Cowboys trade interest was already risky. With Dak Prescott’s injury, their argument is even weaker

For the past three years, the Dallas Cowboys fell short of expectations.

They’d power through the regular season and then exit early in the playoffs, unable to hold their own against the most talented and well-coached teams.

Then came this season.

All of a sudden, the 12-5 record the Cowboys mounted each year from 2021-2023 looks different.

Because as November begins, the Cowboys already have those five losses. And this time, they’re joined by just three wins.

“We need to win a game,” head coach Mike McCarthy said after a 27-21 loss at the Atlanta Falcons. “We have five losses. I clearly understand where that puts us.”

The shortcomings that dug this Cowboys hole vary.

There’s the league-worst running game Dallas carried into this week, averaging just 74.1 yards per game and 3.41 per carry.

There’s the second-worst time of possession and second-worst red-zone success rate the offense posted through eight weeks, each arguably also related to Dallas’ nonexistent run game.

The Cowboys’ defense lost its top two edge rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence to injuries a month ago, contributing to the Cowboys’ league-worst red-zone defense and to the second-worst points per game allowed through the first eight weeks.

Greg Olsen as Cowboys give up third TD of days: “No team struggles with pre-snap motion more than the Dallas Cowboys. … That’s something the Cowboys defense has struggled with all year.”pic.twitter.com/3kmp8ZxRob

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 3, 2024

And while Week 9 rankings will require all games finishing, the repeated pre-snap penalties that hurt the Cowboys against the Falcons have become the rule rather than the exception.

Oh, and quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him multiple weeks.

All of this would make plenty of team decision-makers think critically about their 2024 investment. Sure, teams should and will try to win in most situations. But mortgaging future years when…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-trade-interest-was-already-risky-with-dak-prescotts-injury-their-argument-is-even-weaker-203624736.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-04 20:36:24

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.