“America’s team,” the Dallas Cowboys, are often at the forefront of discussion surrounding the National Football League (NFL). This year, however, Cowboys news has all been negative. Is it for good reason? 

Sadly, I say, yes, it is. Head coach Mike McCarthy needs to re-evaluate who they’re throwing the ball to, and who is running the ball downfield. They need to switch it up and try new plays, instead of the same old, same old. The defense all-around needs a reworking — under defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, they seem less enthusiastic than they were last season under Dan Quinn. And the Cowboys’ owner needs to take responsibility for his lack of action.

The infamous owner, president and general manager,  Jerry Jones, has been completely ignorant of any criticisms made toward him and the team. In fact, when questioned about his decisions this season, he (basically) threatened to fire the hosts of 105.3 “The Fan,” the popular radio show dedicated to the Cowboys. However, Jones isn’t the only one to blame. 

Let’s recap the team’s circumstances. In the offseason, the Cowboys made no moves. They re-signed running back Ezekiel Elliott, and did just about nothing else. The star wide receiver, Ceedee Lamb and quarterback, Dak Prescott, held out until the start of the season for huge payouts. Among this, they lost the following players to free agency: Tyron Smith, (Jets), Tony Pollard, (Titans), Dorance Armstrong, (Commanders), Tyler Biadasz, (Commanders), Dante Fowler, (Commanders), Neville Gallimore, (Dolphins), Noah Igbinoghene, (Commanders) and Johnathan Hankins, (Seahawks). They also cut Michael Gallup and Leighton Vander Esch. Last, but not least, the team lost Stephon Gilmore (Vikings). 

Additionally, there is an extensive injury list plaguing the team. Key defensive players like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and DaRon Bland are out for the foreseeable future. It’s holding the Cowboys back – and allowing an insane amount of points to be scored from their opponents so far, leaving Dallas with huge deficits to overcome in the rest of the season. 

The loss of players is astounding, and has left the team aching for talent. In true Jones fashion, he remained adamant that the team was better than ever, and as usual, in Super Bowl contention conversations. 

But are they?

Currently, the team has a 3-5 record, and has notably lost every home game. Last year, they were undefeated at home. It’s clear to me that the lack of offseason moves is a major factor in the team’s performance. 

Firstly, their running game is awful. There’s no other way to put it. When I see them setting up for a running play, I fall to my knees screaming, “NO!” After their first six games, they had a total of 463 running yards and two touchdown runs, ranked dead last in the NFL. 

Jones has specifically taken a lot of flak for not trying to sign running back Derrick Henry. Henry, who leads the NFL in rushing yards, would have been a huge addition to the team. Jones stated that Henry didn’t fit in with their offense.

“I don’t know if he’d be having that career year in our situation,” Jones said.

Well, Jones (if you’re reading this), what’s great is that you can always change the offensive plan a bit! It’s obviously not working currently…

I think the Cowboys are also going about running the ball all wrong. Rico Dowdle has had a few explosive moments, but isn’t given the ball enough. He sadly didn’t play due to illness in the game against the 49ers – Elliott had the most rushing yards for the team, a low 36. Elliott, the returning star, has had a dim light on the field: he’s usually stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Deuce Vaughn has also been an unexpected talent, due to his shorter stature, but he’s also not the answer to the Cowboys’ drastic need. Dowdle has the most rushing yards: 246 yards from a total of 59 attempts. Give him the ball. Be strategic with the plays: Elliott should be used for what he’s best at, punching in the ball with short yardage, whether that be third down attempts or rushes in the endzone. There seems to be an issue where they attempt multiple rushing plays to no avail, then end up turning the ball over by running out of downs.

That’s because one of their largest issues is their lack of players to actually catch the ball. Again, there were no attempts to recruit a star or even an up and coming wide receiver to reign in Prescott’s throws. The pressure has fallen almost completely to Lamb, star wide receiver of the Cowboys. He leads the team’s passing yards with 660, ranked fourth in the NFL standings. However, it’s not feasible to only target him. There are some key players I feel are simply not being targeted enough. Tight end Jake Ferguson (or as I refer to him, “Big Ferg”), is an absolute beast with barely any targets this season thus far. KaVontae Turpin, who is the punt returner on special teams and a wide receiver, has also gotten some plays on offense. He’s energetic and quick, and should definitely be looked at more. After their last Sunday game against the 49ers, he was key to one of their only scoring drives.

Prescott often gets flamed for his staggering amount of interceptions- but they’re not entirely his fault. His inexperienced targets on the field, along with his rookie O-line, are holding the team back. In their second game against the New Orleans Saints, Prescott threw a pass intended for Jalen Brooks, but Brooks fell and the ball was intercepted. The QB took a lot of heat for this, but it was not his fault. (Sometimes though, I have no idea what he’s thinking.)

Prescott, whose offensive line isn’t as strong as it used to be, has been experiencing a lot more pressure in the pocket, the area formed by the offensive line that gives time for the QB to line up their target. He usually has to get the ball out quickly to avoid being sacked– he’s already been sacked 21 times this season. This is due to yet another mismanagement by Jones. Veteran player Tyron Smith was traded away, leaving two rookie players to hold down the O-line. And they’re not holding up too great– Dallas’ O-line is currently ranked 18th out of the 32 teams. 

So, what should the team do to move forward? 

They need to stop trying to make the rush game happen – it’s not going to happen. There’s no use in forcing the run just to lose yardage and turn the ball over. The team also needs to focus on getting defensive stops in the first half of their games, to avoid trailing and making insane attempts to come back while beating the clock. Prescott seems overwhelmed this season, making stupid decisions and throwing the ball into the opposing team’s hands. They need to come up with a solution that doesn’t result in an interception. Keep targeting Turpin, feeding Lamb and think creatively about other assets on the team. When tight end Jason Witten was on the team, they used a plethora of plays designed to get him yardage and touchdowns. Why don’t we have the same for Ferguson? I urge McCarthy to try new things out. 

There’s still time in the season, and I hope things turn around for “Dem Boyz.”