The Dallas Cowboys were tripped up in Week 3 when they went on the road to face the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona defeated Dallas handily, winning the game 28-16. That is the biggest upset we have seen in the NFL thus far this season as the Cowboys were 12.5-point favorites at some sportsbooks.
While one loss won’t define their season, the Cardinals were able to expose some of the issues that blowout victories in Weeks 1 and 2 were masked by. The biggest issue plaguing the Cowboys is their red zone offense.
Dallas has struggled to convert against Arizona in the red zone, which led to too many field goals. Despite blowing out the New York Jets in Week 2 30-10, the same issues persisted as Brandon Aubrey kicked five field goals.
A big reason for their lack of success in that area of the field is the absence of running back Ezekiel Elliott and tight end Dalton Schultz. Elliott was released and signed with the New England Patriots while Dalton signed with the Houston Texans in free agency. Both players, per Bill Barnwell of ESPN, were integral parts of their red zone success.
“The two biggest subtractions for the Cowboys on offense this offseason came at running back (Ezekiel Elliott) and tight end (Dalton Schultz). Both played huge roles in the red zone. Between 2021 and 2022, Elliott fielded 81 red zone touches to Tony Pollard’s 48. Schultz led the team in red zone targets (30), receptions (17) and receiving touchdowns (11). Elliott and Schultz combined to score 35 of the team’s 81 touchdowns inside the red zone over the past two seasons, including 29 of 64 inside the 10-yard line.”
The Cowboys are under new management offensively as Mike McCarthy took over the play calling with Kellen Moore not being retained as offensive coordinator. Moore has been excellent with the Los Angeles Chargers in that role, as they are second in red zone conversion rate.
McCarthy’s lack of creativity is part of the issue as well as not having the personnel to succeed in a condensed field. There was a reason Pollard ceded so many carries to Elliott in the red zone the last few years and no one has stepped up to replace Schultz.
Barnwell provided a suggestion on how to fix those woes. They could look to bring in a familiar foe in James Conner, who steamrolled the Cowboys’ defense on Sunday afternoon.
“This team needs a between-the-tackles runner to help near the goal line, and ironically, the most logical trade candidate would be Conner from Arizona,” wrote Barnwell.
Conner would be a nice complement to Pollard in the backfield as a battering ram between the tackles. But, he is much more than just a power back as Conner is a capable receiver as well. That kind of well-rounded skill set would provide the Cowboys with a capable runner to give Pollard rest during games.
Also, with a contract that runs through 2024, Conner could be an insurance policy for the team. With Pollard playing on the franchise tag for the 2023 season, his future in Dallas is up in the air. Having a capable lead back such as Conner would soften the blow should Pollard depart in free agency.
