Cowboys roundtable: Discussions on last week’s loss, Dak’s performance, Week 4 matchup

Every week, we gather the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the Roundtable. This week we have Jess Haynie, David Howman, RJ Ochoa, Brian Martin, Sean Martin and Tom Ryle.

Another loss. What’s the biggest concern with this Cowboys roster at the moment that is failing on so many levels?

The Cowboys went down 21-6 by halftime last week against the Baltimore Ravens. The defense couldn’t stop any rush that came at them and the offense’s only points came off Brandon Aubrey’s boot. Derrick Henry went for two touchdowns and rushed for 151 yards while Lamar Jackson rushed for 87 yards and scores one rushing touchdown. On the opposite side, the Cowboys running backs are extremely lackluster and rank fourth-fewest in average rush yards per game (just one yard more than the Chicago Bears). It’s not a desperate situation just yet, but the trend both ways is concerning.

Jess: It’s all falling apart in the trenches. I get into the offensive line in our next question, so I’ll focus on the defense here. We didn’t expect greatness from Mazi Smith this year but he and the veteran free agents have been non-existent so far. Even Osa Odighizuwa, after an offseason of high praise as one of our most underrated players, has taken a step back. As long as teams can keep getting so much production on basic runs, our best weapons like Micah Parsons’ pass rush and Trevon Diggs’ ball-hawking are going to be neutered.

Tom: While there are also issues with the running backs and the secondary, I have to agree with Jess that the lines are where the biggest concerns rest. We knew that the O line might take some time to come together, but the porous nature of the D line against the run is both disturbing and all too familiar. The bargain-basement shopping in free agency did not yield any real help, and as long as teams know they can get five or more yards repeatedly on the ground, they are going to just beat up on this defense.

Brian: It’s painfully obvious what the Dallas Cowboys biggest concern is right now. They’ve given up a total of five touchdowns and 256 total rushing yards to Alvin Kamara and Derrick Henry in back-to-back weeks. Dallas’ run defense is atrocious right now and there’s no clear solution currently on the roster and expecting better play seems like a long shot as well. Not upgrading this position in the offseason is now coming back to bite them in a big way.

Howman: Honestly, I’m not worried. I think the Cowboys’ problem is a combination of two things: not playing in the preseason and facing a tough schedule to start the year. The Cowboys looked out of sync in the first two weeks and the first three quarters of this game, but once they woke up they looked great. Assuming I’m right, we’re about to see a run of good football out of these guys. It also helps to not face a pair of elite defenses in the Browns and Saints right before squaring off against the reigning MVP.

RJ: Picking just one here feels a bit difficult, but if I have to I suppose I will focus on the running game. The Cowboys have the third-lowest level of production on the ground through the first three games that they have ever had through the first three games of a season in franchise history. Not doing anything about this over the offseason and not paying it proper mind now is costing them and will continue to do so.

Sean: The biggest concern is a lack of game-breaking ability at the skill positions, and it’s being compounded by a dip in play-calling from Mike McCarthy that is hard to explain. Perhaps the trust in the pass protection is not where it needs to be to open up this offense more, but all that is yet another position Dallas has nobody to blame but themselves for its lack of preparedness. CeeDee Lamb is too easily taken out of games, nobody else creates consistent separation out wide, and none of these running backs scare defenses even a lick. I know offense is down around the league, but it’s down while the eye test still shows quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Andy Dalton having success by finding open targets. Nothing at all is coming easily for Dak Prescott and this Cowboys offense right now and it has thrown a serious wrench in how they planned on playing winning, complementary football in 2024.

Dak is getting a lot of blame at the moment but currently he leads the NFL in passing yards and is fourth in passing touchdowns. Who deserves the most blame for the Cowboys offensive issues?

Currently after three weeks of the regular season, Dak leads the NFL in passing yards averaging 270 passing yards per game. Dak is also third in total completions and fourth in passing touchdowns. The offense is not without its warts and that’s clear to see. Without the leg of Brandon Aubrey the scoreline of both losses this season would have looked even worse. The question becomes whether Dak is failing the team and everyone else is stepping up, or is Dak stepping up and the rest of the team is failing him?

Jess: The offensive line has been surprisingly poor so far this year. Terence Steele’s playing like he just had ACL surgery last month, not two years ago. Tyler Guyton is doing what rookie left tackles do, which we feared going into the season. And sadly, Zack Martin is showing his age and mileage. The Cowboys are going to have to get more creative in how they scheme around these issues, and the scariest part is having to rely on Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer for that.

