What I expect from the Dallas Cowboys: Rico Dowdle gets a bigger load – Jon Machota, The Athletic
Rico Dowdle has a good chance to show that he is the new leader in the running back room if he stays healthy.
As the Cowboys begin their season, Ezekiel Elliott is ranked as the No. 1 running back. Elliott will likely start on the first team offense for Sunday’s road game against the Cleveland Browns. But I’m predicting Rico Dowdle, ranked No. 2, will lead the team in rushing. He was noticeably fit and looked like an improved pass catcher. Dowdle is three years younger than Elliott and had 1,969 fewer rushing attempts and 339 fewer receptions in the NFL. Elliott should enter December as fresh as possible. To do that, Dowdle will have to carry the bigger load. That doesn’t mean he’ll have a clear advantage in touches and yards, but I expect him to have more. My prediction is that Dowdle will get 13 to 15 rushing attempts per game and Elliott will get more like 10 to 12. Elliott had a career-low 10.8 runs per game last season with the New England Patriots. During his 2022 season in Dallas, he averaged 15 points per game.
Even Troy Aikman doesn’t know how to solve one of the Cowboys’ biggest problems – Staff, DMN
Frustration over the Cowboys’ postseason performance is growing, but despite what one constantly reads and hears on social media, there seems to be no easy solution.
Aikman: “I think it’s fair to say the owner (Jerry Jones) is probably frustrated too. You know? Of course, everyone has an opinion of him, not just as an owner, but especially as a general manager. When you win 12 games in a regular season, it’s hard. And if you do that, can you say the team is poorly managed or not talented enough or whatever the criticisms are?
“But it’s hard to look at the Cowboys and see… they won a lot of games, they made the postseason, and still it didn’t pay off, even when they were No. 1. It didn’t matter who the head coach was, it didn’t matter who the quarterback was. Still, they won a lot of games in the regular season. So I don’t know exactly how to fix that, and all I know is that you have to play your best football in the most important games, and that’s the key for any team.
“If you look at the Chiefs and their performance, you know they struggled early in the season last year and a lot of people thought, ‘Wow, this team just isn’t that good. You know, that’s kind of putting a damper on them.’ And in the postseason, they play their best football and win another Super Bowl, and with Dallas, it was kind of the opposite. They just didn’t play their best football when the games mattered the most. And solving that puzzle is certainly a challenge, but it’s not just in the last few years. It’s been going on for some time.”
Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer and Micah Parsons “evolving” together – Brandon Loree, Blogging The Boys
The new defensive general in Dallas and his best player get along well.
When the Dallas Cowboys hired Mike Zimmer as their new defensive coordinator during the offseason, the immediate reaction was whether his rough, prehistoric approach to players had died out in today’s NFL.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, Zimmer is not fossilized yet. Since arriving in Dallas, Zimmer has seemingly evolved from his time as head coach with the Minnesota Vikings. He spoke about his personality and acknowledged that he was “grumpy” at times during his coaching career. That fiery personality made Zimmer a respected defensive coordinator and eventual head coach.
However, if he was going to make a comeback after a few seasons off, Zimmer had to find his softer side. After all, he fills the void left by former coordinator Dan Quinn, which is a contrast to Quinn’s previous approach to his players.
The current head coach of the Washington Commanders was always the fun uncle in Dallas, getting his defense to relax and play for each other. During his three years in Dallas, Quinn’s personality helped mold a defense that ranked in the top 10 in most categories.
When Zimmer came on the scene, fans wondered if the coordinator had changed and how he would cope with someone like All-Pro Micah Parsons, who had grown very fond of Quinn and their relationship.
This melding of personalities never seemed to be a problem, as Parsons and Zimmer spent a lot of time together during the offseason, sometimes over breakfast, to discuss and develop their approach for the upcoming season.
“It’s going to be exciting, I can say that. … It’s not really about the number (of sacks), it’s about showing the world: ‘This guy really is the best.'”
On his relationship with Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer: “I think we’re aligned. I think I just had to show Mike what I’m capable of and what I can do. I’ve probably accomplished everything he wanted me to do and more. He came to me and said, ‘You say you want to do this and you want to do that, if you just follow these detailed things, you can be the best ever.’ … I think we’ve moved forward in a good direction.”
Mike McCarthy praises Linval Joseph before Cowboys vs. Browns game – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
After coaching against him, Mike McCarthy has high regard for nose tackle Linval Joseph now that he is with the Cowboys.
When the Dallas Cowboys hired Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator for the 2024 season, one of the biggest expectations was that he would not only rebuild the linebacker group, but also try to bring in a monster or two in the middle of the defensive line to help Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa improve the run defense.
Both ultimately came to pass, and the latter included a trade for Jordan Phillips and the signing of Linval Joseph as a free agent in late August – Joseph had earned two Pro Bowl nominations during their time together with the Minnesota Vikings under Zimmer.
That means McCarthy, former head coach of the rival Green Bay Packers, knows him pretty well.
“As a coach, you just really, really appreciate a guy like Linval Joseph, who’s played 15 years in the league,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Joseph before the veteran defensive tackle’s debut for the Cowboys against the Cleveland Browns. “It’s unbelievable. But what he brings to your football team and to the locker room, I’ve always had a lot of respect for him – even competing against him – but he’s a great addition, among many others.
“He is a product of our end of the season.”
Dak Prescott faces more criticism than his peers despite similar challenges – Jacob Bain, Sports Illustrated
Dak Prescott is apparently held to different standards than his contemporaries.
The criticism directed at Dak Prescott has been tremendous throughout his career. The former Mississippi State standout quarterback enters his ninth season with the Dallas Cowboys and is now under the microscope more than ever.
The Haughton, LA native is entering his new contract year and speculation is rife as many wonder if this is his last season in Dallas. The biggest criticism of the 31-year-old quarterback is his inability to win playoff games as he has a 2-5 record.
However, the criticism is not evenly distributed: Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson has a 2-4 record in the playoffs and media-loved Matthew Stafford has no playoff success as a Detroit Lion.
Stafford and Jackson will be held accountable for their postseason deficiencies, but no one is questioning their abilities or whether they are worth the money; that is what Prescott has to deal with.
Many experts believe Prescott isn’t worth the money because he’s holding his team back in the postseason. Sure, the Dallas Cowboys have a talented roster, but the organization hasn’t won an NFC championship since 1995.
This is a results-driven business, and it’s brutal.
Is Prescott to blame? Kind of, but Dak Prescott doesn’t play defense.
The question is, why is Jackson a media darling while Prescott is regularly vilified? Prescott is not surrounded by controversy, but he plays for the king of controversy, Jerry Jones.
