After finishing 13-3 last season, the Dallas Cowboys have their work cut out for them this year if they wish to repeat as NFC East Champions. They have lost several key veterans while the Giants, Eagles and Redskins have all added talent. They already face one of the leagues toughest schedules and now they must endure the loss of their star running back for the first 6 games of the season to suspension.
The loss of Ezekiel Elliott is indeed a crucial blow to this team. His combination of speed, power, explosiveness, pass blocking and pass catching ability cannot be duplicated by any one back on the Cowboys’ roster. Opposing defenses are not going to show the same amount of respect to Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris or Ronnie Hillman as they would Zeke. Furthermore, none of those guys are capable of making the kind of plays (such as the long TD run against Cincinnati or the screen pass to the house against the Steelers last season) that Elliott is capable of. But we must remember that although Ezekiel Elliott is the best player on the Dallas Cowboys, he is only one player. Football is the ultimate team sport comprised of a roster of 53 players that play offense, defense and special teams. A team must excel in all three facets of the game to compete for a championship. For Dallas to take the next step this year there are far greater concerns than the loss of Elliott for 6 games.
Reasons to be concerned:
Let’s start with the Cowboys biggest strength, the offensive line. The “great wall of Dallas” lost 2 starters this year, Ronald Leary and Doug Free. Leary was rock solid at guard last year and will be sorely missed. Retired right tackle Doug Free has his critics, but he was an experienced veteran who was a major force in the run game. Tryon Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin are perhaps the best tackle, center and guard in the league respectively, however Smith’s ongoing back issues are worrisome.
At quarterback, Dak Prescott had the most remarkable season for a rookie quarterback in NFL history last season. This year he will be asked to do much more than last season while facing a much tougher schedule. Now that Ezekiel Elliott will miss the first 6 games of the season the possibility of a sophomore slump for Dak is increasingly likely.
Defensively the Cowboy’s secondary will look much different this year with 3 of 4 starters departing in free agency. That unit played exceptionally well last season, especially given the lack of a dominant pass rush. The Cowboys did bring in some talent through the draft to replace their losses but they are all rookies. Look no further than the Carolina Panthers last season to see how a young secondary can be overwhelmed at times in the NFL.
Most importantly, the Achilles heel of this team the last few years has been the lack of a dominant pass rush. This was never more evident than the 2 playoff losses to the Packers in 2014 and 2016. It does not help the cause to have David Irving suspended 4 games and Tyrone Crawford out with an ankle sprain. Simply put, if the Cowboys cannot figure out a way to get consistent pressure on the quarterback they will not advance past the divisional round.
Reasons to be optimistic:
As mentioned previously the Cowboys need to address the pass rush. They have plenty of depth on the defensive line and they like to rotate their guys, yet Jerry Jones has had little success finding his “War Daddy” to get consistent pressure on the quarterback. Dallas drafted Taco Charlton in the 1st round this year but don’t expect a rookie to be the saviour. Potentially they could have their man on the roster already. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins is coming off an impressive rookie season and looks to be a future star at the three technique position. At defensive end there are a couple of new faces this year. Charles Tapper missed his rookie season last year but he is healthy this year and he has impressive speed off the edge. The Cowboys also signed Damontre Moore with the hope that he leads the team in sacks just as previous free agent signings Jeremy Mincey and Benson Mayowa did their first year with the team. I believe if there is one guy on this roster capable of being the “War Daddy” it is Demarcus Lawrence. Last year he was underwhelming after missing the first 4 games with suspension and struggling through a back injury. This year he appears to be healthy and I believe he could register 10 to 12 sacks in this his contract year. If the Cowboys pass rush can improve and be consistent, the young talented secondary has a chance to do what this team has failed to do in the past; create turnovers.
One of the Cowboys few offensive draft picks this year was WR Ryan Switzer. Considered a Cole Beasley clone, he has an opportunity to impact the return game in a major way. He has 7 career punt return TD’s in his collegiate career. Check out his highlight videos on YouTube and you will see firsthand why the Cowboys coaching staff is so excited to have him on the team. With the departure of Lucky Whitehead, Switzer is first in line to handle the punt return duties for Dallas.
The reigning Rookie of the year Dak Prescott will face some difficult challenges this year. He has to face some of the best defenses in the league; those defenses will have access to an entire season of game film on Dak and will without a doubt game plan accordingly. He will likely have to throw more often and in tougher situations, and of course he will have to do so without Ezekiel Elliott for 6 games. Despite these challenges he does have the advantage of an entire offseason being the starter unlike last season where he was thrust into the role. Last year he succeeded largely because he is a good decision maker. For this reason I am confident that he will succeed once again and that he will not experience a severe regression.
The Dallas Cowboys defense is hard working, well coached and disciplined. They performed very well last season but unlike elite units, such as the Broncos and Seahawks, they lack true difference makers. The only real difference maker they have on this defense is All-pro linebacker Sean Lee. That may no longer be the case if the hype surrounding Jaylon Smith is accurate. Smith was considered a top 5 draft pick before suffering a devastating and potentially career ending injury during his final game in college. The Cowboys took a chance on him in the 2nd round of the draft last year and it appears that the risk may soon be rewarded. Smith has impressed coaches and teammates thus far and he has Cowboy fans buzzing with anticipation. If Jaylon Smith can contribute at a high level this year as he has claimed that he can, it would be a huge boost to this defensive unit.
Fearless Prediction:
The suspension to Elliott is concerning but luckily the Cowboys have sufficient depth at running back and they will be fine without him for 6 games. The biggest determination of how this team will fare in 2017 is if the defense can improve and take pressure off of Dak so he can build on his superb rookie season. Specifically, If the defense can generate more pressure which will in turn lead to more turnovers than the Cowboys have a legitimate shot to repeat as division champions and for the first time in over 20 years make it past the divisional round of the playoffs.