Eliminated from the postseason weeks ago, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have much to play for in Week 18, tangibly speaking of course. Players and coaches don’t tank but management decisions, such as starting Trey Lance over Cooper Rush at quarterback, can play a part in achieving the same result.
Making his first start since 2022, Lance went 20 for 34, posting 244 yards through the air with no touchdowns or interceptions. He came close to both, throwing a near pick on his first drive of the game and missing a wide-open Rico Dowdle late as the running back ran across the end zone.
It was a tightly contested game and required a come-from-behind touchdown in the final seconds, but the Commanders claimed the win by a final score of 23-19. The loss moved the Cowboys to a 7-10 record and officially placed them in offseason mode.
Dowdle’s strong season ended in decent, yet unspectacular fashion, running for just 72 yards on a 3.3 yards/carry average. As a pending free agent, it’s not yet known if this was his last day in a Cowboys uniform or if it’s a sign of more games to come. Hunter Luepke, a fullback in title, made the case for a bigger role as a ball carrier next season. He carried the ball three times for 15 yards, looking like the second coming of Mike Alstott for a brief moment. Even Deuce Vaughn got in on the action, rushing for a 6.2 yards/carry average in what could be his last game in Dallas. So much is now up in the air at the RB position.
But there were plenty more takeaways to be had in the Cowboys’ Week 18 loss to Washington, but sadly, they weren’t very clear takeaways.
Unclear OT forecast
. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Guyton continued to rotate in and out at left tackle. The Cowboys bizarre strategy of grooming their top rookie draft pick seems more like a punishment than an organized process. Guyton has frustrated coaches with his technique and propensity to pick up penalties. Two more penalties in Week 18 brings the rookie to 14 on the season. It’s two less than the league worst, which is absurdly high since Guyton has only started 11 games.
Asim Richards also saw action and once again produced up and down results. He blew enough blocks to cast doubt on his future. Does he have starter potential or is he nothing better than a swing tackle? They really don’t know yet.
It would have been nice know one way or the other on the two young OTs but all they gave Dallas this week is more questions heading into the offseason.
Dynamic duo
Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Osa Odighizuwa and Micah Parsons give the Cowboys quite the inside-outside pairing on the defensive line. The two explosive pass rushers offer Dallas a variety of options. Both can play from a variety of techniques and pass rush through a variety of gaps. They can twist and stunt with the best of them and they feed off each other, offering the Cowboys a great combo to work with.
Unfortunately, Odighizuwa is a free agent, and the Cowboys may not be willing to pay him to come back. If the Cowboys only had a stout presence to pair with Odighizuwa on the inside, they could have unlocked even more production from their free agent to-be.
Mazi questions
. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Mazi Smith’s rookie season was historically poor. The Cowboys top draft pick failed in every phase of the game, and if it wasn’t for his draft status, he probably wouldn’t have been retained in Year 2. Smith didn’t play great in his second year, but he was certainly serviceable. In Week 18 Smith offered more of the same, looking like a decent rotational defensive tackle but not someone who looks like a starter.
This is really a big win considering what he looked like in 2023. On most defenses, Smith would slot somewhere around DT4 but his draft status may influence the Cowboys to consider him Plan A at starting DT heading into the 2025 offseason.
[afilliatewidget_smgtolocal]
Conclusion
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The 2024 season was effectively over the day Dak Prescott fell to a season-ending injury early in November. Sadly, the Cowboys couldn’t take advantage of this oddly useful situation, failing to derive long-term conclusions on various young players. It’s left many unanswered questions at positions like OT, RB, DT and WR.
Related articles
. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)