Can the Cowboys Right the Ship?
There is not a person in the world that could have predicted how inconsistent the Dallas Cowboys have played so far. It’s almost inconceivable a team that has so many top-tier talents could be so hot and cold. One week they play well and win the day, and the next they can’t buy a break for all the money in owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ bloated wallet. The result is a very ugly 2-2 record and an upcoming, and much needed, bye week. So do the Dallas Cowboys have what it takes to get back on track and compete this year?
Let’s face it there are a lot of things that need to be fixed in order to get the Cowboys back on track and playing up to their potential. I’ve taken what I think to be the top three things that need to be looked at, or stressed during this bye week that can help right the ship.
Make some much needed adjustments on the offensive line- By far the biggest hole on Dallas’ roster is the lack of consistent play along the offensive line. The line has been penalized 18 times (including Jason Witten’s four penalties). Along with the massive amount of penalties this unit has been beat on a regular basis. If they can’t get their heads screwed on straight and start performing up to snuff then nothing else matters. Tony Romo and the rest of the offense can only improvise for so long before bad things start to happen… like Monday night football against the Chicago Bears bad.
Why not give Derrick Dockery a chance? I doubt he’ll look much worse than Mackenzy Bernadeau has looked since he’s been starting at right guard. Dockery has experience and has shown plenty of ability. If he hadn’t he probably would be on the free agent market right now.
Oct 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
Take the ball out of Romo’s hands- I’m not saying Romo needs to be benched by any stretch of the imagination. I’m a firm believer Kyle Orton is not the answer. If he was, wouldn’t he have already landed another starting quarterback spot somewhere else? What I’m saying is DeMarco Murray needs to get way more quality carries than what he has gotten to date. And of course this fix hinges on if the offensive line can figure things out and if the defense can play up to potential. If neither of these things happen then look for Dallas to play from behind regularly and Murray to continue to be a non-factor.
Get their minds and bodies healthy- There’s no question there is something wrong with the Cowboys’ state of mind right now. I’m sure they see how good they are and how poorly they’ve played. This is where a strong voice can step up and get everyone refocused. Some time away from the office to clear the cob webs can’t hurt things either. If the correct mindset can be restored a lot of the little bumps along the way can be overcome and not turn into mountainous dilemmas.
Along the same lines, if Dallas can get back some healthy players, like Jay Ratliff and Anthony Spencer to name a few, more pressure can be put on opposing offenses and not put Dallas’ offense in such a hole so often.
So is this season a lost cause? I don’t think you can call it that yet. But with teams like Baltimore, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh still left on the schedule, and the difficult division Dallas plays in, there has to be some significant changes happen.
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