The 2022 Dallas Football Cowboys (Part 2)
After nearly seven months in Bozeman, Montana I had the great pleasure of returning to my home state of Texas over the holiday season. Ah, and what a great trip it was, fantastic to see friends, and family, but most importantly for this article, Cowboys fans.
In my time spent back in Cowboy country, I had the opportunity to speak to a multitude of Cowboys fans about their feelings about the ongoings of the season. It’s given me some fantastic new perspectives that I hope to highlight in this Part 2 article.
What’s Happened with the Cowboys since Part 1?
If my memory serves me correctly part one came out a few days before the Cowboy's Week 15 game in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been an odd team this year, with flashes of good play and streaks of abysmal results.
The Cowboys played the Jags with a concerning lethargic look, the defense I spoke so highly of played a poor game. The consistent pressure that had assisted the Cowboys greatly in hiding their flaws in the secondary was absent. This gave the Jaguars ample opportunity to stay in the game and compete in a battle of attrition with the ‘Boys. In the end, a bad dropped pass that led to a game-losing interception sealed the Cowboy's Fate.
They deserved the loss; the Cowboys didn’t look right and had gotten punched in the mouth by a team that should have been handled.
While it was an unfortunate loss and was a major blow to the Cowboy's chances of catching the Eagles in the race for first place in the NFC East, I believe a loss like this couldn’t have come at a better time. Better to take a punch in the mouth in Week 15 than it is to take it in the playoffs.
Last year’s playoff loss to the 49ers felt very similar to the Jacksonville game to me. Lethargy crept in everywhere and when the team finally awoke the damage was too much to overcome.
Christmas Eve Eagles Game
The Eagles game has an asterisk next to it for me. The starting quarterback for the Eagles Jalen Hurts did not play in the Christmas Eve showdown between the Philly Eagles and the Big D Cowboys.
Instead, the Eagles rolled out Gardner Minshew, a solid backup no doubt with some starting experience under his belt in Jacksonville. But let’s be honest, no team is the same without their starting guy under center. Jalen Hurts is an incredibly important cog in that team’s success, so his absence was a massive blow to the Eagles overall.
Despite all this Minshew played quite well and the Cowboys were again taken to the edge. The high-scoring game ended at 40-34, a concerning amount of points to allow a team playing their backup to get.
To me, this high score out of the Eagles shows how good that team is. Losing its driver and still able to compete heavily with the other big hitters in its division, the Giants or the Commanders would have lost that game for sure. I would argue a majority of the league would find it quite the task to try to handle the Eagles with Minshew under center.
Thankfully the Cowboys handled business and got an important win to set the season back on track.
The lethargic look that the Cowboys played with in Jacksonville wasn’t on the field Christmas Eve. To not see it was a fantastic sight to behold. It shows a team with some tenacity, able to go through the rough and forget about it quickly.
Regardless of the score and all the implications of struggling to defeat a team without a
Quarterback, I still feel strongly that the Cowboys have righted the ship with this victory.
The Flaw in the Cowboy's Defensive Armor
In part 1 of this article, I ranted and raved about the success of the Cowboy’s defense this year. I stand behind what I wrote, but I will admit that in the past few weeks the defense I spoke of in the last article has not looked the same.
To put it simply, the Cowboys have a major problem in their secondary. In this pass-happy league having a weak secondary can be an Achilles' heel. If the Cowboys hope to make a deep playoff run, especially while playing on the road, the secondary issue will need to be diminished.
The current state of it is unsustainable. Period.
As stated in the previous article the Cowboy’s defense has primarily improved in one area since the abysmal 2020 season. Pass rush. The addition of Micah Parsons brought in a new force to the pass rush that allowed the Cowboy’s defensive coordinator to utilize incredible creativity in his pass rush looks.
Micah’s position is linebacker which means that unlike a defensive end or defensive tackle he can be utilized in many different areas of the field.
Want Micah to line up on the line of scrimmage to set up for an all-out bull rush?
He’s on it.
