Dallas Cowboys: 3 positives that should give fans hope
By Broe Reeve
With a look on the bright side of things for the Dallas Cowboys, here are three things about the team that should make fans happy.
With a win on Sunday against their division rival New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys are now 1-1 on the season. But, for many, the Cowboys overall performance have failed to excite most of the fanbase.
After scoring only 28 total points through two games, most of the blame can be shouldered by the Cowboys offense. But it’s not a dumpster fire yet. Therefore, here are three positives that should give fan’s hope moving forward.
The Pass Rush
The Dallas defensive front seven looks really good through the first two weeks, The defensive line, aka the Hotboyz, and the linebacking corps are getting a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The Cowboys have already racked up 9.0 sacks, and are blitzing more than we’ve seen in a long time. Pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence looks absolutely unblockable at times, and second-year defensive end Taco Charlton has taken a step forward.
The Cornerbacks
The Cowboys starting cornerback duo of Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie have played solid through two games. There were some question marks heading into the season because Awuzie didn’t play much last season and Jones was switching positions from safety to corner. Through the first two games, both have balled out.
These corners are physical and fit exactly what new secondary coach Kris Richard wants in his players. If the Cowboys keep getting this type of play from Jones and Awuzie, this defense could be one of the best units in the league.
The Cowboys run a gambit of elite receivers this year with Deandre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, T.Y. Hilton, and Mike Evans on the schedule. The matchup with these receivers could decide a game or the season, and so far so good for the cornerbacks.
Ezekiel Elliott
Running back Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t bust off a long one yet or had a monster 200-yard game but he looks more than ready for the rest of the season. He’s only had 32 carries but averaged a healthy 4.6 a pop. With the offense struggling, Zeke is playing fast and the offense will need to lean on him this season.
Elliott kept himself in shape this offseason and looks like he’s got that extra gear back. That long run hasn’t happened yet, but it’s coming.
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Not everything has gone as planned especially on offense. The passing offense, in particular, is struggling and definitely needs to improve for this team to go anywhere. You can build a team on a running game and solid defense, which looks like Dallas’ strengths. The pass rush, the starting corners, and Ezekiel Elliott look ready to do their part, now quarterback Dak Prescott and the passing game need to do theirs.