for the foreseeable future is Will McClay. McCarthy and Zimmer always looked as though this was going to be a one-year situation. Lawrence and Martin both look long in the tooth now and like it’s time for them to retire. McClay has been excellent in his role albeit a few hiccups along the way. I’ve spoken to him numerous times and he’s a smart guy and really knows how to talk to the front office to get them seeing things the same way.
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