Well, Can They?

Are you a Cowboys fan currently breathing into a brown paper bag? If so, take a deep breath and count backwards from 50. So the NFL decided to play judge, jury and executioner on Dallas’ own Ezekiel Elliott. Handing down a six-game suspension which keeps Zeke off the field until Dec. 17. Oh, and the timing couldn’t be worse. At 2-0 since the bye week, it seemed the Cowboys were finally hitting their stride, attempting to keep pace with the flying Eagles of Philadelphia. Dallas is now without the heartbeat of their offense in Elliot, who had  accounted for 35 points and almost 400 all purpose yards in the last two weeks alone. You’re probably wondering dear reader, if the Cowboys still have a chance of making the playoffs. The answer is yes.

 

Teams Built the Right Way Always Have a Shot at Success

It is no secret that the Cowboys have a winning formula along the Offensive Line. Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, and Tyron Smith are all-world talents. La’el Collins has had his struggles, but is progressing nicely. Last but not least, former first rounder Jonathan Cooper seems to have finally found a home here in Dallas. While it took time for this new-look offensive line to gel together, it has now played solid football for nine consecutive quarters (something clicked in that 4th quarter against Green Bay).

In my opinion, nine quarters of solid play is enough to say they have officially improved to elite status once again. One could also make the argument that the new offensive line will be better in the long term. La’el’s athleticism and youth is a nice injection into this unit. The oldest starting offensive linemen within the current lineup is Cooper, and he is only 27. If Cooper continues to play well, and Collins continues to develop at a reasonable pace, Dallas is set for seasons to come.

Teams that want to establish winning cultures must have more than one way to win football games. What may seem random to those outside of Cowboys nation is the sudden emergence of a dominant pass rush in big D. Though the Cowboys don’t see it as random. They see it as the long awaited completion of suspensions and recovery of  defensive linemen such as David Irving and Demarcus Lawrence. These two players are undoubtedly feeding off each other, who have already combined for 15.5 sacks in this 2017 campaign. This dynamic duo seems to have sparked defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford, who had a heroic outing against the Redskins on Sunday.

At long last it seems the Cowboys philosophy along the defensive line finally makes sense. The unit now has athletic, versatile, and fast linemen within its ranks.

With a down season for Dez Bryant, an offense without Ezekiel Elliot until Dec. 17th, and the slow progression of rookie defensive backs, it seems the Cowboys pass rush has arrived just in time to ease the pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott  and the running back carousal of Darren McFadden, Rod Smith, and Alfred Morris.

Don’t Worry, All three Back-Ups Are Good

The Cowboys were well aware that this suspension would come. And much like a squirrel storing up acorns for a long winter, Dallas kept its stable of running backs well stocked. Darren McFadden hasn’t played a down of football this season specifically for this reason. When finally called upon, he will undoubtedly be fresh and motivated. Alfred Morris and Rod Smith have each made the most of the opportunities they have received this season, and Cowboys fans should be excited to see what they can do when given a significant amount of carries.

For more on what a backfield without Zeke could look like, and what it means for the offense as a whole click here. Most teams don’t get 5;the luxury of having multiple running backs with multiple 1000 yard seasons to their credit. But Dallas does.

Don’t Be Scared Of The Schedule

The schedule for the next six weeks without Elliot consists of the Chiefs, Falcons, Eagles, Chargers, Redskins and Giants. Teams which the Zeke-less Cowboys will probably struggle against will be the Chiefs and the Eagles. Yet I genuinely believe the match ups are favorable against the Chargers, Falcons and the Redskins.

The December 10th match up against the Giants may as well be considered an additional bye week. When you take into consideration that 4 of the next 6 games are at the AT&T center, it is conceivable to see the Cowboys go  4-2 over the next six weeks.

This would place Dallas at a 8-5 record for the season, with a brutal three game stretch of Oakland, Seattle, and Philadelphia awaiting once Zeke returns.

 

Best case, I see Dallas going either 11-5 or 10-6. Its going to be a bumpy ride, but if Dallas can simply reach the postseason, anything can happen.