Want Micah to line up in the middle linebacker position and cover short routes in the middle of the field, or prepare to plug the gap if a run play is called?
He’s on it.
Want Micah to show you an incredible ability to stick with a speedy wide receiver streaking down the sideline? (Watch this clip if you want a better understanding of what I mean: Micah Legit Playing Cornerback)
He’s on it.
This truly astounding ability to affect every aspect of a football game coming from a single player is rare. Beyond rare. It shifts the focus of the opposing offense towards a single player, freeing up the other defensive studs on the team to take advantage of the lack of focus placed on them.
This versatility has allowed the Cowboys to get more creative in their scheme. Resulting in a very scary pass rush that seems to relentlessly pester the quarterback throughout the game.
With that explained I believe we can begin to see the root of the problem for the Cowboy’s
defense over the past 3-4 weeks.The pass rush has lost its ferocity during this late-season period. The line is no longer a constant pressure for the opposing quarterback and it seems more and more that we are allowing far too much time to talented quarterbacks. Who in turn pay back that extra time with big game-altering plays.
This lack of pressure placed on the quarterback forces our secondary to step up and defend for much longer periods. Early in the season, it seemed every opposing quarterback was uncomfortable dealing with the Cowboy's pass rush. This caused quick and often forced decisions to be made by opposing offenses, something every offense is hoping to avoid.
If you watched last week’s game against the Eagles you know that Gardner Minshew seemed cool as a cucumber back there and very rarely felt the exhaustive pressure applied by the early-season Cowboy’s defense. Now Gardner Minshew is no slouch and was able to utilize this lack of pressure to focus on exposing an increasingly weak Cowboys secondary. Despite overthrowing his receivers for much of the first half Gardner managed to lead a team he hasn’t started for all season to nearly defeat a strong Cowboy team.
Well, here lies the issue. The Cowboy’s secondary simply isn’t built to cover speedy receivers for long periods of time. They have been so dependent on the Cowboy’s pass rush to cause the aforementioned quick and forced decisions that without them they seem lost. Unable to handle one on one coverage, undercutting routes incorrectly, and generally being exposed in every facet imaginable.
I highlighted Trevon Diggs in my last article and proclaimed him to be one of the league’s best cornerbacks. I still stand by that. I think if you put Diggs on a team with a slightly better secondary his aggressive-natured mistakes could more easily be hidden. But since he plays for the Cowboys every one of his mistakes seems to lead to a big play for the other team.
Now when the Cowboy’s pass rush is running at full speed Digg’s mistakes can be easily forgiven and often don’t lead to game-changing plays. However, when the line isn’t producing ample pressure to cover for the secondary issues big defensive losses are given up.
A fantastic example of this was last week against the Eagles. Trevon Diggs attempts to undercut a running back screenplay and in doing so allows Devonta Smith to sneak behind him utterly uncovered to score his second touchdown of the game. Here is a link if you would like to see: Devonta Smith Burning the Cowboys.
In its current state, the secondary’s problems are completely unsustainable. With how the season is shaping up the Eagles will be winning the NFC East division leaving the Cowboys a Wildcard spot in the playoffs. This means that if the Cowboys wish to make a run they will need to play every single playoff game on the road, an incredibly daunting task, amplified when you can’t play proper coverage in a pass-happy league.
The 2022 Cowboy’s Offense
The offensive happenings of the early season for the 2022 Cowboys were an emotional roller coaster for fans. The 2021 season had ended in disappointment as the Cowboys failed to show up for their playoff matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Disappointment is an understatement; it was a devastating loss. I just couldn’t believe the team I had again been baited into placing faith into could get demolished so handily.
So, to begin the 2022 campaign I had little faith, a coping mechanism many Cowboys fans use at the beginning of every season. Ignore the media firestorm of how “well built” and “ready to take the next step” the team is and prepare for the worst.
Well, this season the worst seemed to come quite early. In the first game of the Cowboy’s 2022 campaign, the team faced off against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A tough matchup no doubt, but one I think many fans hoped to win. Especially after 2021’s epic battle between the two teams to kick off the 2021 NFL season.
