Jerry Jones isn’t willing to panic, even if the rest of Cowboys Nation does.
Dallas Cowboys‘ The “all-in” owner was in favor of continuing the shaky course after the Cowboys lost again, this time at home on Sunday Baltimore Ravens. he seems to love it it He refuses to address the team’s obvious problems.
And he’s not concerned that Dallas has started 1-2 this season.
Whether or not he should be worried is up for debate, but there’s no doubt his team is facing a crucial game on a short week as the Cowboys face a team in New Jersey. new york giants (1-2) on Thursday night. A 1-3 finish was unimaginable two weeks ago, but the Cowboys’ myriad flaws have been exposed during their shaky start.
So, what are the biggest issues and questions facing America’s Team heading into their crucial Week 4 matchup? FOX Sports NFL writers David Helman and Ralph Vacchiano break it all down in our latest edition of Cowboys Corner.
1. Was Dallas’ near-comeback in the fourth quarter against Baltimore a good sign for the future, or just meaningless, worthless timeout points?
Vacchiano: It’s always nice when a team shows some kind of life. It will certainly instill some confidence for Dak Prescott and the offense. This is still a very good defense they rallied against, even if the Ravens sat back a bit and the Cowboys were helped by an onside kick. But no one should get too mad. Those were mostly meaningless, garbage-time points and yards.
When it mattered most, when it was still a game, the Cowboys were mostly a disaster. And while it’s hard to say there were any good signs for the future, the Cowboys’ two biggest problems in the fourth quarter are still evident: They can’t run, and they can’t stop the run. If anything, their final hurrah was a reminder that Prescott is really good and can put up big numbers when needed. But he still isn’t getting much help.
Hemline: We have to be strict with our definition of “garbage time,” because holding a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter is not a safe position in the NFL. Go to the tape of the fourth quarter of Cowboys-Ravens, and you’ll see Baltimore doing everything it usually does. They attacked Dak Prescott, they hid the coverage, they simulated pressure. There was nothing “garbage” about that rally. The more important question is why it took three quarters for the Cowboys’ offense to get to that level of functionality. I’d call that encouraging but not sustainable. The Cowboys have to find a way to be more balanced, and it would help tremendously if they could have a few games where they aren’t trailing by 10-plus as they exit the gate.
2. The Cowboys beat the Giants twice last season by a combined score of 89-17. But now they’re both 1-2 and their seasons are in disarray. Has the gap between these teams closed at all, or should Thursday night be another easy win for Dallas?
Hemline: I’m not exaggerating when I say this game will tell me everything about the state of the Cowboys. The Giants’ overall talent level has improved, and malik nabors There is a baller. I still think there is a solid gap between these two squads. If the Cowboys don’t reach daniel jones and create, or at least prevent, turnovers, then I’m not optimistic about this defense finding its footing. And conversely, if Dak Prescott can’t take advantage of a Giants defense that has been overly blitz-happy the past two weeks, Dallas has some major problems.
Vacchiano: Yes, the gap has narrowed in the sense that the Cowboys aren’t as good as a year ago and the Giants aren’t as bad. However, I’m not sure it’s narrowed that much. They’re both 1-2 and the Cowboys have looked pretty bad the last two weeks, but I still think they’re generally a good, deep team. And if you go by the depth chart, the Cowboys are better at every single position group. That doesn’t mean this game will be 40-0 or 49-17.
The Giants were blown out in their first game against the Cowboys last year because their offensive line was a total failure, and they lost the second game because their quarterback was terrible. Tommy DeVitoThe line has been much better this season and Daniel Jones is having two good games; these upgrades alone should help the Giants stay on the winning track. Winning is a different story, but they shouldn’t lose badly twice like they did last year.
3. Have the Saints and Ravens shown the NFL the blueprint for beating the Cowboys? Will teams now try to dominate them for the entire game?
Vacchiano: Yes, they did. And other teams should follow suit, although to be honest, none of it was really surprising. The secret to beating the Cowboys is to dominate them with the ball offensively and do whatever is necessary to stop them. CD Lamb On defense, because the Cowboys can’t run or stop the run. They weren’t good at either last year, and they didn’t do much in the offseason to improve, so the blueprint is really clear.
