Step back from that recent Cowboys game in San Francisco, which looked too familiar to fans, resembling other matchups with the 49ers in recent years, and take in the bigger picture. Dallas has ended with a 12-5 record for the past three seasons, and to maintain that streak, they’d need to go (checks notes) 9-1 over their next 10 games.
Maybe the big picture approach isn’t ideal.
The Cowboys’ weekly injury report explains why their defense ranks among the league’s worst. Luckily, Micah Parsons is delivering a Pro Bowl-level podcast season, so not everything is bleak on that side. But the offense is why Dallas finds itself closer to the Giants in the NFC East standings than to the Eagles or Commanders.
Brandin Cooks being on IR shouldn’t dismantle the offense. And if Rico Dowdle missing a game is that concerning, the situation is worrying.
How did things get here? It all traces back to the Trey Lance trade—a deal that made little sense when it happened in 2023 and will only cost Dallas a fourth-round pick. Unless Dak’s performance is so concerning that they’d skip over Cooper Rush and risk playing Lance, who threw five interceptions in his last preseason game against the Chargers.
Or maybe the plan is to keep Lance for next year when he has a $22 million cap hit?
Trading for Lance cost Dallas a running back this season. It might have cost them their running game entirely. By the fourth round, players like Bucky Irving, Ray Davis, and Isaac Guerendo (who ran for 85 yards against Dallas for the 49ers) were off the board, while the Cowboys could only watch. Yes, there were late-round options, like the Giants’ fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy, who recently rushed for 145 yards against Pittsburgh.
Couldn’t the Cowboys have used a Guerendo or Tracy?
But Jerry Jones was more focused on his excitement about Ezekiel Elliott’s return around draft time. That Elliott’s 11-yard run Sunday night became a notable event shows how bleak things are. Who expected he’d still have that in him?
The Cowboys offense still has Dak, CeeDee, tight ends, and their original starting offensive line from the season opener. They ranked first, fourth, and first in scoring over the last three seasons. Now, they sit at 22nd.
In rushing yards, they were ranked ninth, ninth, and 14th over the last three years. Now, they’re 32nd. If the ground game is that bad, a team needs a passing game dynamic enough to deliver 300 yards every week. Dallas doesn’t have that.
It all starts with Jones and his poor planning, which has become frequent in recent years. He paid Zeke generously in 2019 when other teams were avoiding large contracts for running backs. Now, he’s mistaken avoiding high pay for not needing them. Dowdle leads the team, ranked 39th in rushing, and Prescott isn’t ranked in the top 35 among rushing quarterbacks, offering no extra help.
Analyzing Mike McCarthy’s play-calling over this season and a half, it’s hard to see it as an upgrade over Kellen Moore’s approach. Moore’s last two offenses ranked first and 11th in total yards, while McCarthy’s ranked fifth last year and 15th now. While no single call stands out as damaging (besides first-and-10 runs), this offense lacks creativity, relying mainly on Lamb’s skills to keep from being entirely ineffective.
As for Dak, a 3-4 record reflects his responsibility, as it does with any quarterback. He’s 23rd in QBR and 24th in passer rating, far from what the Cowboys are paying him to deliver. His 63.7% completion rate is his lowest since 2017. Only three quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, and Jordan Love) have more interceptions, yet they are still contributing enough to lead winning teams.
Should the Cowboys consider adding a running back before next week’s deadline? Would it make a difference now? The team could be 3-5 soon, facing slim playoff hopes. Why sacrifice another pick when they’ve already given up one for a quarterback who may never play a meaningful snap?
It all traces back to Trey Lance, and, as usual, these troubles lead back to Jerry.