The Dallas Cowboys find themselves still in contention for the NFC East after posting a 2-4 record through their first six games. In order to keep pace with the Eagles, the Cowboys need to win and keep improving. A playoff berth would be a positive result after a difficult year.
There has been no shortage of adversity the Cowboys have faced so far this season. Losing a star quarterback to a season-ending injury is never easy to overcome. The dropoff in QB play they experienced during their first game without Dak Prescott made that quite evident.
It’s not just about filling in for injured standouts. The Cowboys have received underwhelming results from a variety of key positions. That will cause some players to have to raise their game for the rest of the season.
Perhaps most importantly of all is the type of player that is expected to play at an elite level when compared to their position across the NFL. When that type of talent is experiencing underachieving results, the whole unit can suffer as a result.
With that being said, let’s take a look at three players who need to step up in order to make this a successful season for the Dallas Cowboys.
Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott has been one of the best running backs in the league since joining the Cowboys. The former Ohio State product has had his share of touchdowns and rushing yards over the years, but the other thing he has too much of has been fumbles.
The only way that the Cowboys are getting into the playoffs and have even a slight chance of winning their first-round series, is if they take care of the ball. Giving up field position and momentum will put Dallas in too deep of a hole. The offense is going to start going almost exclusively through Zeke, and he needs to hold on to the football to help his team win.
Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton had a roller coaster career in Cincinnati before finding his way to Dallas this offseason. When he first entered the league, he was a dream come true for the Bengals. The second-round draft pick was able to come in from day one and contribute and look good. He enjoyed several years of good, if not great, play and was a favorite to win the MVP before being injured. Since that time, he has fallen to a level where Cincinnati was forced to look elsewhere.
Dalton may never get back to the All-Pro level he displayed, but if Dallas is going to compete, he cannot be the reason that they struggle. For most of his time in Cincinnati, he was a quarterback that wasn’t going to win you many games, but was not going to lose you many games either. Dallas needs the Andy Dalton who can hit open receivers and help open up rushing lanes.
Aldon Smith
The Cowboys’ defense has been awful this year. They play in a division that does not post a good or even average offense. However, in all other games Dallas has to do better about stopping their opponents. One of the best ways to do that is by generating a pass rush. Aldon Smith had one monster game, but has been relatively quiet in all other contests.
Smith needs to generate more pressures on the quarterback and turn more of his pressures into takedowns. Dallas would benefit greatly from having shortened fields because the opposing offense lost yards.
Smith will need help to turn this Cowboys defense around, but if he can generate pressure the team will have a bright spot to focus on.