Tom: It’s hard to follow Jess, because these answers keep nailing it. I’m not as surprised, however, because going into the season with two rookies starting was a prescription for trouble, and as much as we hated to admit it, time was creeping up on Martin. It all starts up front on offense, and so far, things have been sputtering.

Brian: The Cowboys offensive issues could all be helped with a better running game. Yes, the offensive line is struggling and the passing game has been inconsistent at best, but a competent running game helps mask all of those problem areas. Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn strike absolutely no fear in opposing defenses. Dallas’ offense would be much better if they can find some way to get more production out of the running game.

Howman: Who deserves the most blame? That’s easy: Stephen Jones. Low hanging fruit, sure, but it’s obvious that this offense is a little rusty. The Dak-to-CeeDee connection is still getting back into shape, which wouldn’t have been a problem if the front office had taken care of these contracts in advance, avoiding Lamb missing all of training camp. This offense is most dangerous when those two are clicking, so depriving them of all their reps in training camp has thrown a massive wrench in the works.

RJ: I do not mean to be cold, but I could not care less that Dak is leading the NFL in anything right now. While CeeDee Lamb’s fumble did him no favors he was a part of the offensive operation that failed to capitalize before Baltimore took their foot off the gas. He is far from the biggest problem, but he can certainly be better.

Sean: Anyone and everyone that had something to do with this run game coming into the season with the depth chart being the way it is. This is simply not an NFL-caliber room right now. The offensive line is not nearly good enough to make any of Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, or Deuce Vaughn look serviceable. This team is already inviting constant tight window throws because of their scheme and lack of speed out wide, when every run play also feels like a complete waste of a down, I’m not sure how you expect to score with any regularity.

This week the Cowboys will face the New York Giants. What’s the biggest threat to the Cowboys securing victory this Thursday evening?

This Thursday the Dallas Cowboys will face division rivals the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff will commence at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday evening. Both teams are 1-2 with Dallas coming in on a two-game losing streak, where the Giants registered their first win of the season last week against the Cleveland Browns. Historically the Cowboys have won nine of their last ten meetings against the Giants, and against the two teams the Cowboys leads the series 75-47-2.

Jess: QB Daniel Jones had a surprisingly efficient game against a good Browns defense last week. If he gets some momentum early, his ability to also run with the ball will be trouble for a Cowboys defense that can barely handle stopping predictable plays. Giants OC Mike Kafka has two games worth of film now that provide a blueprint for how to confuse and overpower Dallas.

Tom: Three in a row. The problems for the Cowboys internally are glaring, and so far their coaching staff just looks dazed and confused. They made a valiant effort to get within three points on Sunday, but when you have dug such a deep hole, it is so hard to climb out. This team has been bullied twice now. If New York plays to the best of their ability, this is not going to be an easy win, and if Dallas sinks to 1-3, we can already start considering if the season is getting out of hand. Add all the roster weaknesses to the very poor job the coaches are doing on both sides of the ball, and I am very pessimistic.

Brian: The biggest threat for the Dallas Cowboys securing the victory this week against the New York Giants is that they are their own worst enemy. There really isn’t one area of this team that is playing very well through the first three weeks of the 2024 season. Blown assignments, missed tackles, boneheaded mistakes continue to haunt the Cowboys week in and week out. If they want to secure a victory against their division rival they need to play much more soundly in all three phases of the game. Otherwise, a Giants upset seems very realistic.

Howman: The biggest threat here is the remote possibility that the Giants suddenly trade Daniel Jones for Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and a defensive coordinator who understands how to use the personnel in New York. In all seriousness, I have not been this unafraid of the Giants in a long, long time. Outside of Malik Nabers, the offense has zero weapons and their quarterback is extremely volatile when not throwing to his rookie receiver. The defense is doing okay, but they’re way underperforming expectations. And the head coach is a control freak who’s always one bad play away from cursing the names of every one of his players and their families. I am not even remotely worried about this game.

Sean: Allowing the Giants to remain within striking distance appears to be the biggest threat. Early on this seems to be New York’s identity, trusting the defense to keep them in it long enough for Daniel Jones to make the one or two plays that can swing a game. It has been nearly impossible for Jones or any of the Giants play makers to do this in any recent history against the Cowboys, but Malik Nabers is a new face at WR that can give this undermanned secondary problems. The Giants can test the Cowboys pass protection, where one or two sacks that end possessions may be all it takes for the home team to feel they have a chance Thursday.

RJ: My deep fear is that Malik Nabers has something like 12 catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns and that is enough to outdo a Cowboys offense that is still lost at sea.