The Dallas Cowboys have descended into a deeply unsettling territory where their ongoing performances have become a recurring nightmare. For three straight weeks, we have gone into a game with this level of excitement only to realize that this team isn’t very good. They get us every time. How can we be such suckers!
The reason we fall for it is because they do have talent. Yes, more of that talent is on the offensive side of the ball, but there is no excuse for this team to be playing as poorly as they are.
No excuse.
The loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was especially frustrating because the offense, supposedly the dependable side of this team, never found a comfortable rhythm. To be fair, the Bucs have a good defense, but there was still an expectation that Dallas would move the ball and create enough offense to control the game.
Instead, the Tampa defense brought pressure, put Dak Prescott in tough spots, and forced the Cowboys into uncomfortable situations. Prescott had escaped a few dangerous throws in previous games when deflections fell harmlessly away, but this time, his luck ran out.
The bigger concern was that Brian Schottenheimer and the offense didn’t have an effective counterpunch. CeeDee Lamb was completely neutralized. Tyler Smith returned but could not spark the running game, and even the later success involving George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy didn’t come easily, as both of them had to make incredible catches in traffic. Sadly, this team cannot survive if they experience any type of lingering offensive drought.
That is because of the real problem with this football team. The major problem. The Cowboys’ defense. There is no nice way to articulate it. This unit is outright terrible right now.
The tackling has become sloppy and the coverage breakdowns have become straight-up embarrassing. Even when this team is hustling around looking as if they’re going to make a huge play, their grabby hands will come up empty and shifts into a big play for the opposing offense. And this is happening all the time.
It’s hard to explain why this is happening. It’s about as puzzling as why DaRon Bland can’t stay upright and is always tripping over the ground, allowing a receiver to graze in wide-open spaces. And that is what the secondary does. Receivers are left unattended, assignments are missed, and communication disappears at the worst possible time.
The most aggravating part is that they are showing no sign of improving. After the big play to Zay Flowers late in the game against the Baltimore Ravens that only took six seconds and cost them the game, you would expect such a thing to sting to the point where they would be like, never again! Instead, two games later, the Cowboys’ defense surrendered a completely inexcusable 3rd-and-21 conversion when they ever-so-desperately needed a stop.
And Tampa made it look easy. That makes it even more annoying. Opponents arrive with a plan, and the Cowboys spend the afternoon reacting to it. That seems like a pretty good indicator that a team is being outcoached.
We know things are bad, but where do the Cowboys go from here? That is difficult to answer because the offense still has enough talent to make noise. Prescott, Lamb, Pickens, a capable offensive line, and a functional rushing attack should form one of the league’s better groups. And they are on most days.
Expecting the offense to produce at a high level isn’t unreasonable. It is the minimum requirement if the Cowboys want to remain relevant. The problem is that there is almost no margin for error because of what is happening on the other side of the ball.
Dallas cannot casually take a few possessions off while the offense searches for answers, because the defense is not equipped to keep the game within reach. Every possession carries extra weight, and every stalled drive feels like the beginning of the end.
The defense must find a way to be better. Asking for a takeaway almost seems absurd. A takeaway? How about they just get a stop? Make tackles. Stay disciplined. Communicate assignments. Get the correct calls in. Get off the field on third down. If they could somehow just do some of the basic things, it would feel transformational.
The schedule will not wait, either. Tougher opponents and better quarterbacks are coming, and even modest progress may not be enough by then.
There are reasons for some hope. Joey Porter Jr. should help. Quinnen Williams is still a great player. And rookie defenders such as Caleb Downs, Jaishawn Barham, and Malachi Lawrence offer potential. The supply cabinet is not empty. They have some tools.
That’s what makes the current performance hard to excuse. Christian Parker and his staff must turn this talent into a defense that understands its responsibilities and executes them. The question is whether meaningful change can happen quickly enough. A late-season rise to mediocrity seems like the ceiling for this group, but it will likely be too little, too late.
And while Parker’s failures have been on full display, Schottenheimer’s leadership deserves scrutiny as well. We’re not talking about the trivial stuff. No one should be overly bothered by the failed two-point attempt or trotting Brandon Aubrey out there for a long field goal only for it to get blocked. Criticize the execution, not the decision.
The real concern with Schottenheimer is that he appears to believe this team is better than it has shown. His calm demeanor can keep him composed in a difficult post-game interview, but it also screams complacency when the same problems continue to happen.
That was one of the most frustrating traits of the Mike McCarthy era. The belief that Dallas was basically fine and only needed minor adjustments. It was often good enough to win regular-season games, but never good enough to accomplish anything significant.
Schottenheimer preaches accountability, yet the Cowboys keep repeating unaccountable football. At some point, there needs to be a sense of urgency. Nobody is asking him to throw furniture, but a little visible frustration would at least suggest the alarm is sounding inside the facility. Right now, the Cowboys look too comfortable with problems that should make everyone uncomfortable. And that’s not a good sign.
That leaves the Cowboys in an awkward place. It is hard to imagine this team making serious noise this season, but there should be urgency in identifying how they can improve and who the people are that are going to help them achieve that noise one day. Which young players can become dependable contributors? Who needs to be replaced? The Cowboys brought in plenty of new faces, and the remaining schedule should provide a clear evaluation period.
The positive is that there is enough talent to build around, but they are pressed for time. The Dak Prescott window is entering its final stages, so patience is not a luxury the organization can afford. The Cowboys have also borrowed more from future cap resources than they typically do. Fans want the front office to go all out. Well, they got it, but aggressive moves carry consequences when the wins do not follow.
That makes this season particularly disappointing. The division remains up for grabs, and nobody has taken firm control of the NFC, yet the Cowboys cannot take advantage. The road only gets tougher from here. For fans, all we can do is search for progress, guard our optimism, and prepare for more turbulent waters.
