Cowboys roundtable discussion: CeeDee Lamb, Malik Davis, and the Giants game

Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have Mike Poland and David Howman.

When Washington tried to bracket CeeDee Lamb did Dallas have the right answers?

Mike: Yes, and that’s what made the win feel more repeatable than fluky. When Washington pushed coverage to Lamb, Dallas didn’t force-feed him, they looked elsewhere. You saw more reduced splits and motion to identify coverage, then the use of quick passes, including over the middle to Jake Ferguson, to stay on schedule. They also used Lamb to drag safety help out of the middle and created a clean one-on-one for KaVontae Turpin.

Howman: I think so. It maybe took a bit longer than I’d like for them to adjust, but they got there. Having George Pickens is a huge help in those situations, and vice versa for when teams bracket Pickens too.

Does Malik Davis’ performance change your mind on the running back depth going into next season?

Mike: No. One solid game doesn’t rewrite the evaluation or the roster plan. Malik Davis gave them competent snaps, but competent isn’t the standard if you’re trying to build a backfield that can carry an offense when the weather turns and the margin gets thin. The Cowboys still need real depth next year at running back. Davis is fine as an RB3, he shouldn’t be the reason you pass on adding talent.

Howman: Not one bit. I love Malik Davis and the heart he plays with, and I want Javonte Williams to come back too. But the Cowboys need someone with legitimate breakaway speed who can also hold onto the ball, and nobody currently on the roster meets that description.

What’s the most repeatable takeaway from the Washington win that Dallas can carry into next week against the New York Giants?

Mike: The most repeatable takeaway is that Dallas won with structure, not hero ball. They stayed on schedule early, used motion to get clear pre-snap tells, and didn’t panic when Washington bracketed CeeDee Lamb, taking the easy answers to George Pickens, Ferguson, Turpin, and the ground game. That formula travels against the Giants because it limits negative plays, keeps the protection from getting exposed, and forces the defense to defend the entire field instead of just stop 88.

Howman: Fourth down aggression. I’m loving this version of Schotty, who appears to have accepted he can’t count on his defense to make any stops and is instead trying his hardest to score a touchdown every single drive. That’s how you need to coach when Matt Eberflus is running your defense.