The Dallas Cowboys: Feast or Famine

In a season fraught with derision from the get-go, the Dallas Cowboys are having another rollercoaster season. Fans often find themselves peeking through their fingers as they attempt to hide from the grim reality. They are looking like a bad team again—middle of the road territory. Best offense, worst defense. Going over it with a fine-tooth comb may reveal some of the bugs under the helm.

For the Record

Dak Prescott is typically the ultimate regular season quarterback. If he had completed only three more touchdown passes without an interception, he would have joined Russell Wilson as the only quarterback to ever accomplish that feat in five consecutive games. For fantasy players at least, that would have been just peachy. Actual fans are more concerned about the win. Dak threw two picks and no touchdowns. One way or another, the absence of interceptions could have readily changed the outcome of Sunday’s embarrassment.

Jake Ferguson has had a resurgence this season, averaging more targets, catches and receptions than ever before. He already surpassed his previous best with six touchdowns on the season. And he had the rare opportunity to join Jason Witten as the team’s only other tight end with a five-game touchdown streak. But with no passing touchdowns on the day, it obviously didn’t happen.

There was, however, a record they did at least tie. It’s a doozy, too. They have now lost to the Broncos in eight consecutive games, tying their worst ever streak against the Philadelphia Eagles. That one can’t entirely be blamed on the Jerry Jones era, as it started a couple of year prior to him buying the team.

Banged Up

Trevon Diggs was a bright spot in his first few seasons, even going All-Pro in 2021. Lately, it’s been more of a dim flicker. In fact, he’s not often seen the field since 2022. But his is an interesting situation. He was recovering from a knee injury. He’d been vocal about not appreciating the defensive scheme under Matt Eberflus. Then he showed up dazed and confused with a mystery concussion that he doesn’t wish to discuss publicly. Even before that, Diggs was sometimes playing 10 yards off the receiver on third and one. So, maybe they threw him on the IR in hopes that he’d stop making bonehead decisions.

The Cowboys are in the midst of a crisis at the safety position. Their hardest hitting player and one of the fan favorites, Donovan Wilson, had been dealing with elbow and shoulder dings since the not-so shocking loss to the Carolina Panthers. His absence may have been the most impactful. However, they were also dealing with the loss of Malik Hooker, Alijah Clark and Juanyeh Thomas. Bo Nix was licking his chops and wound up with four TDs a 126.58 QBR.

Actual Good News

Before crying yourself to sleep, there are a few tidbits we can offer for your collective sanity. We can liken it to when the six o’clock news shows a feel-good story about a puppy after 28 minutes of pure horror. Brandon Aubrey is the best kicker in the league. He easily has enough leg to break the all-time distance record, in which he’s already just a yard shy. The offense is good enough to potentially save the season. Javonte Williams has been a powerful addition. Cooper Beebe is coming back soon. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are the most talented wide receiver duo in the league. Despite routinely giving up the big play, the defense has been going after it with more intensity. When they get some of the secondary back, the numbers should improve. Lastly, the Cowboys are currently 2-1 in the division, giving up their only narrow loss to the reigning champs.

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