Dallas Cowboys: Stock Up, Stock Down Following Week One Loss
The Dallas Cowboys are now 0-1 to start the 2022 NFL season. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw to that. It was a sloppy game on offense, as well as run defense. RB Leonard Fournette looked like his LSU self, racking up over 9 yards per carry on the left side alone! Even […]
The Dallas Cowboys are now 0-1 to start the 2022 NFL season. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw to that.
It was a sloppy game on offense, as well as run defense. RB Leonard Fournette looked like his LSU self, racking up over 9 yards per carry on the left side alone!
Even with an uneven game from Brady, who felt plenty of pressure, it still wasn't enough to knock off the AFC South champions. They too were dealt a hard hand coming in with new starters at left guard and center, was well as losing LT Donovan Smith and WR Chris Godwin after the first held. Tampa never faltered.
Even worse? The Cowboys are going to be without plenty of players for an undetermined amount of time, headlined by QB Dak Prescott. A fractured thumb in his throwing hand made a bad performance end in a worse way.
While the overall tone is bad, there are still a few positive notes from the game. A handful of players stepped up big in their needed performances.
For this, we'll exclude Micah Parsons, who was the overall best player on the field Sunday night. We will also not include players who were injured as they won't be able to make up for their performance next week against Cincinnati.
Stock Up
- RB Ezekeil Elliott – Despite only one rushing attempt in the fourth quarter, Elliott showed plenty of vision and agility. He only rushed for 52 yards, but it was off an impressive 5.2 yards per carry. Had the game not gotten out of hand, it's reasonable to think he would've had a much more productive night.
- OL Tyler Smith – This was an area of concern coming into the game. While Smith played primarily left tackle at Tulsa, he didn't practice the position since OTA's. However, his power physicality are evident. With the exception of a miscommunication that lead to an unblocked sack, the rookie performed well.
- DL Osa Odighizuwa – Of all the defensive linemen, none got in the backfield as much as Odighizuwa. He looks stronger and quicker off the ball, often getting the better of the banged up Bucc's interior offensive line.
- OL Matt Farniok – In preseason, Farniok showed a whirlwind of improvement, playing between guard and center positions. After Connor McGovern went down with a high ankle sprain, he came in and continues to display the same power as in preseason. His pass protection was inconsistent but still had an overall solid game.
- DB Donovan Wilson – A nice return to action. Wilson was constantly all over field, making tackles, defending passes and getting the one turnover the Dallas Cowboys forced. With Kearse out for an undetermined amount of time, Wilson is not the main focal point of Dallas' box safeties.
Stock Down
- WR CeeDee Lamb – two receptions on 11 targets for 29 yards, with three dropped passes. That was the Dallas Cowboys WR1's output. Just like last year, he suffered from dropped passes early and even had trouble creating separation. Granted, he was heavily keyed on by the Tampa defense, but allowing more balls to hit the ground than keep in his hands in inexcusable.
- OT Terence Steele – It's one thing to get called for a penalty. It's another thing entirely to get three penalties on the same player, in the same drive. Four overall. Aside from the penalties, Steele is coming off his first preseason where it was known he'd be the starter at right tackle and continued to not display any signs of development in pass protection, often getting bull rushed and forcing both QB's into bad areas of the pocket.
- DB Anthony Brown – Something about Tom Brady picking on Anthony Brown. For the second year in a row, Brown was picked on vigorously and often put in one-on-one situations that exposed him in coverage. He did have a key third-down pass breakup to force a FG try. Plus, it wasn't as bad as last season, so that's something.
- RB Tony Pollard – For all the clamoring for more Tony Pollard the Dallas Cowboys heard this off-season, no one mentioned that it included pass protection. For lack of a better word, he's a liability as a pass blocker, a job that should be kept for Elliott, while Pollard should be used in space.
- OC Kellen Moore – Whether it's play-calling or having Tony Pollard stay in to pick up the blitz (?), the Moore offense we saw from 2019 to the first half of last season, hasn't shown back up. Despite leading the league in overall offense in 2021, the young offensive coordinator continues to go from 'potential head coaching candidate' to 'Nick Saban offensive control analyst'.
- Jerry and Stephen Jones – (see off-season)
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
