Dallas Cowboys: 3 areas that must improve on offense

With the abysmal Week 1 performance behind them, it’s time to see if the Dallas Cowboys simply had a bad week or if it’s the start of a terrible season.

The Dallas Cowboys look as unconfident as I’ve seen the group since 2016. Their next game against the New York Giants almost seems like a must win to me. Will Week 2 be the end all be all of the season? Probably not.

But there are still a lot of things riding on this next performance. A continuation of the second half of 2017 and Week 1 will take the franchise one step closer to rebuilding. Here are three areas of the offense that must improve this Sunday against the Giants.

Scott Linehan, Offensive Coordinator

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan did not have quite as bad a game last Sunday than I initially thought. But he still seemed to handcuff the offense even when the team was desperate for a spark. The team used a lot of two tight end sets making the plays predictable and keeping Rico Gathers inactive limited the group’s potential.

The teams most successes came on RPO (run-pass option) plays and quick throws designed to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands, unfortunately, he used these plays sparingly. Linehan is also notorious for abandoning the run and seemed to fall right back into those habits last week.

With only 15 carries for running back Ezekiel Elliott, Linehan did not trust the run game enough to let it develop. He needs to change this as well this upcoming week.

Offensive Line

The Cowboys offensive line has regressed from its heyday in 2016. It’s bothersome that this team suffers when even one singular player in a position group misses time. Dallas has three All-Pro linemen and a right tackle in La’el Collins who has shown he can play at a Pro Bowl level. But when even just one misses time, the whole line suffers and plays sloppy.

In Week One against the Carolina Panthers, costly penalties made the average second down distance 9.8 yards. While third down was worse at 12.3 yards.

Holding penalties, missed communication, and uncharacteristically bad play were a big part of six allowed sacks and a high quarterback pressure rate. This group must do a better job of keeping the pocket clean for the quarterback and providing more running lanes for Elliott.

Dak Prescott, Quarterback

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is under more pressure than he’s ever been in his football career. No matter how tough he is mentally or how great a leader he is, it seems as though he’s lost confidence in his ability to play the game.

With tape showing multiple missed opportunities that might have completely changed the complexion of the game; it is hard to not start to become skeptical about Prescott’s future.

Without a clean pocket and a running game from the onset, it seems as though Dak struggles to get into a rhythm and trust himself. In all his bad outings, there is a trend with poor first-half performances, followed by late streaks of competent play. It seems as though he can’t get back on track until the pressure is off or the running game gets going again. This cannot continue.

I am as big a supporter of Prescott as any. But I can also see when things are not being done correctly. For whatever reason, whether it’s confidence, pressure, and hits, or just a lack of readiness; Prescott must right the ship this Sunday.

If the Dallas Cowboys go 0-2 and looks as inept offensively as they did last week, then it may be time to start looking elsewhere for the future of the franchise in the coaching staff and quarterback position.