2022’s game did not go well. The Cowboy’s offense looked completely out of sync and to top it off Dak injured his thumb in the final few minutes of the game. Badly.
When I tell you I spiraled I need you to understand that I severely spiraled. To me, it was another nail in the coffin I had been fighting tooth and nail to stop from being built around me. The offense looked terrible with Dak and now we were going to lose Dak for what I assumed would be an extended period. I was miserable and had completely given up hope for an enjoyable Cowboys season.
In steps, some dude named Cooper Rush. A backup quarterback that the Cowboys had cut at the end of the preseason knowing they could resign him later without any worry of another team swooping in and grabbing him. A guy no one believed in. He had started a game during the 2021 campaign and had managed to win over the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota, impressive sure but the Cowboys as a team won that game, not Cooper alone.
Well, Cooper Rush managed to waltz in and lead the Cowboys to a fantastic record of 4-1 during his time replacing the injured Dak. Now, again I will give Cooper some credit for this, but the development of the team during his time as the starter was nothing short of incredible.
The defense I have written so much about emerged during this period. It played so incredibly well that Cooper very rarely found himself at a deficit. This dominance from the defense allowed the middling offense to sort of trip its way through the beginning of the season and allow Dak time to properly recover.
It was a miracle, a period of this season that I will not soon forget. My immediate doom and gloom reaction had been quelled by the amazing Cowboy’s defense and some dude named Cooper Rush.
Since Dak returned the offense has emerged yet again as extremely potent. While it does have some turnover concerns the overall offense is two-dimensional with fantastic running backs and a gunslinger quarterback in Dak. This combination is lethal on any team but combine it with offensive weapons like Tony Pollard, healthy Dalton Schultz, and CeeDee Lamb, and damn, you’ve got a good offense.
Now, like any offense, there are some issues. At times it seems as if the offense has forgotten how good it is. In these moments the Cowboy's lethargy shines, play call creativeness seems to vanish and the entire system gets out of sync. The issue is that when this occurs it seems to take the Cowboys a quarter or two to remember their identity, this is far too long for an offense to go quiet in the NFL.
If the Cowboys hope to have continued success this season they will need to figure out how to jumpstart themselves much faster in tough games. The playoffs are coming and teams won’t hesitate to dominate the “lethargic mode” Cowboys just as the 49ers did in 2021.
Something we must touch on was the trading of Amari Cooper.
I was the number one fan of this move. Amari Cooper on the Cowboys was one of the largest and stupidest contracts I have ever seen in my lifetime. We paid Amari Cooper money that was fit for the likes of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss in their primes. Something I simply could not believe.
When you are paying a wide receiver that much money the expectation is that he is a bonified number one target. A player that can take over the game and be used as a constant fail-safe for an offense.
In my opinion, this was not at all what Amari Cooper was doing with a star on his helmet.
Not once did I ever see Amari Cooper “take over a game” in fact it seemed that when the Cowboys needed him most he would consistently disappear. In my eyes, Amari Cooper was nothing more than a decoy for defensive coordinators that didn’t realize how truly useless he was. Can you tell I didn’t like Amari Cooper?
So when what I believed to be the most overpaid fake wide receiver one in the league was traded for scraps I was quite pleased.
His absence, however, opened up a major hole in the Cowboy’s offense. The supposed number one target was now missing from the field.
All eyes went to one man to step up into the number one role. Ceedee Lamb, the 3rd year former first-round pick from Oklahoma University.
I will admit that I was a bit concerned by this issue as well. As much as I disliked Amari I was quite unsure of Ceedee’s ability to take the next step. Ceedee before 2022 had shown flashes of brilliance, but, had also shown an odd ability to drop easy passes.
