The Dallas Cowboys have plenty to sort out, but the most jarring issue right now is the one that was supposed to be the safest bet: the offense. The defense has been struggling for a while, so that side of the ball isn’t exactly a surprise anymore.
The offense, though, was expected to at least steady the team. Early in the season, it looked like it might.
Over the last two weeks, that picture has fallen apart.
What stands out most is how little this unit has produced during the current two-game skid. The Cowboys have scored only 29 points in those losses, which is their lowest output across any two-game stretch in which Dak Prescott started and finished both games since Weeks 12 and 13 of the 2019 season.
That 2019 stretch saw Dallas score 24 points against the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, and it came before Jason Garrett was not asked to return as head coach. It also marked the first season with Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator. And even with those comparisons, this version of the Cowboys feels worse in one important way: Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and the rest of the core are healthy and available now.
The clearest explanation right now appears to be pressure. The current formula for slowing Dallas seems to be getting after Prescott and forcing him into discomfort.
He used to be the kind of quarterback who could handle the blitz and punish defenses for it. That hasn’t been the case in these last two games.
NFL Pro noted that Prescott threw more than 60% of his passes short - meaning 0-9 air yards - over that span. The breakdown was 61.9% against the Buccaneers and 63% against the Packers.
There’s another ugly detail tucked into that trend: Prescott has posted a short-pass rate of at least 60% five times during the Brian Schottenheimer era, and the Cowboys have lost all five of those games. That tells the story plainly. If defenses can get to Prescott quickly and keep him from pushing the ball downfield to Lamb or George Pickens, they’ve found a plan that works.
Now the burden falls on Prescott, Lamb, Pickens and Schottenheimer to solve it. Until they do, opposing teams have every reason to keep using the same blueprint.
In Other News...
Cowboys Pressure Just Found A New Lightning Rod Before Eagles Game
Brian Schottenheimer has suddenly become one of the most watched figures around the Cowboys as the criticism around Dallas slow start keeps building. After calling himself a great coach, the first-year coach drew a sharp response from ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who pointed to the teams underperformance, even as Jerry Jones stepped in to back Schottenheimer and say he believes the coach can handle the heat and has a future in Dallas.
The timing only adds to the pressure, with the Cowboys sitting at 2-4 and the Eagles up next. In a division where every stumble gets magnified, Schottenheimers confidence is now part of the conversation whether he wants it there or not, and the way Dallas responds in Philadelphia figures to say plenty about how much runway the coach really has. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Facing An Awkward Reality Ahead Of Eagles Showdown
The Cowboys head into Monday night with plenty to prove, and the discussion around the matchup has already taken on an uneasy tone. Skip Bayless said he was surprised by the markets view of Dallas, pointing to the teams issues on both sides of the ball and the uneven way this season has unfolded as they prepare to face Philadelphia.
What makes the setup even more uncomfortable is that the Eagles have shown they can keep winning even when Jalen Hurts is not available at quarterback. With both teams carrying familiar expectations and recent frustration into the game, the intrigue in this one is not just about the record or the stage, but about whether Dallas can quiet the doubts that have followed it into this stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Firestorm Puts Schottenheimers Leadership In The Spotlight
Brian Schottenheimer rarely sounds eager to single out George Pickens, which is why the Cowboys coachs latest public critique landed with some extra force. This time, Schottenheimer stepped outside his usual protective stance and put Pickens run-blocking effort under the microscope, a notable shift for a player who has often been defended when his play draws attention.
The reaction was swift, with former NFL receiver Chad Ochocinco taking aim at Schottenheimers leadership and framing the criticism as a distraction from Dallas deeper issues. Pickens, for his part, kept the response measured and pointed back to the bigger picture, stressing that the Cowboys need better play across the board as they try to steady themselves. [Read more 🡒]