Blogging The Boys
In the popular video game from my childhood, Star Wars Battlefront II, there’s an opening line from the narrator during the campaign mission “A Line in the Sand” that summarizes where the Dallas Cowboys are at.
This is it men… No retrats. No excuses.
The Cowboys have no choice but to keep pushing and have zero margin for error. Before Monday night, Dallas’ playoff hopes were on life support after losing to the Detroit Lions. Thanks to the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert, there are signs of life.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ loss on Monday Night Football puts them at 8-5. With that loss, the Cowboys’ playoff chances have increased to ten percent and eight percent to win the division, per The Athletic’s playoff simulator. This wouldn’t be the first time in the last decade that the Cowboys tried to win out on the way to the playoffs. Dallas tried to do so in 2015, when Tony Romo returned from a collarbone injury. Seems fitting that the Cowboys find themselves in a similar position on their tenth anniversary of trying to manipulate their own destiny.
Here are five things Dallas needs to do if they want to “run the table” in the final month of the season.
Before the trade deadline, this same column pointed out the Cowboys needed to make a move at linebacker and say goodbye to Kenneth Murray. Dallas did trade for a starting-caliber linebacker in Logan Wilson, but while he’s trying to get up to speed, it’s been a timeshare in the middle between him and Murray.
Murray has had his moments this season, but the terrible play at times on the field just outweighs any good he’s shown.
In the clips above, if you watch No. 59, there are a few plays where he takes himself entirely out of the play. You can’t have a middle linebacker who is purposely avoiding contact. Maybe that’s what he’s being told to do, but if that’s the case, Brian Schottenheimer needs to really look hard at the coaching staff on that side of the ball.
Last week, Schottenheimer said he’s liked what he’s seen from Murray and Wilson and that they would continue to share snaps in the middle.
Schotty will never throw his players under the bus, but he can’t believe that statement. Murray’s Pro Football Focus grade on defense this season ranks 57th out of 59 starting linebackers who have played more than 50 percent of the snaps. Instead, the starting linebackers should be Wilson and DeMarvion Overshown, with Marist Liufau and Shemar James sprinkled in.
If the Cowboys hope to run the table, it’ll be on the shoulders of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens. In recent weeks, Dallas’ rushing success rate has dropped, and they are not as effective running the ball with Javonte Williams as they were at the start of...
