FRISCO, Texas - As the Cowboys take a much-needed break in the action, we decided to give the staff writers their own "Bye-ology" project to take a closer look at what has happened and what needs to change for the Cowboys to get back on track and make a push for the playoffs.
We've given the writers of Patrik Walker, Tommy Yarrish and Nick Eatman a variety of subjects to answer in their own way.
Desperately, Need this guy back ….
Patrik: DaRon Bland. While Caelen Carson was tossed into the fire, but his injury then thrust Amani Oruwariye into it. With no pass rush, the trio of Bland, Diggs and Lewis could be a saving grace.
Tommy: Eric Kendricks. The Cowboys haven't been tackling well as a whole, so getting their tackling machine back will pay dividends.
Nick: Micah Parsons is the only guy on this team that can truly wreck a game. We saw it in Cleveland. And when he's on, everyone can get better. And yes, the defense has struggled before his injury but they still need him back.
An Alarming stat or trend …
Nick: Coming out of the locker room – either in the first quarter or the third – has been bad for this team. The Cowboys have been outscored 30-9 on game-opening drives and 31-6 to start the third. That comes down to preparation.
Tommy – Offensive redzone struggles. Dak Prescott is tied for the most redzone interceptions (2) in the league and has only completed nine of 23 passes inside the 20.
Patrik – The Cowboys have allowed 167 combined points in their last four home games, third-most in NFL history over a four-game span, having only scored 85 points themselves during the drought.
This guy is better than we thought …
Tommy – I'll go with Cooper Beebe. Center is a hard spot for rookies to play with all the responsibilities they have, but Beebe has held his own.
Nick – And yes, I knew he was already good. But what Brandon Aubrey continues to do is amazing. It's so weird to me that he can line up from 55 yards or so and it's not even a big deal anymore.
Patrik – Marist Liufau: I noted, in OTAs, he has an insanely high football IQ, and I compared his physicality to that of Sean Lee. It's taken him only six games to show both.
Need (much) more from this guy …
Tommy – Dak Prescott. Sure, the run game has struggled to open up the offense, but the highest paid QB in the NFL needs to make plays to help counter that.
Nick – One of my favorite players of all time is Zack Martin. And I get it, players get older and it's not the same. But with the youth on this O-line, the Cowboys need to be able to rely on Martin more than ever.
Patrik – CeeDee Lamb: On this offense, he is him, period. Problem is, there hasn't yet been four quarters of him destroying a defense. It will all go as he does, offensively.
A subtle move this team needs to make …
Tommy: Give Rico Dowdle more carries. Even Mike McCarthy says he wants it to happen. Dowdle's been the best back in the room all year, in my opinion
Patrik: Having trended upward in presnap motion last season, in a big way, the second year of McCarthy's offense has turned this down a bit. Please crank those levels again.
Nick: Not to steal anything from the Lions, but I've always liked when teams bring in "jumbo" packages.
Hey rook, show me what you've got …
Nick: We've been looking all season at Cooper Beebe. And it's been pretty good. But we keep saying this O-line will get better and a big part of that is Beebe continuing to develop.
Patrik: Tyler Guyton: I saw enough against Myles Garrett to know Guyton can be something special, and his work ethic is unmatched. Dig in, head up, no more penalties — be a bully.
Tommy: Tyler Guyton, I'm looking at you. The Cowboys want him to be their left tackle of the future, now he has to play like it.
Expectations between now and Thanksgiving …
Patrik: Impossible to know what comes out of the bye, so I'll lean on recency under McCarthy and expect them to use the humiliation against the Lions, plus the bye, as a launching pad.
Nick: You've split the first six games – oddly enough with undefeated on the road and winless at home. But even if they can manage another split, they'll be in decent shape. While I wouldn't dare look past this 49ers game next on the schedule, the Nov. 3 game in Atlanta seems to be one this team absolutely has to have.
Tommy: Find a way to win at home. The Cowboys are 16-2 over the last two seasons at AT&T Stadium coming into this year, and the fans haven't gone anywhere. Regaining the advantage and confidence on home turf is going to play a big role in how the rest of the season plays out.
