What do you think are the biggest questions surrounding the Cowboys right now?
The Dallas Cowboys spent the week looking internally and getting ready for the season ahead. For fans, they spent the bye week asking questions and voicing concern on where the team is heading. So let’s ask the very passionate and very knowledgeable BTB readers their opinions on some of those of subjects and get your vote.
The Cowboys face issues in the trenches but which side is underperforming the most, the offensive line or defensive line?
The Cowboys rank sixth-worst in total pressures allowed and dead last in total rush yards per game. This is a wildly concerning statistic, but it’s made worse when on defense the line has allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns and seventh-most rush yards, while getting the seventh-fewest sacks, and worst of all they are allowing a 74% touchdown rate in the redzone which ranks third-worst.
How confident are you in Jerry Jones and the front office to get the team back on track this year?
In the offseason the team lost key pieces on both offense and defense, but due to the front office’s philosophy to seldom operate in the early free agent market they missed on the chance to replace those players. Add to the fact Jerry Jones has made worrying comments on 105.3 The Fan, there are a number of fans concerned on whether Jerry is the guy to guide the team through these turbulent times.
Will Mike McCarthy be head coach next season?
There are two sides to the Mike McCarthy story in Dallas. On one side is the fact he has guided the Cowboys to 12-5 in three consecutive seasons and into the playoffs. But the other side of his story is the fact he has never got the team past the Divisional Round. Then add this year’s problems and there is only more doubt when it comes to McCarthy and whether he is the man for the job. Of course, this year isn’t over yet and there’s still plenty of football to be played.
What’s wrong with the Cowboys defense?
Last season under Dan Quinn this Cowboys defense was very effective. The run defense had some issues allowing 112 rush yards per game, but that was enough to finish mid-table. The pass defense, however, was top-five and fished with the fifth-fewest yards and allowed the sixth-lowest passer rating. This season both the run and pass defense statistics look bad and the team ranks in the bottom-ten in most major categories. The defense has had to deal injuries, but what is the determining factor?
Is Dak Prescott playing enough to warrant his contract extension?
Prescott inked a four-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys worth $240 million. The contract includes a $80 million signing bonus and a lot of guarantees. So far this season, Dak has thrown the third-most passing yards, seventh-most passing touchdowns, and has had to deal with an offensive line that has offered him little protection. Questions on the connection between him and CeeDee Lamb have come into play this year and during the Lions game Dak made some pretty wild throws. He also leads the league with seven interceptions and his passer rating of 82.9 ranks ninth-lowest in the league. What is true though is the fact he led a fantastic drive against Pittsburgh and things would have looked a lot worse is some of this seasons losses.
