Dallas Cowboys receiver-by-committee a complete failure

Following yet another poor outing by the Dallas Cowboys receiver corps, is it time to admit this receiver-by-committee approach has failed?

One of the reasons the Dallas Cowboys released former number one wide receiver Dez Bryant back in April was due to his failure to convert his targets into receptions. Bryant was targeted 132 times in 2017. He caught only 69 receptions, resulting in a catch rate of just 52.3 percent.

Without forcing passes to Bryant and his diminishing skill set, third-year quarterback Dak Prescott was expected to flourish. Instead of being locked into one receiver, Prescott would be free to spread the ball around to multiple receivers.

Yet, through the first five games of the regular season, the Cowboys receiver-by-committee approach has been a complete and utter failure. Instead of having Bryant to focus on, for better or worse, Prescott now has no consistent receiver to turn to when he needs a big play made.

The perceived problem is that this receiver corps is simply unable to get open consistently enough. But that’s contrary to what veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley recently told the Star-Telegram.

"“We’re just getting open. That’s all we can do. If you watch the tape, that’s all you’ve got to do … Any receiver is frustrated when you get the ball three times. But any playmaker wants the ball and if they say they don’t they’re lying.”"

Beasley is right. Cowboys receivers are getting open at times. But not one is doing it consistently enough and/or quickly enough. To the latter point, Dallas’ offensive line is a shell of itself with All-Pro center Travis Frederick now on Injured Reserve, a rookie in Connor Williams at left guard and starting tackles La’el Collins and Tyron Smith both struggling.

Against a dominate defensive line like the one the Cowboys faced on Sunday night in the Houston Texans, Prescott has precious little time in the pocket. And his receivers often failed to get open fast enough.

As a result, Dak turned to running back Ezekiel Elliott, who led the team with seven receptions on seven targets for 30 yards. Prescott also got his tight ends involved more, with Geoff Swaim hauling in three passes for 55 yards and both Rico Gathers and Blake Jarwin recorded the first regular-season receptions of their careers.

When Prescott did have enough time to find his receivers, this group struggled to make plays. In fact, tipped balls by wideouts resulted in two interceptions.

One of Beasley’s points in the aforementioned quote was the fact these receivers seem to believe they don’t get enough opportunities. But Dallas is a run-first team. The passing game is secondary. Plus, this is a receiver-by-committee approach.

Why would any one wideout believe they would somehow get even more targets in this system? Especially when they are doing so little with the targets they are getting. Against the Texans, Beasley, Allen Hurns, and Michael Gallup were all targeted three times each. And all three caught just one pass each. In fact, Beasley didn’t record his single reception until overtime.

The Cowboys have one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL. And that’s due in part to the fact Dallas is built to run the football. But these receivers must make plays when their number is called. And, for the most part, they haven’t been.

Instead of a scatter-shot approach to the position, perhaps the Dallas Cowboys would be better off giving just two or three of their receivers the bulk targets. Unfortunately, not one of the six receivers currently on the active roster has been able to separate themselves from the pack. But clearly, a change must be made.