If there is anything the Cowboys have done consistently this season it is make things harder than they have to be.
The Dallas Cowboys have already had a full season’s worth of ups and downs in 2024 from inconsistent play on the field to having to deal with a ton of injuries. Of course, there’s the Jerry Jones factor as well, which brings much outside attention, as if the Cowboys need any more of that.
Entering Week 9, the Cowboys are 3-4 and are in the midst of a two-game losing streak. Next up is the Atlanta Falcons as the Cowboys shaky defense will have to stop an offense that’s been clicking as of late. However, there are some ways offensively the Cowboys could be effective to keep the game close. Before that takes place, let’s look at three things that we know about Dallas going into Week 9.
Not adding quality talent continues to be a mistake
It’s bad enough that the Cowboys have to deal with injuries. On top of that, they have to deal with the fact that they didn’t add any players that could legitimately make a difference and get them over the hump, which would also help as they wait for guys like Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Marshawn Kneeland to get back from injury.
They brought in defensive linemen Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph, but neither move has produced anything substantial. The Cowboys have needed help in the interior and the edge for quite some time, and they could use another wide receiver before the trade deadline. Team owner Jerry Jones says the team isn’t going to make any moves, and the organization has said that they don’t see any players making an impact. However, they could have signed a guy like edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue off of the Baltimore Ravens practice squad before he was added to their active roster. Also, veteran receivers like Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins have all found new teams, and the draft capital given up wasn’t steep. Other teams continue to work to get better while the Cowboys remain complacent.
The Cowboys refuse to do what works consistently
Dallas had their best performance of the season when it came to pay-calling and adding stuff like motion as well as running the football with a purpose versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Running back Rico Dowdle and wide receiver Jalen Tolbert had their best games of the year, and even the offensive line looked pretty decent for the most part.
Then, the Cowboys played the Detroit Lions, and Mike McCarthy went back to the same vanilla and predictable play calls, and the game got out of hand quickly. The frustrating thing about the loss to the San Francisco 49ers was that the Cowboys woke up and started using pre-snap motion once the score was 27-10, and that forced the defense to think more and they stormed back to make it 30-24 after back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
On the final drive, however, the Cowboys didn’t run many routes to the middle of the field despite the 49ers showing single-high safety looks, and all the pre-snap motion left, which led to a turnover on downs without a single yard gained. The reasoning for McCarthy to abandon what worked is unknown, and it’s head scratching.
Chauncey Golston is finding his way
As mentioned earlier, the Cowboys have needed defensive line help for a minute now. However, one of their in-house guys, Chauncey Golston, had his best game of the season against the 49ers. He showed the ability to set the edge, get off blocks, and play with speed and power. When he first came into the league while playing under Dan Quinn, Golston played on the interior and the edge. Now, it’s clear that the edge is where he can be a more productive player for the Cowboys. It will be important for Golston to continue to elevate his game, because if so, it’s just another body that the Cowboys will have on the edge to get after the quarterback with Parsons, Lawrence, and Kneeland.
