After two weeks of seeing it on film, it’ll be blaring and unavoidable, especially to QB Dak Prescott. The dense truth about this Dallas Cowboys offense–they can’t close. Or at least, not yet.
To Find Success, Cowboys Offense Must Fix Its Red Zone Flops
Having Trouble Scoring Touchdowns
Against the Browns, the offense’s difficulties were mostly covered up because of the stellar defense.
But in that game, six of twelve possessions ended in a punt. Another four ended in a field goal, and two ended with touchdowns. Also, the two touchdowns? They were in the first half of the game. No touchdowns were scored in the second half.
Against the Saints, we see an almost equal result of no productivity. The Cowboys have the ball for ten possessions, kicking field goals in four possessions again. Two possessions end in an interception and two end with failing to convert on fourth down. They punt once.
They do score a single touchdown, but similar to the game against the Browns, in the first half only.
An offense who can’t score touchdowns is a concern indeed.
Dak Prescott Struggling to Communicate with Team
There was a touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb that Prescott overthrew in the game against the New Orleans Saints. He and Lamb talked about it on the sidelines and when asked in a press conference about what was discussed, Prescott was matter-of-fact.
“We were just trying to communicate those misses,” Prescott told reporters on September 14. “Maybe what he saw, what he thought versus what I did, and honestly just finding a solution. Great communicator, CeeDee is. As I’ve mentioned before, his expectations and standard for our connection and for this offense is just as high as mine. No matter what the route is, neither of us are happy unless it’s a perfect play. It’s about being more clean. We missed some time, everybody knows that, but we have to have those communications to be able to substitute for the time missed.”
This would explain the difficulties that Prescott and Lamb have been having with connecting the ball recently. Lamb missed all of preseason and training camp and now they’re making up for lost time and synergy on the field and in live action.
But it’s more than just miscommunication with Lamb. It’s the lack of communication with everyone else. It’s always targeting Lamb when other players are more open.
Defeating Desperation with Cowboys Offense
The Cowboys need a change of pace. They simply aren’t scoring touchdowns in the second half of the game. A thousand excuses of why can be given, but that has to change.
It isn’t that receivers aren’t catching the ball when it’s placed. There were a few drops on Sunday but that isn’t the primary problem. More than anything, Prescott has to form trust all around. There are other possible targets besides Lamb, in Jalen Tolbert and Brandin Cooks.
He has to trust a brand new offensive line to have his back and hold their coverage. Prescott must believe in his receivers and let them be playmakers instead of only relying on CeeDee. More than anything, he has to trust himself to be a come-from-behind QB.
When the Cowboys get desperate, Prescott plays horribly. He messes up on small plays because he’s trying to force the big ones, and those usually blow up in his face like the interception by Tyrann Mathieu.
The Cowboys aren’t going to be up in every single game. There will be times they have to fight for the comeback, but they can’t become manic about it.
They have to stay cool and collected.
Or over and over, we’ll see them crumble under the pressure.
Main Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
