Cowboys Team is Filled with Big and Little Problems

However, the Cowboys’ O-Line was the 30th-best at pass protection in football this season, according to PFF, and that cannot continue if they want to get elite play from Prescott for years to come. 

It’s also imperative for the Cowboys to fix whatever is going on with their kickoffs on both sides. Defensively, on average, Dallas was pretty good — 11th best on Y/KR at 25.5. However, there were games where it really bit them, such as their Week 14 loss to the Lions, where Detroit averaged 32.6 Y/KR.

In their return game, last year’s 1st team All-Pro returner KaVontae Turpin hasn’t replicated that production, going from 33.5 Y/KR to 26.3. It is important to note that ST coordinator John Fassel – the one who oversaw that All-Pro season — left in the offseason.

One more thing the Cowboys can clean up is a recent development. In their last four games, Dallas scored 22 total points in the 2nd half, and that cannot continue into next year. The good thing about these problems is that they require minor solutions. The same cannot be said about the elephant in the room.

The Elephant

The elephant in the room. The main reason why the Dallas Cowboys will not be playing football late into January:

All of the futility that could be imagined by one defense, realized in one tweet. When DC Matt Eberflus was anointed to replace Mike Zimmer, the least expected of him was improvement. Not only has that not happened, but the defense also went backwards.

The year started badly — the defense gave up 30+ five times before their bye week. At that point, a patchwork to save the defense began.

Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson were acquired in trades, and players such as DeMarvion Overshown and rookie Shavon Revel returned from injury. With all those pieces put together, the Cowboys’ defense didn’t just look competent – they looked good.

They held the Raiders to 17 points, shut out the Eagles for 41 minutes and 32 seconds, and got timely stops against the Chiefs on Thanksgiving. Predictably, all three of those games ended in victory, with the Cowboys’ offensive outputs being what they were all season.

Then, it stopped. 44 points given up to the Lions, 34 to the reeling Vikings, and another 34 to a Charger offense that is middle of the pack in PPG. That three-week stretch of brilliance was a mirage, an illusion, and once they regressed to the mean, Dallas once again didn’t have a prayer.

This problem needs wholesale changes – a clean house operation, full stop. It’s not as easy as “plug this in here, put this there”.

How would that look?

Problems Need Solutions — Always

Complaints without actions are empty, so here are some solutions to the issues plaguing the Cowboys.

To start, a simple fix for the pass pro struggles is time. Remember, Tyler Guyton is a 2nd-year left tackle, and Tyler Booker is a rookie. ESPN’s player rankings for pass pro have the three veterans of the line – Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, and Terence Steele – show up amongst the best. It will simply take time for the other two to get to that level.

On the special teams regression, KaVontae Turpin obviously hasn’t lost a step. On his 86-yard TD against Washington on Christmas, his top speed reached 20.21 MPH, and he hardly got out of 2nd gear. How does Dallas get him back to the lethal returner that was All-Pro just a season ago? Simple – go back to what worked.

The recent second-half woes can be attributed to one thing – a lack of run success. In the 4th quarter this season, the Cowboys are 30th in EPA/Rush. It’s really telling – a team with one of the best run-block units can’t run the football in the back end of the game. However, not all of the blame lies on them.

The Horrid Defense

It’s challenging to run the ball when trailing late, which the Cowboys frequently do. To fix the defensive woes, the first, most obvious step has been taken: Matt Eberflus has been fired.

At the time of his hiring, his record as a DC was actually pretty good, but clearly, those years are behind him. It’s not all his fault – more on that in a moment — but Eberflus’ tenure needed to end. Now, this team needs to address pass rush in the draft — preferably with a premium pick. Luckily, there are a lot of them in this year’s draft.

Finally, Dallas needs to cut bait with those who are not producing. They’ve already done so with Trevon Diggs, and there’s more that could see the chopping block in the offseason. Replace those with quality free agents, as well – more Quinnen Williams-type moves. Do all of that, and in 2026, the Cowboys might take the field with a defense worth noting.

Time will tell if the Dallas Cowboys take to heart the waste of their elite QB play and explosive offense, or if there is a similar discussion at the end of next season.