The Dallas Cowboys aren’t good enough to even be pretenders

of dallas cowboys 3-3, 1 game difference. commander of washington They finished in first place in the NFC East.

The Dallas Cowboys stink.

Sunday's 47-9 humiliation detroit lions So lopsided that the score somehow flattered Mike McCarthy's team. It was the Cowboys' heaviest home loss since Tom Landry's farewell season in 1988. and one of them Largest margin of loss in franchise history. It's also their fourth consecutive loss at home, dating back to the humiliation on the road in the playoffs. green bay packers.

I know it's not good to have to blur the scoreboard like the most gruesome part of a crime scene.

Dallas enters 2024 with 12 wins in each of the past three years, two district titles and one playoff game. During that span, only the Kansas City Chiefs won more games in the regular season. It was logical to think the Cowboys would once again be among the NFC contenders. There's nothing to indicate this year's Cowboys are a playoff-caliber team, let alone a 12-win team. With a point differential of -42 (good for 25th in the NFL), they are in the undesirable quadrant of “bad on both sides of the ball.”

Dallas' offensive power is ranked A. 25th in pedestrian EPA/Playbelow it new york giants Very different from the previous season's persistent top 10 rankings. Only the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots have a worse red zone touchdown rate. Their EPA/dropback is worse than the “SIM terminating” grief. jacksonville jaguars. Dak Prescott, the newly acquired $60 million quarterback and 2023 MVP runner-up, is tied for 23rd in EPA/play with Daniel Jones. He has been on pace for his worst completion percentage and adjusted net yards per attempt since his second season. Brandin Cooks' knee infection means there is little depth at wide receiver outside of CeeDee Lamb. Ezekiel Elliott was brought back for…atmosphere?Nostalgia? It would not have been possible to improve the rush attack. His longest gain was nine yards on 38 carries, and he rushed for only six first downs. Rico Doodle is the new RB1 after Tony Pollard's departure and will lead the Cowboys' rushing 'attack' Success rate is 28th We'll finish with total yards and yards per carry. Dallas' once-great offensive line is experiencing life without Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz. It was mediocre at best Rookie Tyler Guyton (who was on the bench against the Lions), Cooper Beebe and second-year Tyler Smith were starters.

former minnesota vikings After Quinn was hired as the Commanders' head coach, head coach Mike Zimmer replaced Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator. Quinn was a regular top-10 defenseman in Dallas, even though he generally struggled to defend the NFL's elite offenses. Zimmer's defense ranks 30th in points allowed; Last in rush EPA/play, 22nd against the pass.that is rear Get a head start against Deshaun Watson and the moribund situation cleveland browns Last year's first-round pick Maj Smith was supposed to be one of the solutions to the Cowboys' run defense woes. This Frank Ragnow pancake block Summarizes his career so far. The secondary, led by Trevon Diggs, hasn't been great, but it's “exempt” in the sense that opponents run the ball more than they throw it. Dallas' defense struggled even with DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons in the lineup. Without them it is a hopeless cause.

At least Dallas' special teams are good (No.1 in DVOA). Brandon Aubrey is probably the top kicker in the NFL, leading the league in field goal attempts, and it would be great if the Cowboys were also scoring above-average touchdowns (Spoiler: They are not.).

A Week 7 bye is the only relief for the Cowboys, and at least Parsons and ball-carrying cornerback Daron Brand should be able to return in Week 8. They need all the reinforcements they can get. They enjoyed the advantage of the easiest schedule in the league, but this year has been relentless. their next match is san francisco 49ersdefeated them three times in a row, including twice in the playoffs. There are still five divisional games remaining, as well as a prime-time home schedule and league games. houston texans and tampa bay buccaneers. Of the remaining opponents, new york giants, cincinnati bengalsand carolina panthers It sits below .500.

Ultimately, the Cowboys' misery in 2024 will fall at the feet of Jerry Jones. Jones' 82nd birthday present was to see for himself the dire consequences of summer laziness. His only outside free agent acquisitions were 32-year-old linebacker Eric Kendricks, Zeke and running back Royce Freeman, who was cut in the preseason. Jones spoke about his roster after Dallas' Week 3 loss. baltimore ravens“I like our personnel,” he also claimed, as the NFL's current rushing yards leader, Derrick Henry, “has a lot to offer.” It cost too much to enjoy autographs.. Jerry, of course.

The criticism of Jones for not making meaningful roster moves is clearly getting to him, as evidenced by Tuesday's controversial radio appearance. 105.3 Fan.

“Listen, tell me what I'm going to do about it. Let's sit down and look at the decisions we've made over the last few years. Okay? We'll take a look at it,” Jones said. . “Well, if you think I'm interested in calling you on the radio and sitting here throwing out all the dishwater, you must be smoking something over there this morning. You're not. And I really don't — and I don't even want listeners listening to me. [this]. This isn't your job. Your job is not to make me explain why I did something and regret having done it. That's not your job.

“That's not your job. Otherwise I'll let other people ask the questions, guys. No, no. I'm not kidding. You can't figure out what your team is doing right or wrong. If you are, or if there are five or ten people like you, come to this meeting that I'm here today, team 32. You guys are geniuses, okay? Do you really think I'm going to sit here with a microphone and tell you everything that's wrong without violating my rights?”

Jones just wants to be defensive about his decisions (he even appears to be threatening to fire a radio host) and do whatever he wants, but the brutal truth is that the Cowboys, as they are organized, have no plans for tea time in January. I'm not ready to do anything other than make a reservation. They are practicing on the grooves on both sides of the ball.and that offense won't work if Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb aren't performing at an All-Pro level. With such formidable opponents ahead, it's clear that Dallas could end up in last place in the NFC East instead of repeating as division champions. Jerry Jones will continue to put on the show until further notice, but at this point, unfortunately for Cowboys fans, the countdown to the end of the Mike McCarthy era has begun.