David Helman
NFL Reporter
Ralph Vacchiano
NFL Reporter
The primary six video games of the season for the Dallas Cowboys have felt extra like six years. They’ve seen their Tremendous Bowl desires deteriorate. They’ve seen all their outdated issues resurface. They’ve even misplaced all three of their video games at residence.
And boy, do they ever want their bye week after their humiliating, 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions final Sunday. They’re overwhelmed, bruised and their egos are battered. It’s the excellent time for a relaxation.
However as they take their break, there is not any avoiding how dangerous the begin to their season has been at occasions. Even their 3-0 begin on the street has been propped up by video games towards the Browns (1-5) and Giants (2-4). It is not all horrible. They’re a .500 staff they usually’re just one sport again within the NFC East race.
It simply hasn’t been the championship-caliber begin they anticipated in a season when their proprietor promised they had been “all in.”
So, because the Cowboys take inventory of the place they’re, FOX Sports activities NFL writers David Helman and Ralph Vacchiano will do this too, turning this week’s Cowboys nook right into a not-quite-midseason report card. Listed below are the grades for some key individuals and the staff total:
Head Coach Mike McCarthy
Helman: I have been a longtime defender of McCarthy, as a result of he is introduced a stage of stability to Dallas that the group hadn’t seen in many years. You’ll be able to scoff on the playoff failures all you need, however 2021-23 was the primary time the Cowboys had strung collectively three consecutive playoff appearances since they had been successful championships within the 90s.
With all of that mentioned, I am simply unsure what I am presupposed to defend six weeks into 2024. This staff appears largely abysmal on each side of the ball, and lots of that lies at McCarthy’s toes. He actually deserves some blame for a shaky offensive efficiency, as he’s in his second 12 months because the playcaller. Every thing appears exhausting for that unit. The Cowboys cannot run the ball, their receivers cannot generate separation they usually cannot convert within the pink zone. There are not any “simple” buttons on this offense. A few of that may be on the entrance workplace for failing to improve the personnel, however a very good playcaller can negate a few of that. McCarthy has not.
McCarthy won’t oversee the Dallas protection on a day-to-day stage, however as the top coach, he nonetheless bears some duty for that aspect of the ball — which, yikes.
All in all, I will give McCarthy credit score that the staff is 3-3, and the Cowboys have managed to outplay a number of the manageable groups on their schedule. That is not the expectation or the usual in Dallas, although.
Grade: D-
[Read more: Ranking NFL head coaches on the hot seat: Doug Pederson leads 7 at risk]
Quarterback Dak Prescott
Vacchiano: The bar for the Cowboys quarterback is excessive as a result of he is obtained MVP expertise. However he is actually treading a harmful line this season as a result of he is aware of he has to hold his one-dimensional staff and he actually does not have an incredible array of weapons. The result’s that he tends to power throws at occasions, which is an enormous motive why he is obtained six interceptions to this point and almost had a couple of extra.
To be truthful, he sort of has to power a few of these throws. He must make issues occur, as a result of nobody else on offense will. And the defenses are simply ready for him, as a result of they actually do not respect the Dallas run sport. However sadly for Prescott, he must recapture his MVP type for the Cowboys to be any good. Which means he has to do higher than the eight landing passes he is thrown in his six begins, and lower down on his interceptions since he is on tempo for what can be a ridiculous (and career-high) 17. The turnovers, particularly, must cease, whatever the circumstances.
Grade: B
Proprietor/GM Jerry Jones
Vacchiano: He already obtained an F for the offseason when he handed on all of the out there working backs (together with Derrick Henry, who obtained simply $9 million assured from Baltimore). Now he is handed on out there receivers like Davante Adams (traded to the Jets) and outdated pal Amari Cooper (traded to the Payments). In the meantime, he continues to make the laughable excuse that they do not have the wage cap room so as to add any outdoors assist.
He does get credit score for locking up Prescott and broad receiver CeeDee Lamb to long-term contract extensions and for his plan to lock up Micah Parsons within the offseason. That is nice for the longer term, however what concerning the now? Perhaps he’ll get up earlier than the buying and selling deadline. However for now, the one good factor Jones has performed to assist his staff isn’t panic. He might grow to be reactionary and hearth McCarthy or one thing. However he a minimum of is wise sufficient to acknowledge they’re only one sport again within the NFC East and the division and convention are very ripe for the taking. He simply has to do one thing to assist them take it.
Grade: D
Offense
Vacchiano: The Cowboys have the NFL’s 14th-ranked offense, and it is solely that top due to Prescott and Lamb. There’s nothing else they’ve going for them. They’re arguably essentially the most one-dimensional staff within the NFL. That’s going to be an enormous downside for them going ahead.
Granted, Prescott and Lamb are ok to hold this offense a good distance, particularly in the event that they get sizzling. However the offensive line is beginning to present cracks, and that actually will not assist a dashing assault that ranks lifeless final within the NFL, producing simply 77.2 yards per sport. That is pathetic, however not shocking contemplating the Cowboys determined pairing Rico Dowdle with no matter is left of Ezekiel Elliott was in some way a good suggestion.
If they do not develop (or discover) a working sport or a minimum of a second possibility within the passing sport, they’re doomed to have a middling offense all 12 months.
