8 games down and 8 games to go. Currently the Cowboys have a 5-3 record and are 3 games behind the division leading Eagles. The good news is that there is a full half season remaining, including 2 games against the Eagles, and therefore an opportunity to make up some ground. The bad news is two-fold, the Eagles are hot right now and the Cowboys remaining schedule is tough. Here is what the Cowboys are up against in the next 8 weeks.
Nov 12 @ Atlanta
Nov 19 VS Philadelphia
Nov 30 VS San Diego
Nov 30 VS Washington
Dec 10 @ New York Giants
Dec 17 @ Oakland
Dec 24 VS Seattle
Dec 31 @ Philadelphia
That is 5 of 8 against playoff teams from last year, 4 games against division rivals, 3 out of 4 on the road in December, and 2 games against the team with the best record in the league. 2 marque games will be against Atlanta and Seattle who could be battling the Cowboys for a wild card spot if the Cowboys can’t catch Philly and don’t count out the Redskins just yet either. The Cowboys will have to win 5 of those games in order to finish 10-6 and probably secure a wild card spot. That is a tall order even with their star running back Ezekiel Elliott, who they may be forced to play without for 6 games if his suspension is finally enforced. If that is not enough adversity, their wide receiving corps is looking rather thin after both Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams got banged up last Sunday against the Chiefs.
Despite these concerns there is plenty to be optimistic about. Last week the Cowboys pulled off their most impressive win of the year against a team I consider one of the best in the NFL. They have improved upon their biggest weakness from the previous seasons, and that is their pass rush. Sean Lee is back which is crucial because his absence on defense had an enormous impact in the Cowboys struggles against the Rams and Packers. Dak Prescott has been awesome this season, avoiding the sophomore slump many predicted he would have. They have sufficient depth at running back to allow them to suffer little drop off if Elliott does indeed miss 6 games and it appears as though Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams will not miss any time due to their injuries.
The 2 major concern that I have going forward are the secondary play and the defensive tackle position.
The Cowboys clear weakness defensively has been the defensive backs, specifically the safeties. There is no way to address that this season and the Cowboys will face the following quarterbacks the remaining 8 games:
Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz x 2, Philip Rivers, Kirk Cousins, Eli Manning, Derek Carr, and Russell Wilson.
That is going to be a challenge for the Cowboys young Defensive backs. With regard to the defensive tackle position Maliek Collins and David Irving have been spectacular but the Cowboys are dangerously thin behind those guys. Collins is playing with a nagging foot injury and that may hamper his performance. Stephen Paea, who was playing at a high level, is already lost for the season. Brian Price was signed midseason to help fill that void and has played well but has now been placed on injured reserve. Richard Ash and possibly Lewis Neal, who is currently on the practice squad, will have to step up in his absence. It is possible the Cowboys will seek some outside help via free agency.
The Cowboys will need to continue to establish a pass rush in the second half of the season. They must also hope that players like Xavier Woods and Jourdan Lewis continue to develop and help solidify the secondary play. If they are able to do this and stay relatively healthy, I fully expect the Cowboys to be playing in January.