Cowboys news: Micah Parsons is already the lead dog at linebacker for the Cowboys

A week into his career, Micah Parsons is already the Cowboys LB who should rarely leave the field - Jean-Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News

The rookie linebacker has already eclipsed two veterans on the depth chart.

The youngster, the 12th pick of the NFL draft who covers 40 yards in 4.39 seconds despite weighing 245 pounds, is the epitome of a three-down linebacker. That means Leighton Vander Esch (14 snaps) and Jaylon Smith (16 snaps) will play even less. The die has already been cast for each of those players whether you deem it fair or not. Neither played well last season for whatever reason, and the organization has mentally already moved on.

We know they’re backups no matter how reluctant the coaches and front office seem to be to say it. The Cowboys like Vander Esch, who was second-team All-Pro as a rookie, but don’t trust his health, which is why he didn’t get his fifth-year option picked up. The “Wolf Hunter” will be a free agent at the end of this season after missing 13 games the past two years.

Smith, who made the Pro Bowl just two years ago, isn’t nearly as bad as his critics believe he is, but he’s not a difference-maker either. He’s a solid NFL player who will probably play 10 seasons, but he’s a one-dimensional player — a downhill run-stopper — in a league built on versatility and athleticism these days. Neither Vander Esch nor Smith should be taking snaps away from Parsons. The NFL has never been more of a young player’s league than it is now.

Jerry Jones says Dallas Cowboys will start Terence Steele at right tackle this week against Chargers - RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys

The second-year tackle will get the start on Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys began their season without one of their top offensive linemen last week as Zack Martin was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for the season opener, but while Martin is back the Cowboys group up front will be down another starter when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Last Friday it was announced that La’el Collins had been suspended for five games which takes him out through the Cowboys bye week. In the days since then many people have been debating what the proper answer is for the team at right tackle as there are seemingly a number of options that the Cowboys could go with.

It seems as if a decision has been made. Speaking on Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan Jerry Jones said that Terence Steele will start at right tackle.

5 Bucks: Best Dak Ever? Turnover Chains & More - Bucky Brooks, Dallascowboys.com

Dak Prescott looked as good as we’ve ever seen him in Week 1.

Dak is better than ever. The preseason rust versus rest debate was at a fever pitch prior to the opener but Prescott silenced the critics questioning his preparedness after missing most of last season with a devastating lower leg injury. The veteran brought his A-game to the party as he put up a 400-yard game on the defending champs. Most important, Prescott put the rest of the league on notice that his sizzling 2020 campaign was not a fluke or a hot streak from a quarterback trying to make his mark in a contract year.

Reviewing the All-22 film, I loved the way No.4 attacked favorable match-ups on the perimeter while staying within the confines of the offense. He displayed enough patience and poise to take the easy throws yielded by the defense while maintaining an aggressive approach. Prescott pushed the ball down the field enough to keep the Buccaneers' defenders from squatting on short and intermediate routes.

Within the pocket, Prescott showed composure and poise in the face of pressure. He did not flinch with bodies around him or look to flee at the first sign of a pocket collapse. The courage and toughness displayed by the veteran in the openers suggest that he cleared any mental hurdles that could have impacted his return. With Prescott also showing a willingness to run on a few zone-read plays and designed QB keepers, the Cowboys' QB1 looks like he is ready to take another step towards becoming a Top 5 quarterback.

Cowboys roundtable: Concerns about Dak Prescott’s workload? What’s up with the inefficient run game? - Staff, Dallas Morning News

Will Dak’s workload be a problem later in the season?

Let’s start the season off with a two-part question. What was your most encouraging and your most troubling moment from the loss to the Bucs on Thursday night? David Moore: Most encouraging? That came late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay was driving, about to put the game out of reach with a touchdown when safety Damontae Kazee forced a fumble and Jourdan Lewis recovered, giving the Cowboys the ball on their own 10-yard line. Dak Prescott then engineered an 11-play, 60-yard drive that resulted in a field goal to give Dallas a one-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining.

Most troubling? Let’s start with the response of the Cowboys defense after earning that lead. Dallas allowed the Bucs offense to pick up 57 yards and the game-winning field goal. The Cowboys lead lasted all of 1:22. But let’s add this moment as well. Dallas also held a brief lead in the second quarter, only to find themselves down 38 seconds later after allowing a 47-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown. The defense can’t give up leads so quickly.

Calvin Watkins: There is nothing encouraging when you lose. A loss is a loss; it doesn’t matter if it’s close or if you got beat by 20. It’s about how you play. The Cowboys offense did what’s expected. It was one of the best offenses in the NFL last season before Dak Prescott got hurt. The defense is what it is. Which brings me to part two of this question: The defense struggled, though Trevon Diggs did play well against Mike Evans after his fast start. Anthony Brown, the safeties and the pass rush needs improvement badly going into Week 2.

Can Cedrick Wilson Step Up in Michael Gallup's Absence? - Alec Cash, Inside The Star

Cedrick Wilson will get plenty of opportunities in the next few weeks.

If the Cowboys’ offense can receive that kind of production over the next month or so from Wilson, that will be a huge boost and can produce wins for the team. Wilson most definitely has the talent as all he did at Boise State was make big plays downfield but now he will have every opportunity to showcase that ability. The great thing about Wilson’s role is he does not have to be the main guy, they still have Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb as the top two receivers so he will have plenty of one-on-one matchups with opposing teams third cornerback.

That fact alone will allow him to focus on his assignment and find holes in the zone for Prescott to deliver him the ball. Also, do not forget he has a little bit of quarterback in his game as he threw a red zone touchdown to Prescott in a week 5 against the New York Giants.

Dallas Cowboys: Top 3 most intriguing matchups against the Chargers - Riley Donald, The Landry Hat

Taking a look at some of the best matchups in this weekend's game.

Dallas Cowboys DBs vs. Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert. Keenan Allen, wide receiver, showed up big time last week. The prolific route runner went for 100 yards and appears to be the favorite target of quarterback, Justin Herbert. Against a Washington Football Team defense, that many think is elite, Herbert completed nearly two-thirds of his passes for well over 300 yards. This tandem is lethal if they can get it going. Allen is going to be a mismatch for most of the Cowboys’ secondary if he spends the afternoon running in green grass. Cowboys cornerback, Trevon Diggs, is coming off of a stellar performance holding Tampa Bay wide receiver, Mike Evans, to a measly one reception for ten yards. Diggs guarded Evans on 83% of the snaps.

Expect to see the same tendency as the Cowboys look to slow down Keenan Allen. While Diggs primarily played press against Evans due to him being more of a big-body possession receiver, playing an off-man technique may suit him better this week.

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