Grade: B-
Mike McCarthy responds to ‘comfortable’ label for Cowboys following blowout loss to Lions
Protection
Helman: I’ll give Mike Zimmer some credit score for the components right here which are outdoors his management. For starters, accidents have been an actual factor. Zimmer has but to have each of his major corners, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, out there collectively for a sport. That issues for the kind of defenses he likes to run. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence have each additionally been out now for 2 weeks, which makes life powerful on the cross rush. Eric Kendricks additionally sat out of the debacle towards Detroit.
That stuff does matter. It is not a ok of an excuse, although — not contemplating the depth of ineptitude we have seen so far. The Cowboys had been largely wholesome in Week 2 when the Saints ran over them to the tune of 190 yards, and it has been that dangerous ever since. Think about this enjoyable stat: Of their three losses, their opponents have had 31 complete possessions. They’ve scored on 20 of these 31 possessions, which implies the Cowboys are permitting factors 65% of the time their opponent touches the ball. The Saints and Lions each scored on each possession of the primary half! Even when the Dallas offense was enjoying effectively, it would be not possible to win video games enjoying that method. They’re the worst run protection within the league and their cross protection does not do a lot to offset that subject. It is a brutal mixture. They are not even getting takeaways to offset these issues, with simply 5 on the 12 months.
I am not satisfied it is all Zimmer’s fault between accidents and an absence of personnel, however he additionally knew what he signed up for when he agreed to hitch on with a entrance workplace that does not spend in free company and a head coach who’s within the final 12 months of his contract. Even with all of the variables, this stage of execution simply is not ok from an NFL protection.
Grade: F
Particular Groups
Helman: Lastly, one thing encouraging.
It won’t depend for a lot with all the different points, however Brandon Aubrey can formally stake his declare as one of the best kicker in soccer. The man has been on an absolute heater, main the league with 17 made discipline objectives and simply two misses on the 12 months. Roughly half of these makes an attempt have come from past 50 yards, with a mind-bending lengthy of 65. It speaks to the Cowboys’ ineptitude on offense that Aubrey is routinely kicking from past the 35-yard line — however a minimum of he is justifying these choices.
Aubrey’s capacity to hit kicks from the brand means Bryan Anger hasn’t needed to do as a lot work. The Cowboys’ punter has simply 17 makes an attempt this 12 months, which is likely one of the decrease totals within the league.
Add in the truth that KaVontae Turpin has been one of many league’s most harmful returners in each the kick and punt sport, and that is just about the one facet of this Cowboys staff value feeling good about.
Grade: A+
[Read more: ‘Steph Curry of kickers’: Why Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey embraces Tom Brady’s comparison]
Total
Vacchiano: A 3-3 file is OK. Being one sport out of the division lead is OK, particularly with 11 video games nonetheless to go. In reality, for essentially the most half, the Cowboys’ begin to this season has been usually OK.
The issue is that they set their very own bar increased than simply OK. It is not OK that they’re so up and down in a 12 months once they had been so satisfied that that they had sufficient to make a Tremendous Bowl run that they sat out the free-agent market. It is not OK that coming off three straight 12-win seasons they in some way must go 9-2 the remainder of the best way to do it once more. And it isn’t OK that they’re 0-3 at residence and two of the losses had been by a mixed rating of 91-28. In reality, all three would have been blowouts in the event that they hadn’t mounted a livid and futile late rally towards the Ravens.
In the event that they had been a staff beginning over, or a perennial loser just like the Jets, then certain, they might pop the champagne over this and get a mediocre grade. However the usual, as they are saying, is the usual. They usually’re not assembly it proper now.
Grade: C
Helman: The file says they’re mediocre, however man this is likely one of the worst 3-3 groups I can keep in mind watching. For instance my level, this is a enjoyable stat: there are 4 different 3-3 groups within the NFL proper now. These 4 groups have level differentials of +32, +16, 0 and -4. The Cowboys’ level differential is -42. They’re escaping by a median margin of 8 factors of their wins and getting run out of the constructing by a median of twenty-two factors of their losses.
So, to Ralph’s level, they’re actually not assembly the expectation of reaching the playoffs and going past. However as well as, they simply do not appear to be a top quality soccer staff proper now. Even their wins have not been one thing to get enthusiastic about.
The one shiny spot is that they’ve performed sufficient to remain within the dialog. They’re .500 they usually do have a 1-0 file within the division, which is not a horrible place to be. However it should take some critical soul-searching to proper the ship. After this week off, it is back-to-back street journeys to San Francisco and Atlanta, adopted by residence video games towards Houston and Philadelphia. Then, one other street journey to face the upstart Commanders. The subsequent 5 opponents at present have a mixed file of 19-10, and the Cowboys shall be fortunate to be favored in a type of video games. The season’s not over, nevertheless it’s on the ropes.
Grade: D
David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports activities and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He beforehand spent 9 seasons overlaying the Cowboys for the staff’s official web site. In 2018, he gained a regional Emmy for his function in producing “Dak Prescott: A Household Reunion” concerning the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Comply with him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent the earlier six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the New York Day by day Information. Comply with him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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