Dallas Cowboys: 3 whose stock rose Week 5, and 2 who fell
By Mitch Larson
Dallas Cowboys Stock Down: Slow Starts
There really hasn’t been much to complain about with this Cowboys team in recent weeks. Since losing on the road to the defending Super Bowl champions, Dallas has gone 4-0, pulling out a close one against an extremely talented Los Angeles Chargers team, and then dominating their last three opponents by a combined score of 121-69.
Trevon Diggs is balling out at a historic level, Dak Prescott has more or less picked up right where he left off in 2020, Randy Gregory has arrived in full force, Ezekiel Elliott is back with a vengeance, and Micah Parsons looks like the real deal. Even facing mounting injuries to key players, the Cowboys have battled adversity stronger than they have in any season in recent memory. Early on this season, they look like they have the pieces to be a genuine contender in the NFC.
And yet…these games have all felt a bit closer to me than their final scores might indicate. Why? Because this team loves to start slow and play with their food. Heading into halftime for each of these games Dallas has rarely dominated.
They trailed both the Panthers and Buccaneers and while they led against Los Angeles and New York, it was by a single possession each. The lone team they’ve led by multiple scores was the Philadelphia Eagles who they held a 13 point lead over going into the half.
Look, I’ll be the first to admit, this feels sort of nitpicky. The Cowboys are 4-1, they currently sit atop the NFC East, and when the clock hits 00:00, they’ve blown out their opponent more often than not. Plus it isn’t about how you start, it’s how you finish. We should enjoy nice things and when it’s truly mattered the Cowboys have dominated.
But let’s be honest, that might be just fine against teams like the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, but it won’t work later in the year when they play better-coached teams with more talent like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Arizona Cardinals. These slow starts have become a concerning trend and sooner or later it might cost the Cowboys a game if they don’t address it.