The Cowboys run game is holding the offense back.
It’s hard to come away from Dallas’ Week 2 loss to New Orleans with many positives. The Cowboys were beaten on both sides of the ball, so adjusting the power rankings this week isn’t easy. But there were varying degrees of failure, so a little movement might be justified.
All in all, no position did enough to earn resounding praise. And remember, these rankings are based on the entire season, not just the last game. So with the Saints loss burned into our memories, here’s the updated list going into Week 3.
- Guard (Last Week: 1st) – While the offensive line struggled on the whole, things were much worse on the edges than in the interior. Seeing Zack Martin go down was scary but he returned to the game, so hopefully he’ll be okay for another tough test coming up against Baltimore.
- Quarterback (LW: 3rd) – Dak Prescott did throw two picks, but one was because his receiver slipped and the other came when the game was already out of hand in the fourth quarter. Overall, Prescott was the least of Dallas’ worries as he managed missing TE Jake Ferguson and still put up 293 on 27-of-39 passing.
- Defensive End (LW: 2nd) – While QB1 could’ve done more, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence did nothing. Saints OC Klint Kubiak schemed Parsons right out of the game and forced the rest of the Cowboys’ defense to try to stop his offense. Obviously, they didn’t.
- Wide Receiver (LW: 7th) – CeeDee Lamb got the sole touchdown against double coverage and Jalen Tolbert made an impressive catch against what should’ve been called interference. We already know Lamb’s good so Tolbert’s 6 catches for 82 yards receiving line was a rare silver lining to this game. He needs to keep stepping up as this Cowboys offense is desperate for firepower.
- Linebacker (LW: 4th) – After a great debut in Cleveland, this group looked like 2023 all over again. It isn’t all their fault as they got no help up front and DeMarvion Overshown received oddly few snaps. But if their play is going to be dependent on what the defensive line is doing, that’s going to be easily exploited by quality offenses.
- Cornerback (LW: 6th) – The damage was mostly done away from them, but the Saints’ top receivers still produced 177 yards on just 10 targets. New Orleans’ dominance on the ground helped set up the pass, so we won’t slam the CBs too badly here.
- Tight End (LW: 8th) – Luke Schoonmaker had six catches for 43 yards, including an impressive one-handed catch. While he looks more like Dalton Schultz than Ferguson in terms of explosive ability, he at least provided a safe target for Prescott. It was a good sign for the second-year prospect.
- Center (LW: 10th) – Cooper Beebe is holding his own as a starter. We’re still waiting on more impact in the run game, but Dallas’ backs may make it harder to notice when the blocking is sufficient.
- Safety (LW: 5th) – When was the last time these guys made a play? Donovan Wilson’s interception was a gift off a deflected pass. Overall, there’s been surprisingly little impact from this position so far this year. And on Sunday they gave up a long touchdown bomb.
- Offensive Tackle (LW: 9th) – Guyton looked more like a rookie this week and Terence Steele was struggling. The Saints’ defense is probably better than we realized but it’s hard to fathom how they gave Dallas more trouble than Cleveland’s.
- Defensive Tackle (LW: 11th) – Right now we can barely even say nice things about Osa Odighizuwa, let alone the rest of the group. New Orleans controlled the game up front and it starts right here.
- Running Back (LW: 12th) – If things hadn’t gone sideways on the other side of the ball, Dallas’ run game might’ve had a chance to look better. Rico Dowdle did get 30 yards on just seven carries. But there wasn’t enough opportunity here to change perceptions.
