hennythemoor

There is a HUGE section of the media and of the Cowboys’ fan base that owes Dak Prescott an apology. Despite outlandish critiques from certain talking heads Dak Prescott has played exceptional football since his return from injury in week 7. Since coming back from injury Prescott has thrown for 20 td passes, the 2nd most in the league in that time frame.

For the season Prescott also has a completion percentage of 69 percent which is good for the second best percentage in the entire league behind only Geno Smith.

What’s more impressive about these stats is that he was able to do this without an offensive line that has struggled to pass block all season, and a receiving core that gets little separation outside of Ceedee Lamb. The Cowboys are currently ranked 29th in pass block win rate on the year, with only Cincinnati, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis being worst at protecting their quarterbacks.

Also, outside of Ceedee Lamb, who is having a monster season, the Cowboys receivers are some of the worst units in creating separation and getting open as illustrated in the graph below.

In spite of the inconsistencies in pass protection and the inability for receivers not named CeeDee Lamb to get open, Prescott has helped elevate this team to the top offense in football. This was never more prevalent than what we all witnessed during the Eagles game on Christmas Eve. Prescott threw for 347 yards 3 tds to only 1 int and completed 77.1 percent of his passes for a passer rating of 124.3 and a QBR of 86.6. This effort came against an Eagles defense that came into the game leading the league in sacks and is a top 10 scoring defense. Prescott led the the Cowboys offense to 40 points against one of best defenses in football.

Dak is EASILY a top 10 quarterback in football. In an injury shortened season with below average pass protection and only 1 elite receiving threat he is producing at an historic pace. He now needs only 3 passing tds to pass Troy Aikman for 2nd most passing tds in franchise history. To put it simply, Dak is HIM, and the sooner the media realizes it the better.

The Cowboys are yet again in desperate need of a linebacker. While the Cowboys did attempt to fortify their linebacking core by bringing in veteran backer Anthony Barr they have still struggled the stop the run all season. The Cowboys are currently 24th against the run, having allowed 1863 yards on the ground for the season and are also allowing 4.6 yards per carry. Their inability to stop the run was further exasperated once starting middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was injured. Vander Esch suffered a shoulder “stinger” during Dallas’ matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars and his presence was missed almost immediately. Jacksonville rushed for 192 yards on 27 carries while averaging 7.1 yards an attempt. This disastrous performance was one of the leading factors that ultimately led to Dallas losing this game. With LVE expected to miss time and his health being a concern even before the season the Cowboys will need to bring in reinforcements to try and stop the bleeding.

1. Danny Trevathan

Danny Trevathan is a great player who is constantly injured. In his career Trevathan has missed 40 games due to injury and missed 12 games last season after being put on injured reserve. While he is older and does have questionable injury history Trevathan is a tackling machine when healthy. During his last healthy season in 2020 Trevathan tallied up 113 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and a sack. Trevathan also has 8 career starts in the playoffs and was part of the Broncos Super Bowl winning team in 2015. He would be a worthy candidate to give Dallas much needed experience and depth at the position.

• Dont’a Hightower

The lifelong Patriot still has some thread left on the tires. While not the coverage player that Anthony Barr is he is still one of the premiere linebackers in run support and play recognition. In 15 games last season he posted 64 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Hightower also provides championship pedigree, having started on three Super Bowl winning defenses. He rarely misses prolonged periods of time due to injury and he has one of the higher football IQs amongst linebackers.

• Anthony Hitchens

The former Cowboy would be a perfect fit back in the Blue and Silver. Hitchens is a consistent presence in the middle of the defense, coming off a season where he racked up 80 tackles, an interception, and two passes defended. While he is several seasons removed from his 135 tackles break out performance, he is still a good linebacker who excels in run support and gap fit.

The Cowboys have already ensured themselves a spot in the playoffs and they now much make the necessary moves to ensure they are not one and done for the second consecutive year. Adding a veteran linebacker with the ability to give them depth and an extra run defender will be vital to their chances of advancing in the playoffs. In all of the Cowboys’ loses opponents have been able to exploit their inability to stop the run and the same trend will continue in the playoffs if the Cowboys don’t make the necessary moves to improve their biggest deficiency.

Leighton Vander Esch left Sunday’s loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars with what appeared to be a scary neck injury. With his history of neck issues the initial prognosis didn’t look good however, the Cowboys seem to have dodged a bullet in terms of LVE’s long term health. A MRI has revealed he has NOT suffered a neck injury at all and is actually dealing with a nerve issue in his shoulder. He is considered week to week and may be available to return sooner than later. LVE has had his best season since 2018 this season and he was sorely missed in run support once he exited Sunday’s game. This is great news for an already injury riddled defense as Dallas gears up for their final stretch.

