Cowboys news: Will the Dallas offense be enough to overcome the red-hot Rams?

Sean McVay Says Facing Dallas Cowboys Offense Is A “Nightmare” - Kevin Brady, Inside the Star

Even after a difficult three game stretch, McVay still thinks the Cowboys offense could present some problems for the Rams defense.

McVay discussed each group on the offense, saying that Dallas has a great offensive line with excellent weapons like Amari Cooper surrounding a quarterback who’s making “great decisions.”

McVay’s praise is not incorrect. Despite their recent struggles the Cowboys are still first in yards, ninth in scoring offense, and second in offensive DVOA. They’ve been wildly efficient and effective on offense for much of the year, although their outputs the last three weeks wouldn’t suggest this is the case.

What McVay’s comments made me think about, though, is just how underperforming this team has been in 2019. Everything the Rams head coach is saying is right.

The Cowboys have some of the best players at their position on both sides of the ball, including at the most premium positions in football. Just in terms of straight talent they have the quarterback, the offensive line, the edge rushers, and the number one receiver to make waves in this league.

Mailbag: The Biggest Key To Beating L.A.? - Rob Phillips & Lindsay Cash Draper, DallasCowboys.com

Biggest key to beating the Rams is.....

Rob: Pretty simple. Complementary football. Haven’t been many games this season where offense, defense and special teams all played a clean, consistent game together. The win over Philly stands out, and that night it was the defense providing a spark with early takeaways. I think that’s what has to happen here: a momentum-changing play that helps the offense (and special teams) with field position. But it starts with being technically sound tackling and and not allowing the Rams’ offense to settle in with their run game.

Focus Shifts on Stopping “Elite” Aaron Donald - Johnny Auping, DallasCowboys.com

Limiting Aaron Donald should be at the top of the Cowboys lists of things to worry about on Sunday.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the two-time reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s currently the odds-on favorite to win it this season, which would make him the first player in NFL history to be awarded the title in three consecutive seasons.

Donald disrupts offensives in every phase of their attack. “[He’s] just a remarkably good football player,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. “He’s an elite pass rusher. He’s an elite run defender.” Donald currently leads the league in tackles for losses.

Donald had a slow start to the season, at least by his standards, but unfortunately for the Cowboys, he has come on strong as of late to reclaim his status as the best defensive player in football. He has 11 sacks on the season, but 10 of them have come since Week 6. He’s recorded at least one sack in seven of the last eight games.

While plenty of eyes will be on running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley, or Jared Goff and Dak Prescott and their stable of weapons, the best matchup on the field may be the Cowboys’ proven offensive line versus Donald, who has a rare combination of strength and speed. He goes around stronger linemen and goes through quicker ones.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ‘impressed’ with Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley and Baylor’s Matt Rhule - Jori Epstein, USA Today

Jerry Jones has been very complimentary of other coaches here recently. Wonder why?

FRISCO, Texas — The list of coaches impressing Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to grow.

In November, Jones heaped praise onto Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Tuesday, he left the door open for a pursuit of former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer. And Friday, in Jones’ regular radio appearance, he doled out compliments for Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley and Baylor’s Matt Rhule.

Riley’s Sooners beat Rhule’s Bears 30-23 in overtime last Saturday at Jones’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Did Riley impress Jones?

“Well I am impressed with him, but boy, I’m impressed with Baylor’s Rhule too,” Jones told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “Two outstanding coaches at the stadium this weekend and that’s just that. They’ve done a great job positioning their teams, they’re sound in the way they’re approaching their teams. So that was a great chance to see a couple of great coaches out there.”

Change is coming for the Dallas Cowboys whether we like it or not - Richard Ball, The Landry Hat

As the headline reads, change is inevitable.

Cowboys Nation will welcome the chance to second guess a new Cowboys coach whether it be Urban Meyer, Lincoln Riley or some other coach willing to take Jerry Jones‘ money. But is this change enough?

Jerry Jones has done a good job of listening to his trusted advisors. He took his son Stephen’s suggestion and drafted offensive guard Zack Martin and not make the sexy Johnny Manziel quarterback pick.

He has empowered Will McClay, the Vice President for Player Personnel, to find day three draft gems like Anthony Brown and Xavier Woods and other contributors like Blake Jarwin and Robert Quinn through undrafted free agent signings and trades. Jerry Jones does not get nearly the credit he deserves for listening to his Front Office team.

Yet, the change Cowboys Nation desperately desires is for Jerry Jones to silence his mouth. The drama that Jerry churns has been great for business – he took his $140 million dollar investment in 1989 and now owns the world’s first five billion-dollar sports franchise.

Colin Cowherd actually has 5 reasons why Nick Saban to the Dallas Cowboys is viable - Keith Farner, Saturday Down South

Could Nick Saban be a possible option at head coach for the Cowboys?

Earlier this football season, Cowherd hadseven reasons why Saban could retire. Now he has five reasons why Saban could leaveto coach the Dallas Cowboys. After all, Jason Garrett’s job is in jeopardy and he’s widely believed to be on the way out after the season.

Cowherd referred to Saban’s energy being on display in the new HBO documentary about Saban and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Here are his five reasons:

Lane Kiffin’s now in the SEC. “As good a recruiter as anybody in the country,” Cowherd said. “So is Ed Orgeron, maybe the second-best recruiter in the country. So is Kirby Smart, maybe the third-best recruiter in the country.”

What does the NFL not have? A transfer portal.

Dallas is not a rebuild. This is not an exhaustive rebuild like when Jimmy Johnson and Jerry (Jones) started the Cowboys.

When you look at anybody, can you add something to their weakness? Nick Saban’s one of the smartest defensive coaches ever, and Dallas is not well coached on defense. He will have an immediate impact on the defensive side of the football.

It’s a perfect entry point. “… You never want to replace Howard Stern. You want to replace somebody where you look at the numbers and go, ‘Oh, I can double those numbers.’”

Jalen Ramsey on Amari Cooper: What he’s been able to do since he got to Dallas is... it’s elite - RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys

Jalen Ramsey had some.... positive comments to say about Amari Cooper?

The Dallas Cowboys are taking on the Los Angeles Rams this week, the game is a rematch of last year’s Divisional Round playoff game between the two teams. Dallas found themselves in the 2018 postseason due to a heroic run by Amari Cooper after the team traded for him in the middle of the season. He changed, and continues to change, the way that they operate on offense and really helped Dak Prescott take his game to the next level.

Cooper will be expected to contribute heavily on Sunday against Los Angeles and he’ll be charged to do so against a Rams secondary that looks very different than last season’s. Gone is Marcus Peters and in are players like Eric Weddle and Jalen Ramsey.

The Rams traded for Ramsey before this season’s trade deadline which means that this matchup will feature three of the top five picks from the 2016 draft class (Jared Goff and Ezekiel Elliottalongside Ramsey). Dallas considered drafting Ramsey way back when but ultimately took Elliott.

With regards to Ramsey and the task of stopping Amari Cooper, he seems ready for the challenge. What’s more is that he seems quite respectful of his opponent which is a quality that has been absent from him at times in the past. He spoke glowingly of Cooper on Thursday.

BTB Podcast

Here are our final thoughts ahead of Sunday’s game.

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Here’s how Cowboys fans are feeling at Week 15.