The Cowboys are going to be vulnerable against any strong rushing team on their schedule, and even weak rushing teams will stay on the field — at least until Dallas’ defense improves. Of course, shutting down Lamb won’t be that easy. He’s going to have his big games at some point. But he’s the only player in the Cowboys’ offense that opposing teams should really be worried about.
Hemline: I usually think the “blueprint” thing is overrated — but not when you can’t stop the run. There are currently five teams in the NFL that haven’t allowed that many rushing yards On the weather Just like the Cowboys did against the Ravens. When you struggle like that, teams target you. My only question for this week is whether the Giants have the scheme and personnel to replicate the success of the Saints and Ravens. If New York can do it, I think that means anyone in the league can do it – which puts the Cowboys in huge trouble.
4. CeeDee Lamb has gotten off to a very quiet start this season, catching just 54.2% of the passes thrown to him. Is this just a result of him sticking around longer in the summer, or is it a warning sign that teams are capable of moving him away?
Hemline: Why can’t it be both? Lamb is certainly getting back into game shape. He told reporters last week that he and Prescott are still working on “training camp things.” But I also think it’s fair to be concerned about the options behind Lamb, and how much attention defenses can put on him. If we’re looking for positives from the loss to Baltimore, it was encouraging to see jake ferguson And Jalen Tolbert Both players are great performers. That should continue to be the case. But the most important thing is that Lamb needs to improve his game.
Vacchiano: I think this is a pretty predictable result of his holdout. As good as he is, and as familiar as he is with his quarterback, a receiver can’t just come in without any practice time and expect to be completely in sync with the QB. We’ve seen this over and over again in the NFL. The slightest miss in timing or in the way routes are run can be the difference between a catch and an incompletion. Lamb caught just 13 of the 24 passes thrown to him en route to 218 yards and a touchdown. It’s impossible to say how many of the 11 misses were timing issues, but it’s a good bet that more than half of them were.
Of course, the good news is that by now you’d think Prescott and Lamb would have had enough time to get their timing back, so they’ll probably have to match up in a big game. Sure, Lamb will be covered a lot — he’s by far the best thing about the Cowboys’ offense. But that was true last season, too, and he still caught 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. So, no, no one has figured out how to completely remove him. He’s very likely to turn his slow start into a big year.
5. Jerry Jones said Sunday that he is “completely” confident in this team’s personnel and doesn’t see any need to go out and make a major trade. Is he delusional, or is he right that this team is good enough to turn its season around?
Vacchiano: Completely and utterly confused. … Well, maybe not completely. The Cowboys are good, and they will likely turn their season around. But remember where the standards are. It’s basically the Super Bowl or bust in Dallas, and if Jones thinks this team, as it is, can make the Super Bowl with its current roster, he’s crazier than everyone thinks. The Cowboys should … Some?. Trades aren’t easy, and it’s not like other teams are going to give up an All-Pro defensive tackle or running back — the two positions the Cowboys need to address the most. But Jones has to at least try. Or maybe he could negotiate a deal for Carolina’s additional running back Miles Sanders. Or, honestly, even a No. 2 receiver could give this team a boost.
There’s talk around the league that Amari Cooper — the No. 2 receiver the Cowboys should have kept a few years ago — could be on the block at some point. Big, bold moves can really boost a team’s chances and give them the kick in the back they need to move forward. At this point, Jones would be making a mistake in just staying stagnant and not at least exploring other options. Because if he can add a key player and it only costs him draft picks? How can he justify not making a move like that?
Hemline: The thing about the Cowboys is that they’re a stubborn group. They don’t want to overspend in free agency, they don’t want to pay top dollar for their players, and they don’t want to admit their mistakes until they have to. We’ve seen this song and dance before, including in 2018 when they cut Dez Bryant and didn’t adequately replace him until a 3-4 record forced them to make a move for Amari Cooper.
Now, I’m not ready to say the Cowboys will make that kind of splash, but they are willing to change their tune when they need to. So, either this team comes out and proves Jerry right, or he changes his tune. Personally, I think it’s more likely that he changes his tune than he’s proven right. I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way to add a running back or defensive tackle in the next 5-6 weeks.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL reporter for Fox Sports. He spent the last six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, spent 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter @RalphVacciano,
David Hellman covers the NFL for Fox Sports and hosts the NFL on Fox podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he wrote a column for “Dak PrescottRead “A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @davidhelman_,
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