Kelvin Joseph has been a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. In the absence of Anthony Brown, Kelvin Joseph has been asked to fill in as the boundary corner opposite of Trevon Diggs. The early returns however, have not been good. Coming into the game against Jacksonville, Joseph had been abysmal at best. Joseph had been targeted 15 times allowing 10 receptions for a total of 159 yards and 2 tds allowed in his limited snaps.

His efforts earned him a putrid coverage grade of a 50 by PFF. This coupled with the fact that Joseph was averaging 15.9 yards per reception coming into the game it was only a matter of time before the Jaguars took advantage of Joseph in coverage. Joseph allowed two touchdowns against the Jaguars including a 59 yarder to Zay Jones that completely changed the complexion of the game.

Joseph’s bad play eventually got him benched towards the end of the game in favor of Nashon Wright. Joseph’s confidence could very well be shot going forward by being benched but, he left the Cowboys little hope. In his limited snaps this year Joseph has allowed 4 total TDs on the year and has allowed a passer rating of 149.3 when targeted. His lack luster play in coverage was one of the biggest reasons the Jaguars were able to overcome the 27-10 deficit as on his 3 targets he allowed 2 receptions for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Joseph isn’t ready and he may not be ready anytime soon. With only three games left in the regular season the Cowboys can not afford to wait on Joseph to play better. Going forward the Cowboys could go in a different direction, they recently signed Mackensie Alexander, a former 2nd round pick who has 7 year of experience. Nashon Wright is also a player who has flashed at times that the Cowboys could turn to but, regardless the Bossman fat experiment should be over. The Cowboys are to talented to allow one player to derail their season and with Joseph being their biggest liability on defense him NOT playing may actually make them better.

The Dallas Cowboys narrowly escaped disaster after securing a 27-23 win over the Houston Texans, courtesy of a 98 yard game winning drive in the waning moments of the 4th quarter. The Cowboys will now travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in what has turned into a must win game for both teams. In the case of the Dallas Cowboys they need this game to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles in their pursuit of the NFC East crown and the 1 seed in the NFC. By winning this game and then defeating the Eagles on Christmas Eve, the Cowboys give themselves their most realistic shot of ripping the division title and the 1 seed from their grasp. A win against Jacksonville would also clinch a playoff berth for Dallas Cowboys meaning at worst they would finish the at 7th seed and can even clinch the 5 seed with a little outside help as long as they handle business Sunday afternoon.

For the Jaguars this game is a must win to keep pace with the Tennessee Titans. Jacksonville is currently only 2 games back from the Titans and just beat them 36-22 in convincing fashion. If they are able to win out they have a great chance of taking the 4 seed from the Titans and securing themselves a home playoff game.

A loss to Dallas severely hurts their chances of doing so and may prevent them from making the playoffs altogether. Jacksonville will in essence be playing for their playoff lives and Dallas will be playing for a playoff berth and a chance to challenge for the 1 seed the following week. This match up will also feature two Super Bowl winning head coaches who both understand the gravity of this game in Mike McCarthy and Doug Pederson. While the Cowboys at 10-3 are favored over the 5-8 Jaguars make no mistake about it, this will be a dog fight from beginning to end and is as close to a playoff game as you can get in early December.

The Dallas Cowboys have made a move to improve their wide receiver core. Dallas has signed former Colts’ star T.Y. Hilton for the remainder of the season. While not the player he once was, the former 4 time pro bowler will add needed depth and a veteran presence to the locker room. While Hilton has been hindered by injuries recently he is still an elite route runner with top end speed who both take the top off of a defense and also dominant nickel corners in the slot if asked to. His experience and versatility make him an interesting addition to an already lethal offense. The Cowboys are currently the 3rd highest scoring team in the NFL and have been the number 1 offense since the return of Dak Prescott in week 7.

Pairing Hilton’s 4.3 speed with Dallas’ other assortment of playmakers should give Kellen Moore the edge over any defensive coordinator moving forward. In his career Hilton has 631 receptions, 9691 yards, and 53 receiving touchdowns. While limited by injuries last year Hilton was still able to catch 23 passes for 331 yards and 3 tds with a catch rate of 62.2 percent when targeted.

This is a great signing that can pay dividends in the post season for the Cowboys and will also help the preparation of the younger receivers moving forward.