We were wrong to worry. Ceedee has taken the role of the number one receiver without hesitation. His 2022 season has been nothing short of amazing. He has shown that he can take over games, something the Cowboys have been missing since the arrival of Amari Cooper. Even when he isn’t in full takeover mode, he is the most reliable target for Dak when the ball needs to come out quickly, especially when Dalton Schultz is blanketed or injured.
This is exactly what teams ask for out of their number-one guy. Any Cowboy fan can see now what a real number one looks like and it sure doesn’t look like Amari Cooper.
It looks like Ceedee Lamb.
Another player I would like to highlight quickly before wrapping up is Tony Pollard.
Tony Pollard has emerged as a fantastic running back for the Cowboys. Tony in combination with Ezekiel Elliot has created one of the most terrifying two-headed monster backfields in the league.
For years now Cowboys fans have wondered why we were not utilizing this speedster back out of Memphis more often. I mean on paper it makes sense, we pay Ezekiel Elliot tons of cash to be one of the premier backs in the league, something I would argue he has not been for about three years. But when you watch the games and watch Tony carry the rock it becomes evident quite quickly who the better running back on the roster is. Tony Pollard.
Prior to the 2022 season, Pollard had been utilized as more of a change of pace back. One that comes in to shock a tired defense. Pollard is quick and has a fantastic ability to find the gap quickly and shoot through it like he is carrying lightning in a bottle. This is different from Zeke who is a larger build and has become more of a ground-and-pound player. One who sticks his head down and runs through people rather than around them.
This season the Cowboy’s coaching staff has seemed to become privy to the incredibly obvious and publicly available information that Tony Pollard is really damn good. So, for the 2022 season, Pollard has been used in tandem with Zeke Elliot.
This tandem creates a defensive nightmare for opposing teams. Zeke comes in for the tough yards and goal-line work, and Pollard comes in as a speedster looking to burn an entire defense with the slightest gap in the line.
It’s been a pleasure to watch, and it is something I highly encourage all Cowboys fans to enjoy now because it won’t last, unfortunately. Two running backs of this caliber on the same team just isn’t sustainable, especially when you look at Zeke’s massive contract.
I think the writing is on the wall here, this may very well be Zeke’s last season with a star on his helmet.
The time is now Cowboys. This offense has a grouping of tools like no other Cowboy team in recent memory.
Fin
The Cowboy’s 2022 season has been a roller coaster from the moment the first snap of the regular season was taken. Despite the constant onslaught of adversity, the Cowboys have managed to put together a very impressive season and have secured their position in the playoffs. What matters now is staying healthy and mentally ready for the playoff games ahead.
Adversity is what builds good teams and in no year in my memory have I seen a Cowboys team successfully handle adversity as well as this group. From losing the starting quarterback to constant defensive and offensive injuries the team has managed to stay together and stay focused, a rarity in Cowboys teams of late.
Am I delusional to believe?
Maybe, but I truly believe the Cowboys have a shot here and are highly underrated heading into the playoffs. This comes from a string of “meh” games out of the team that I am not very concerned about. At this point the team's primary focus should be on preparing for the playoff teams they will inevitably face and if that means experimenting a bit in the final games, I am all for it.
If the defense can return to its ferocious early-season form the entire league is in incredible trouble. The pass rush needs to get healthy and return to its constant pestering of the quarterback. Relentless pressure is truly the only thing that can mask the terrible Cowboys' secondary.
The offense needs to continue to limit its mistakes. Dak has been criticized this year for his decision making but I would argue that many of Dak’s interceptions have come as a result of a receiver misplaying the pass. Dropped balls and terrible route running have stalled and ruined too many drives in the most recent weeks. That is something the Cowboys will need to figure out in order to have success against the well-polished playoff teams.
Finally, run the damn ball Cowboys. We have a two-headed monster in the backfield that very few teams can handle. Use that to our advantage and take some of the pressure off Dak. He plays so much better when he doesn’t feel he needs to win the game on his own.
Let’s make a run at this Cowboys, I’ve waited 24 years for you to do something positive.
Maybe.
Author: Cole B Hirschhorn
Contact me: colephillies@gmail.com
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