With the recent news that Daron Bland will now miss “multiple” weeks with an ankle sprain, the Cowboys will lean more on their offense to help them win games. That was already going to be the case in the post-Micah Parsons era, but the Cowboys will need to lean into that philosophy even more over the next month.
That means the Cowboys will need to get more out of the tight position in Week 2 and moving forward. They’ve invested a bunch of resources into the position (Jake Ferguson extension, Luke Schoonmaker draft selection, etc.), and they simply didn’t get enough from the unit against the Eagles.
That can’t happen again if the Cowboys want to be considered a playoff team in 2025.
The Cowboys' tight end room needs to step it up
The Cowboys had no problem moving the ball against the Eagles in Week 1, but it wasn’t because of the tight end position. They were targeted eight times by Dak Prescott, but caught just five balls for 23 yards. Prescott had success throwing the ball to nearly everyone else, but it was the tight ends who let them down.
It started with Ferguson, who bobbled a perfectly thrown ball in the end zone. Because of the bobble, he was hit by Reed Blankship, and it resulted in a 15-yard penalty. But the Cowboys fumbled the ball a few plays later and it took a touchdown off the board. These are the types of plays Ferguson is paid to make and ultimately, this drop led to them losing the game.
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Ferguson wasn’t the only tight end to struggle. Both Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford failed to haul in passes despite beautiful throws from Prescott. Neither player is known for their receiving ability, but the fact that they could come down with the ball despite pin-point accuracy is even more frustrating.
It is worth pointing out that the tight ends did do a good job in the running game, providing lanes for the running backs, so it wasn’t all bad in Week 1. That will need to continue, especially against the Giants, who have one of the league’s best defensive lines. ,
Schoonmaker and Spann-Ford are primarily blockers in this offense, so it’s up to Ferguson to shoulder more of the work in the passing game. And 23 yards on six targets simply isn’t going to cut it. He needs to have a much better game in Week 2 and has to be one of the more consistent players in the offense. Because without a reliable option at tight end, this offense won’t be good enough to carry the defense to win games.