FRISCO, Texas – That the Dallas Cowboys are 3-3 going into Sunday's bye is not the end of the world.
That they lost two games 44-19 and 47-9 sort of flattens out the earth, with that proverbial edge seemingly in focus.
So why? Why such an unexpected uneven start to this 2024 season that still has 11 games remaining, but a rough road ahead, with games coming up on the road against San Francisco and Atlanta, then home games against Philadelphia and Houston, then a road game against the surprising Commanders – all five of those teams either in first place or tied for first place in their respective divisions?
The reasons are many. Too many of those reasons are of the intangible variety, un-documentable excuses that seem to arrive out of thin air whenever something like this happens, as if listed in the book of obvious. Not tough enough. Don't practice hard enough. Not enough grit. Soft. Poor coaching. Poor preparation.
Few want to highlight the injuries this team has incurred over the first six weeks of the season, nine starters MIA against the Lions this past Sunday, four of those still on in injured reserve. There is a chance five of those nine could return in time for the San Francisco game.
Then there is the defense, where seven of those nine injured players reside, along with at times over these first six weeks having started as many as 10 players in no more than their second year in the NFL.
"If you underestimate what being wounded on one side of the ball or the other side of the ball (means), playing complementary football is not really valid . . . compensating for that on the other side of the ball," says Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
And of course, the Cowboys struggles in the run game, the inability to score touchdowns in the Red Zone, a turnover differential of minus-6, the inability to consistently stop the run and the connection between Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb on separate pages are certainly reasonable.
But to me taking all this into account, the 65th version of these Cowboys must lean on this offense averaging 29.9 points a game last year but a mere 21 this year to keep their heads above water during these unhealthy and growing pains times.
To do so means this offensive line must play better, must play more consistently, and the Cowboys absolutely must get their best five out there together playing with continuity. This does not fall on but one or two guys. Does not fall on the two rookies, Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe.
Talking a unit here.
"The thing for us is if you can get those five guys back playing together," says offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, "I think that's what we feel gives us the best chance at success moving forward."
Schottenheimer is being real, especially when pointing out, "We're being battle test."
Face it, offensive line play affects everything, and that's no revelation. If the offensive line isn't blocking well, then the running backs aren't running well. If the offensive line is not protecting well, and it's not, then the quarterback is not playing well. And if the quarterback is not playing well, then the receivers and tight ends can't possibly be productive.
That means the bottom line becomes Brandon Aubrey kicking too many field goals, the team not scoring enough points, consequently the defense is under siege when playing from behind.
Consider this:
The Cowboys trailed the Saints during the second quarter 35-13. Trailed the Ravens 28-6 after three quarters. Trailed the Steelers 10-6, then 17-13 as late as the fourth quarterback. Trailed the Lions 34-6 after the first possession of the third quarter.
The fact the Cowboys are dead last running the ball does not rest solely on the shoulders of the running backs. The inability to consistently run block and falling behind is the main reason. Let me give you two quick examples from this past game.
The Cowboys took the game's opening possession and drove from their own 30 to a first-and-10 at the Detroit 18. Cowboys call a smoke screen to CeeDee Lamb. That the inexperienced T.J. Bass at left guard missed his block on the back side led to but a two-yard gain. After in incompletion to Lamb in the end zone, on third down the line allows Aiden Hutchinson to barrel down up the middle on Dak, his desperation short pass incomplete.
Field goal.
On the second possession, now trailing 7-3, the Cowboys drive from their own 30 to a first-and-10 at the Lions 12. First play Tyler Smith, having moved from left guard to left tackle in place of the injured Guyton, misses his block. Ezekiel Elliott, who took the handoff at the 15, is hit in the backfield, falling forward for just minus-1, a bad start to what turned into Dak being intercepted in the end zone trying to be greedy. Maybe desperate already.
By time the Cowboys got the ball back it's 10-3. Rico Dowdle goes for five, but under intense pressure Dak's pass to Jake Ferguson is high and incomplete. And on third down, with the Lions now blitzing, Dak is forced to throw with two Lions barreling down on him. Incomplete. And by the time the Cowboys got the ball back again, it's 17-3.
And if you want one more possession, Zeke runs for no gain, then incomplete to Lamb and on third down Dak is sacked. Now 20-3 within six minutes.
When it comes to Next Gen Stats, the Cowboys average carry before contact is 1.1 yards, just140 yards on 133 attempts. Their average gain is 3.5 yards, dead last in the NLF when the NFL team average is 4.5. And the protection hasn't been significantly better.
The Cowboys are hoping by time they enter Levi's Stadium Guyton is healthy enough and practiced enough to start at left tackle, with Smith returning to left guard. That Zack Martin, who missed all the heavy work leading up to the Lions game with a balky back, is good as new. That these five guys will have a chance to practice as many as four days together.
And while it's just not as easy as it might seem plugging two rookies in at starters at left tackle and center, it's a matter of those guys going through the growing pains a rookie must when jumping from college to the NFL, of hey, even Beebe, jumping from guard/tackle his entire collegiate career to NFL center.
Says Cowboys veteran offensive line coach Mike Solari of the difficulty incorporating those rookies into the starting five, "I think gaining that experience, that knowledge, that pre-snap read, the feel, and with that, young guys being able to work with that man next to him. Having that feel, working as one and that great communication, that communication along all from inside out.
"We're improving there, and we still need more improvement."
The talk all week long has centered across the board, offense and defense, on "fundamentals" and "details." If one assistant coach said it, they all said it, falling in line with head coach Mike McCarthy's words on Monday.
The hope is – the darn sure need is – six weeks of experience for many of these young guys thrown into the fray by design or necessity, will begin to pay dividends over the final 11 weeks of the season.
"We have the ability to improve," Jones says of the offensive line, adding, "We got to get better."
One of the telltale signs on offense is the combined number of runs plus completions, a stat McCarthy watches closely. During the win over Pittsburgh, that total was 60: 31 runs and 29 completions. In the blowout loss to the Lions, the number ended up 34. The goal rests between 50 and 60, so not even close.
While those tallied numbers are dependent on just who is touching the ball: Running backs, quarterbacks, receivers, yet all their production depends on the big five upfront playing effectively. Yes, the offensive line.
Say what you want on all that other stuff. But if you are looking for tangible reasons why 3-3, if you are looking for tangible reasons why 44-19 and 47-9 losses, let all this sink in.
No need to make stuff up.
