5 moves the Cowboys could make to try and save their season

Throw out the old offensive playbook, scheme for the players you have

First, let’s get this out of the way. I’m not an offensive coordinator in the NFL. Chances are, you aren’t either. But I don’t believe you need to be an OC in order to see what the Cowboys are currently trying to do on offense simply does not work.

Scoring 13 points over the past two games certainly proves that. Averaging 32.6 points per game over the first five contests to only 6.5 points over the last two weeks without quarterback Dak Prescott under center has been a downshift of epic proportions.

McCarthy preached players over system this offseason giving the indication that his staff would implement a scheme that would fit the players, not the other way around. So far this season, and specifically on offense over the past two games, this doesn’t appear to be the case.

It’s as if offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was expecting Dalton and the team’s second-team offensive line to execute at the same level as their predecessors. And the results are clear.

It’s time to realize that’s not the first-team offense out there. That means throwing out the plays that require the quarterback to spend any amount of meaningful time in the pocket. Throw out the plays that require wide receivers to make double moves or routes that simply take too much time to develop. There is no time.

In his most recent presser, Moore indicated there’s been a focus on getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand quicker. We’re talking quick passes, slants, screens – any play that gets the ball out quickly. Outside of the offensive line being in max protect all the time, perhaps getting the quarterback out of the pocket and on the run more would be beneficial as well.

Although the receiver group in Dallas is highly-talented, even they aren’t fast enough to get open with the limited amount of time this O-Line is giving these backup quarterbacks in the pocket. And old No. 4 isn’t trotting out of the locker room to save you.

Throw out that playbook that was designed for Prescott and his star-studded offensive line to run. And stop trying to get Dalton or Ben DiNucci to run it.

Instead, scheme for the players you have. And at this point, and if Sunday’s performance is any indication, that means implanting trick plays like flea flickers, end arounds, jet sweeps, halfback passes … heck, how about running the Wildcat formation? It’s time to pull out all the stops.

Scheme for the players you have. That requires an honest evaluation of their talents and abilities. This group can’t effectively run the old offensive plays anymore. Time to start fresh and think outside the box.