Every week, we gather to discuss 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 Jorge Guajardo
, Dyllan Rivers, Tom Ryle and Sean Martin.What was the biggest problem that the Cowboys had against the Giants in opening week?
MIKE: Dallas’ biggest issue was the defense not getting off the field. The Cowboys allowed 9-of-11 third-down conversions, missed seven tackles, gave up 165 combined rushing yards, and let Jaxson Dart finish 23-of-29 with three touchdowns. The Giants also controlled the ball
for nearly 37 minutes, which shaped the whole game and kept the Cowboys offense off the field. That all boils down to one issue, the defense playing efficient football, very simple.
JORGE: The defense is still really bad, and the effort and attention to detail were poor in Week 1. Four Cowboys linebackers- Winters, Overshown, Houston and Lawrence were given PFF grades between 34 and 42.
DYLLAN: The Giants tried their best to serve up five turnovers. Dallas only accepted one of those gifts. On a night where the defense allowed the Giants to methodically move down the field and chew up clock, those turnovers would have gone a long way in turning the tide.
SEAN: Not winning at the point of attack, or getting in on a record-breaking Sunday elsewhere around the league for offense despite the expectations on that side of the ball. The Giants brain trust on offense is way too experienced now to not expect them to dominate the game if they’re not worried about negative plays or pass rush, and that’s exactly what happened as the Giants imposed their will up front. The possessions for the offense were limited by this, every mistake was magnified as a result, and when even veteran players like Javonte Williams make that list for critical mistakes, it’s asking a whole lot to win on the road against anyone in this league. Humble pie was served, Jersey diner style.
TOM: Let’s take an overhead view and say that Brian Schottenheimer and his staff just got pantsed by John Harbaugh and crew. They had a plan and carried it out very well, with only the sloppiness with the ball to really mar things. They mocked the defense, stymied the offense, and just looked like a team that was miles and miles ahead in preparation and motivation.
What’s the biggest improvement you want to see this Sunday against Washington?
MIKE: The biggest improvement has to be defensive discipline, especially on third down. Against the Giants, Dallas kept giving New York manageable situations, then failed to finish drives with stops. That cannot happen against Washington and Jayden Daniels, because if the rush lanes get sloppy or the tackling is loose, he can turn broken plays into back-breakers.
JORGE: Removing excuses. Cleaning up the miscues, making adjustments and upping the effort will be vital to properly assess this team’s deficiencies, particularly on defense.
DYLLAN: Physicality up front. Our defensive tackles are too good to be bullied in the middle of the field. And let us see the outside guys stay home to set the edge instead of consistently crashing down, leaving a void for the mobile QB to take advantage of.
SEAN: Running the ball better. Since Dan Quinn has been in Washington, Cowboys fans haven’t been shy talking about the deficiencies in the Commanders run defense, which were of course an issue when Quinn was here as well. Be it by better defense or a better run game, the Cowboys need to show more around Dak Prescott for it not to be all on his shoulders like it was Sunday night, and I have more faith in Javonte Williams plus the offensive line in this game than I do the defense improving much right now.
TOM: Could we get more third down stops. Oh, wait, given that they only had two all game, how about just getting more than one a half? Admittedly, the Cowboys were almost as good at converting, but with the way the Giants controlled the ball and the clock, this was one of the bigger nails in the coffin.
Dallas was hurt by penalties and missed chances in Week 1. Is discipline still the biggest concern with this team?
MIKE: Think this goes without saying, discipline is still the biggest concern. Penalties, missed tackles, blown assignments and wasted chances all feed into the same issue, Dallas is making the game harder than it needs to be. Against the Giants, it was not just that mistakes happened, it was when they happened. Drives were extended, field position was lost, and the Cowboys failed to cash in moments where they could have taken control.
JORGE: I would say discipline and focus are monumental concerns. George Pickens’ drops and the lack of detail and care on the defensive side are key indicators of that. The Giants ended up with more penalties and yards by game’s end, but the Cowboys’ penalty timing is still really bad.
DYLLAN: Overall discipline is still a concern. From penalties to individual responsibilities, the players just weren’t ready. Too many dropped passes, untimely penalties, and leaving plays on the field. This needs to be quickly corrected to avoid 0-2.
SEAN: I actually don’t think so. Clearly the Cowboys had moments where they were undisciplined in this loss, but I see it as more under the umbrella of just being outcoached. Players were not put in the best position to win compared to the Giants.
TOM: Dallas has had a real problem with excessive penalties for years now, and to me, that just screams undisciplined play. It is a hard pill to swallow given how much talk there was about culture building, but there is still so very far to go.
RAPID FIRE
Who scores first for Dallas?
Jorge – Cee Dee Lamb gets a redzone TD
Dyllan – Jake Ferguson gets involved with a redzone TD
Sean – George Pickens
Tom – Assuming he’s not in the doghouse over that idiotic taunting penalty, I’ll go with Javonte Williams again this week.
Dak Prescott passing yards, over/under 272.5?
Jorge – Over
Dyllan – Over – big bounce back game from Dak and the offense
Sean – Over
Tom – Under, until shown otherwise
CeeDee Lamb receptions, over/under 7.5?
Jorge – Under; he gets six
Dyllan – Give me a holistic offensive onslaught with the three WRs and TE. I’ll go under.
Sean – Over by a half, I’ll say he gets eight
Tom – Under as they spread it around
Javonte Williams rushing yards, over/under 76.5?
Jorge – Under, Dak will continue to drive the offense until Tyler Smith gets back
Dyllan – Javonte gets a ton of work late in the game to drain the clock. I’ll take the over.
Sean – Over would be nice.
Tom – Over, if they want to win
Dallas sacks on Jayden Daniels, over/under 3.5?
Jorge – Under, I think the Cowboys would be lucky to get a sack.
Dyllan – Not sure Dallas has the guys to consistently pursue Jayden. I’ll take the under.
Sean – Way under.
Tom – Under
Cowboys margin of victory, over/under 5.5?
Jorge – Under, defense will continue to struggle but Dak and the offense find a way to bounce back.
Dyllan – Big bounce back week in front of the home crowd. I’ll take the over
Sean – Over
Tom – Forgive the pessimism, but I’m not assuming a win. Under
