The Cowboys have some major issues to fix coming out of the bye week.
The Dallas Cowboys are off of their bye week and currently sit at 3-3, which is third in the NFC East. As they look to get back on track after the beat down they received from the Detroit Lions, their old nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers, await them this Sunday. They have suffered even more unfortunate luck on the injury front than the Cowboys have. However, until proven otherwise, the 49ers have their number, and this game will still be tough to win.
Dallas is in the midst of a tough stretch of games with the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans coming up. It’s no secret that the Cowboys have a lot of issues to fix, and it’s going to take some herculean efforts, especially on offense, for them to stay afloat. Here’s what we have learned about the Cowboys as they enter Week 8
Dak Prescott will likely have to be Superman most games
As unfair as it might be, this is where the Cowboys are at. The organization refused to address the running back position in the draft or going after an effective guy in free agency. As a result, Dallas has the worst running game in the NFL at 77.2 yards per game. So, this means that Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have to find a way to regain their chemistry and quick because the Cowboys are pretty much a one-dimensional offense. This also means that head coach Mike McCarthy, who calls the offensive plays, has got to come up with some better route concepts to get these wide receivers open. If not, it’s going to be tough sledding the rest of the season.
The offensive line has got to find some continuity
This ties into the first point. Yes, the Cowboys have two rookies on the offensive line, which means there will undoubtedly be growing pains, especially with both playing new positions. However, this is the seventh game of the year, and some chemistry should have been built at this point, even if it was just a little bit. One key area is how they handle combo blocks. It’s bad right now, and it keeps unrelenting pressure on Prescott. Offensive line coach Mike Solari has to do a better job getting these guys in sync for the Cowboys to have a chance.
Dallas has to be better at scoring to begin each half
It’s always important to begin each half well. For the Cowboys, they haven’t performed on a high level at the start of either. They have a total of nine points on the opening drives of the game and 16 to start the second half. Whereas their opponents have put up 30 points on opening possessions and 31 points to begin the second half. The Cowboys have only matched their opponents twice, scoring wise, in terms of how they begin either half. They have to get much better at scripting their first 15 plays and making adjustments at halftime.
