5 Bucks: Winning The Division; No Superhero at QB? - Bucky Brooks, Dallascowboys.com
Believe it or not, there’s a compelling argument to be made that the Cowboys still have the best shot to win the NFC East.
Winning the division is a realistic goal. Despite sitting at 2-7 at the break, the Cowboys are in a great position to win the NFC East. The face one team with a winning record down the stretch. Moreover, they have an opportunity to control their destiny due to rematches against each of their division rivals
That's why the Cowboys should have a little pep in their step when they return to the practice field this week. They have a chance to reverse their fortune this season by knocking out a seven-game schedule littered with winnable games. The task won't be easy but it is certainly achievable if the Cowboys continue to play with the effort, energy, and discipline that they've exhibited over the past two games.
In addition, the Cowboys will go on a winning streak if Mike McCarthy can get his coaches and team to embrace playing "complementary" football. When the Cowboys operate with the offense playing in a way the supports and protects the defense, and the special teams complement both units, the team can win against contenders and pretenders.
D-Law: This Won’t Be A Repeat Of Browns Game - David Helman, Dallascowboys.com
The star defender promised Dallas will come out ready to play on Sunday.
With Minnesota waiting on Sunday, it's an interesting week to bring up Cleveland, though. Behind the Herculean efforts of Dalvin Cook, the Vikings currently rank fifth in rushing offense – just one spot behind the No. 4 Browns. That's noteworthy because the Browns are coached by Kevin Stefanski, who was Minnesota's offensive coordinator last season – and who used similar schemes to bludgeon the Cowboys for 307 rushing yards back on Oct. 4.
It's not just outsiders drawing those comparisons, either. Asked about it, Lawrence acknowledged the similarities – albeit the Vikings have arguably the best back in football toting the rock, "We feel like it's pretty similar," Lawrence said. "We feel like Dalvin Cook is a more elite back just by his skills and how he can cut the ball back at any moment on you, but we feel like we're going to see mostly the same scheme and that's it."
DeMarcus Lawrence Says Cowboys Are a ‘Good Team’ Despite 2-7 Record - Paul Kasabian, Bleacher Report
D-Law would also like you to know his thoughts on this team.
However, Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is optimistic about his team’s state and its ability to make a second-half run, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
“First things first, don’t ever get this twisted, we’re a good team,” Lawrence said Wednesday. “And it’s all about winning games at the end of the day, but we’re a good team. Seeing how other people are playing and stuff, I don’t think we’re far behind at all. I feel like we deserve to still be in this thing, and we can make a pretty good run.”
Scouting report: Vikings vs. Cowboys - Star-Tribune
Mike Zimmer talks about Andy Dalton.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who spent three years with Dalton in Cincinnati: “Andy’s a great kid. Really good person. Great family. He won an awful lot of games there. I loved being able to go out and compete against him all the time. Very accurate, good arm, very cerebral.”
Cowboys' Andy Dalton Auditioning For His Next Quarterbacking Job - Kevin Brady, Inside The Star
Andy Dalton’s long-term future likely will be somewhere else than Dallas.
He hasn’t gotten off to a hot start. In his first two starts in Prescott’s absence, Dalton only led one touchdown drive, and was the victim of blowout losses to both Arizona and Washington. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket, threw three interceptions, and failed to break 5 yards per attempt.
Dalton signed with the Cowboys in large part because of their weapons. Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup. An opportunity to showcase his skills while relying on dynamic receivers and a steady running game.
Instead, Dalton will have to play above his head behind this injured offensive line. But if he can play well and win some games, there may be another pay day out there for the Cowboys current starting quarterback.
The cavalry is coming for the Cowboys in 2021, and it’s more than just Dallas' returning injured stars - Michael Gehlken, Dallas Morning News
2021 will bring Dallas a return of more than just their injured players.
All told, the Cowboys anticipate having nine draft picks, including six in the first four rounds. A cavalry. Those nine picks are expected to be distributed with one in the first round, one in the second, two in the third (one compensatory), two in the fourth (one compensatory), one in the fifth (compensatory), one in the sixth (if not fifth) and one in the seventh.
The sixth-round choice was acquired in last month’s trade of defensive end Everson Griffen to the Detroit Lions. That was a conditional pick, which could elevate to a fifth-round choice based on how Griffen performs in Detroit. Dallas dealt a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick last year to acquire defensive end Michael Bennett from the New England Patriots. That elevated to a sixth-round choice based on Bennett’s production, a team source said Tuesday. In April, the Cowboys also traded their 2021 fifth-round pick in April to draft center Tyler Biadasz in the fifth round. The Cowboys assembled an impactful draft class this spring.
They have a quality chance next year at another.
Dallas Cowboys: Letting Dak Prescott walk leaves this carousel - Kenneth Wilson, FanSided's The Landry Hat
Letting Dak walk? No thanks.
Are you willing to suffer through the plight of the Cleveland Browns? Dallas Cowboys fans are different. Like … really different.For the last few seasons, you have seen a constant desire to move on from Dak Prescott. Why? I have said it here as many times as you all have heard it anywhere. If you don’t have a quarterback, you are looking for one and if you have one, you keep him. It’s really that simple. We, as fans, make it much harder than that though and harder than it has to be.
Without Dak Prescott this season, we haven’t won or lost any more or fewer games, but we have been far less competitive in every game since he was injured. That’s not an opinion, that’s a fact. Not only has the team been bad all-around for the most part, but the offense has been especially bad. In the last two weeks, where the defense has seemingly found some things to build upon, the offense has sputtered in the most crucial moments.
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