For the first time this season, the Dallas Cowboys put together a performance to be proud of on both sides of the ball last Sunday. In their 37-22 blowout win over the Jets, Dallas did plenty of good things in all three phases of the game.
While things were better, they certainly were not perfect. If the Cowboys want to build upon last week’s success against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, they’ll need to make some changes. With that thought in mind, today, we look at two players the Cowboys should use more in Week 6.
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1) WR Ryan Flournoy
Coming into Sunday’s game against the Jets, there was real concern about how Dallas’ wide receiver group would hold up. With CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin sidelined with injuries, Dallas’ depth at the wide receiver position was going to be tested in a big way.
Second-year wideout Ryan Flournoy, who Dallas selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, was thrust into a pivotal role in the Cowboys’ offense. Coming into Sunday’s game, Flournoy had recorded just 16 receptions for 137 yards in 14 NFL games, an average of just over eight receiving yards per game.
Given his impressive athletic ability and speed, Flournoy had clear potential, but he had yet to put it on display in an NFL game. Thankfully for the wideout and the Cowboys, that all changed on Sunday. The 25-year-old had his coming-out party, recording a career-high six receptions for 114 yards, more than any receiver on either team in the matchup.
Flournoy’s day was highlighted by an impressive 46-yard reception near the end of the first half, putting Dallas in a prime position to score a touchdown.
On a field with star wideouts George Pickens and Garrett Wilson, Flournoy was the receiver who stole the show on Sunday. When the Cowboys needed him most, the young receiver showed up in a big way.
Flournoy’s performance on Sunday will undoubtedly earn him more offensive snaps, but it should force the Cowboys’ hand into making him their third wide receiver, even when KaVontae Turpin is healthy.
There’s no denying Turpin has special skills the Cowboys can utilize on offense, but Flournouy’s size and ability to make plays deep down the field are something Turpin lacks. Dallas can still use Turpin in creative ways, but on straight passing downs when they need a play, Flournoy should be the third receiver on the field.
With CeeDee Lamb likely sidelined for another week, Ryan Flournoy should surpass Jalen Tolbert in snaps on Sunday as the 25-year-old looks to replicate his performance from last Sunday.
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2) LB Marist Liufau
You could make a good argument that Cowboys’ linebacker Marist Liufau made the most significant play in Sunday’s game. With the Jets driving late in the second quarter, Liufau forced Jets running back Breece Hall to fumble, punching the ball out and stopping a promising Jets drive.
If the Jets score a touchdown on that possession, there is a real chance the game will be tied at 10-10 at halftime. Instead, Dallas was able to score two more touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half, taking a 23-3 lead into the locker room.
While Liufau did struggle a bit in coverage on Sunday, allowing eight receptions for 90 yards, his ability to make game-changing plays is something Dallas’ defense currently lacks. Neither DaRon Bland nor Trevon Diggs has shown their usual ability to take the football away from opposing offenses, making it even more imperative that the Cowboys find ways to steal possessions from the opposition.
Liufau showed on Sunday that he can do just that. Even if he can be a liability in coverage at times, Dallas’ linebacker group does not have anyone playing well enough to take snaps away from the former third-round pick.
Despite making a game-changing play, Liufau played just 21 defensive snaps in Sunday’s matchup. That number should more than double this week as the Cowboys should push the young linebacker into a much more significant role on the defense.
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