The Dallas Cowboys put forth a great effort on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. However, they were met with the same fate they have been when facing off against upper-echelon opponents in 2023; a loss.
The Cowboys fell just short, losing 28-23 to their NFC East rivals. While the race for the divsion title certainly isn’t over, Dallas cannot afford any more hiccups. The biggest issue they are facing is their inability to convert close to the end zone.
Red zone offense has been a challenge all season for the Cowboys. Personnel-wise, they didn’t do much to replace running back Ezekiel Elliott and tight end Dalton Schultz, their two best red zone weapons. The play-calling of Mike McCarthy has left a lot to be desired as well.
Against the Eagles, execution in that area could have led them to a victory. Rookie tight end Jake Schoonmaker being marked down a half-yard short on what should have been a touchdown and Dak Prescott stepping out of bounds on a two-point conversion before reaching the ball over the goal line cost Dallas at least eight points.
Converting either of those plays, especially the 2-point conversion, would have changed the outcome of the game. Had Dallas only needed a field goal instead of a touchdown on their final drive, overtime was a likely outcome.
Finding a bigger back to replace Elliott would have gone a long way to changing their fortunes. While an addition this season likely won’t come, the 2024 offseason should present them with some options. In the opinion of Matt Holder of Bleacher Report, the Cowboys should target running back D’Onta Foreman in free agency in 2024.
“Running backs Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle are impending free agents—granted, Dowdle will be a restricted free agent—so Dallas is likely going to have to replace at least one of them while bargain-hunting on the open market. For context, Spotrac currently estimates the organization to start the offseason over the cap.
They drafted a good pass-catching back in Deuce Vaughn this past April, but the team could use a power rusher like Foreman. That’s what the Texas native and former Longhorn is, and while he isn’t getting much playing time this season as the Bears’ third running back, he was averaging 4.5 yards per carry this season heading into Sunday.”
The Cowboys’ backfield could look drastically different in 2024 than it does currently. With Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle both hitting free agency, some difficult decisions will have to be made with the team projected to be over the salary cap.
Foreman would present them with a cheap replacement and fill their void for a big back that can pick up short yardage between the tackles. Releasing Elliott to save some money was a necessary move, but failing to replace him has proven to be damaging.
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