Post by: Matt Meyer | Sports Morning & Sports Animal College Football Gameday Producer | @bluto51 on Twitter
Here we go again. A common refrain for us Cowboys fans, even more painful every time we say it. What’s going to go wrong this time? How are they going to lose now? Seems we’ve seen it all over the last 26 seasons, each without a Super Bowl championship and with only four playoff wins to think about, one of which coming in the season immediately following the last championship. That’s 3 playoff wins in a quarter century. Hope we all enjoyed the mid 90’s.
Will such success ever return? I don’t think it will until the man at the top changes. Craig Humphreys recently said on Sports Morning that over the last decade, only the Chiefs have drafter more All Pro players since the Cowboys. What does that tell you about a team who’s only won two playoff games in that time? Tells me anyone can see Zack Martin or Micah Parsons can play. Can the people (more accurately, person, committee of one) fill out a roster deep enough to compete for championships? The evidence indicates no.
Dak Prescott is a good player. Better than alot of what’s out there. He hasn’t proven to be an elite player, at the level of Brady, Rodgers, Mahomes, or others. Unfair? Maybe, but that’s the standard for a team that has had Staubach and Aikman. I’ll be interested to see the distribution of work between Elliott and Tony Pollard. If Elliott can stay healthy, I still think he can be a really good back, maybe better than that, but injuries keep popping up. Derailed a great start for him last season. Not a criticism, just a fact. I’m high on Pollard. Get him the ball.
The days of the Cowboys having a great offensive line are over for the time being. Martin is still a terrific guard, but there’s a whole lot of average and unproven everywhere else. Terence Steele was improved last season from his rookie year, as one could expect. Hope that continues. Tyron Smith is one of my favorite Cowboys of the last 20 seasons, but another injury has knocked him out for the majority of the season. Count me as worried about Prescott’s blind side.
CeeDee Lamb is a very talented player, but is he a number 1 receiver in this league, on the level of Adams, Kupp, and others? Cowboys could really use him to such, particularly without Gallup and Washington early. I like Schultz at TE. Dependable, reliable, if not an elite athlete. Offense should be alright, as long as the offensive line can do their job.
This defense is very interesting to me. Much improved from 2020, but putting 11 warm bodies on the field guaranteed that. Historically wretched two seasons ago, they were better last year. However, much of that can be attributed to creating so many turnovers a season ago, led be Trevon Diggs. I’m a huge fan of his and loved the pick when they made it. Leading the league in picks is great, but he also gave up a ton of yards in coverage, one stat that I’ve seen suggests more yards than anyone else in the league. Can he improve down after down and be a lockdown corner? Would be a huge boost to this defense.
Micah Parsons is a superstar. Anxious to see how teams try to account for him in protection and how others take advantage of the extra attention Parsons will demand. Others meaning DeMarcus Lawrence. Ability is there, playmaking hasn’t always been. Weak part of this defense is the interior of the defensive line. Would love for former Sooner Neville Gallimore to become a mainstay. Heck I’d love anyone to become a mainstay.
Oh yeah, Leighton Vander Esch still plays LB for the Cowboys. Could’ve fooled me. It’s seemingly been 12 years since his rookie season.
Back to the turnovers created. Turnover margin is the most important stat in football, but it’s not always a stat that carries over from year to year. Another such stat is return TD’s, also something the Cowboys led the league in a season ago. Can’t expect that again this season. There’s some talented guys on this defense. There’s also a lot of average or worse, which is what I expect from this defense this season, average or worse.
Every time I run down the Cowboys’ schedule and play the win/loss game, a fool’s errand since who knows who gets hurt and who will be in playoff contention late in the season, I come up with 11-6. Seems too optimistic to me. Cowboys go 10-7, earn a wild card spot, and lose in the first round. Gut tells me that’s even too optimistic.
The frustration continues.