Dallas Cowboys: Question marks surround the offense
We are closing in on the home stretch of the 2021 Dallas Cowboys regular season. Dallas is firmly in the lead in the NFC East and has all but locked up a playoff spot. Still, there are legitimate question marks surrounding the team. The majority of the questions surround the offensive side of the ball. […]
We are closing in on the home stretch of the 2021 Dallas Cowboys regular season. Dallas is firmly in the lead in the NFC East and has all but locked up a playoff spot. Still, there are legitimate question marks surrounding the team.
The majority of the questions surround the offensive side of the ball. Once considered to be one of the big strengths in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys offense has looked anything but good in the last month. Dak Prescott has been off his game, the offensive line has been a weakness, and the running game has been non-existent.
Even Kellen Moore and the talented trio at wide receiver have had their fair share of struggles. Everything on that side of the ball looks all out of sorts, raising real concerns with the postseason right around the corner.
PRESCOTT OUT OF SORTS
Whether he never recovered from the calf injury that he suffered on the last play in the win over the Patriots or if it just a coincidence, Dak Prescott has struggled mightily as of late. He is missing throws, turning the ball over, and looks anything but himself since returning to action after missing the Vikings game.
The Dallas Cowboys need Prescott to find his groove. Dallas cannot afford to limp into the postseason with Prescott struggling. Dak Prescott looked like an MVP favorite for the first half of the season, but he has been a shell of himself over the last month.
Fortunately, there is time for Dak Prescott to get right. Three more divisional games provide opportunities for Prescott to get back on track. The Cowboys are desperately hoping that happens.
COWBOYS' RUNNING WOES
The Dallas Cowboys have struggled to run the football. Ezekiel Elliott does not look to be 100-percent. He is lacking the explosive ability that made him so dangerous as recent as the first half of the season.
Part of the reason for that is the trouble along the offensive line. The Cowboys have been beaten in the trenches over the last month, which has negatively impacted the offense as a whole in a big way. Subbing Connor McGovern for Connor Williams at left guard has not solved any problems — in fact, it can be argued that the move made things worse.
With Tyron Smith injured and already ruled out for next week's matchup with Washington, it remains to be seen if the Cowboys can get going on the ground soon. Tony Pollard suffered a torn plantar fascia in the win over the Saints, so that is something to monitor moving forward.
NOT ON THE SAME PAGE
The offense as a whole has not been on the same page or in any kind of a rhythm for weeks now. In addition to all of the other problems, Kellen Moore's play-calling has been an area of concern.
Moore had the Cowboys' offense clicking on all cylinders during the first weeks of the season. The young offensive mind was pushing all of the right buttons and drawing up plays to put his players in the best positions to succeed.
That has not been the case recently, however. Moore's offense has gone stale, and the Cowboys have suffered because of it. Whether it has been predictably play-calling or questionable designs, things aren't working.
Similar to Prescott, there is time for Kellen Moore to get back on track. He has shown what he is capable of doing, so it's not like it some far-fetched idea to believe Moore will figure it out at some point. Still, it is hard to not be concerned about the latest set of games.
Moore needs to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate things. What he is doing right now is not working for Dallas. As good as the defense has played this season, the Cowboys need its offense to be rolling in order to go deep in the playoffs.
Featured image via Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
