3 important (and encouraging) Cowboys trends entering Week 3 of NFL season

Dallas fans didn’t quite know what to expect from the Cowboys this season. Sure, the defense was likely to be great. It was loaded with talent, the roster ran deep, and the mastermind behind it all stayed at the helm.

But beyond Dan Quinn’s unit, the Cowboys were shrouded with mystery entering the 2023 season.

They parted ways with their long-time offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore. Replacing him as coordinator was a somewhat maligned Brian Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer didn’t come from the most innovative coaching tree and had fairly limited success in the same role throughout his career.

Replacing Moore as play-caller was head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy had an impressive history as a play-caller but enough time had past since his last endeavor to question if he kept up with the times. Offseason statements like “I just want to run the damn ball” indicated he was not the man he used to be and might have taken a step backwards in his evolution as a coach.

Even special teams were a wild card for Dallas. The Cowboys turned up their noses at veteran options in free agency and opted to roll into the 2023 season with a rookie.

For as optimistic as everyone wanted to be, a lot of it came from assumptions, guesstimates, and rose-colored glasses. There were just too many unknowns.

Two weeks into the season and the murky waters have begun to clear. The Cowboys have begun to show their nature and the future is starting to take shape. While many things still remain unknown, a few key items can now be identified in this team’s DNA, so we look at those items today.  

1. The Cowboys’ defensive dominance

To put this anywhere but at the top of the list would be burying the lead. Everyone expected the Cowboys defense to be a force in 2023 but not many people predicted this level of dominance.

Micah Parsons is redefining his already-undefinable role on the defense. He’s a game wrecker in every way. In Week 2 alone Parsons logged five tackles, two sacks, four hits, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one recovered fumble. He even added a deflection for good measure. Parsons has been lining up on the edge, off-ball, and even in the A-gap.

He's making a compelling case to be the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year and the unofficial title of the most important non-QB in the game.

Alongside Parsons is a murder’s row of pick-your-own poison. DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Parsons are currently ranked in PFF’s top-10 graded EDGE players. To put it another way, Dallas fields 30 percent of the NFL’s top EDGE players.

Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston are both ranked in the top-13 of NFL DTs. Odigizuwa alone is on pace for almost 60 pressures and 25 sacks and has been a beast inside for Dallas.

The Cowboys survived their depth issues at LB by converting career safety, Markquese Bell, to the LB position. Despite his inexperience, Bell has performed just as well, if not better, as his LB counterparts, Leighton Vander Esch and Damone Clark.

And on the backend the Cowboys are an embarrassment of riches. Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore and DaRon Bland are on the board with interceptions. As are Malik Hooker and Juanyeh Thomas, who PFF grades in the top-15 this season.

Altogether, the Dallas defense leads the entire NFL in turnovers again this season. They are picking up where they left off last year and adding to it in ways many didn’t think were possible.

While it’s highly improbable they can continue their pace of five points allowed per game, the turnovers are the backbone and identity of the team, and given their depth throughout the unit, that’s unlikely to change this season.

2. Dak Prescott’s efficiency

What a difference a few years makes. Once upon a time the Cowboys defense was so historically bad, the team basically required Prescott to score 40 points to have any hope of winning (The 2019 Cowboys averaged 37 points in their wins and the 2020 team averaged 36 points).

All that’s been asked of Prescott this season is to keep turnovers down to a minimum.

With a cumulative score of 70-10 this season, Prescott and company haven't had to do much on offense. The result is an ultra-efficient game from the Dallas signal-caller. Prescott currently ranks as the NFL’s top QB in raw Total QBR this season.

He hasn’t been flawless. He had one turnover worthy throw and at least one missed opportunity for a pass touchdown as marks against his performance, but all in all, he’s been safe with the ball and willing to take calculated shots when situations arise.

Prescott has been willing to scramble but has been reserved in his attempts. Closer matched games could call for him to do more (he’s only averaging 3.5 attempts per game) but since the need hasn’t been there, it’s wise he’s resisted.

Windy and rainy conditions played a role in his poor passing performance in Week 1 but he’s still ranked second in the NFL in his EPA/play + CPOE (completion percentage over expected) composite score.

3. CeeDee Lamb's scorching start to the season

Lamb has been on an absolute tear this season. Despite the Cowboys low pass rate, Lamb is in the top-10 in both receptions and receiving yards. Averaging 110 yards per game, he’s on pace for a top-5 all-time finish.

His target share on Cowboys is likely to be unsustainable but so are Dallas’ paltry passing numbers. The Cowboys’ early down pass rate is at the bottom of the league. Playing with such big leads has made the offense considerably more conservative than they’d normally be.

Games won’t all be blowouts like the first two weeks so more early down passes are expected in coming matchups. That's were Lamb should really see opportunities open up downfield.

Lamb has almost single handedly kept the passing game afloat. No other player on the Cowboys has even hit 50 yards receiving this season. Gallup has been held to 13 yards and Cooks held to just 22 yards. This passing offense has flowed through Lamb and Lamb has thrived.

The Cowboys offense is multidimensional and can win a number of different ways. If the defense packs the box to stop the run the Cowboys can pass downfield. If they pack the secondary Dallas can run it. The deep roster allows them to adjust to what the defense gives them.

But Lamb is a player who can produce even when the defense is focused on him. He’s the closest thing to unstoppable the Cowboys have on offense and that’s often what separates the winners from the losers in the postseason.

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