Top Factors That Could Sink Dallas Cowboys This Season

After a busy offseason, the Dallas Cowboys have retooled their team in preparation for a Super Bowl run in 2017.

But much like every team in the NFL, Dallas has its weak spots that, if pressed, could doom their title chances next season.

From injuries to sophomore slumps and a tough schedule, here are some of the top factors that could derail the Cowboys in 2017.

Lack of Offensive Line Stability

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For the past three seasons, the Cowboys have had basically the same offensive line, minus a few injuries. It has been the one stable part of the team since the 2014 season. 

But now, with Doug Free retired and Ronald Leary off to the Denver Broncos, the Cowboys will have two new starters on the offensive line. While La'el Collins has started a few games for Dallas in the past two seasons, he is being moved from left guard to right tackle.

As for left guard, the Cowboys will have an open competition for a starting spot. Chaz Green, Jonathan Cooper and Byron Bell, among others, will compete for a job on one of the best offensive lines in football. None have the talent of a Leary or Collins, but Dallas is hoping to find an adequate starter somewhere among the group. 

If the Collins-to-right-tackle transition doesn't work or if he just can't stay healthy, the Cowboys' dominant offensive line may not be as terrifying to opponents in 2017.

Dallas needs this group to play at a high level again next season. And if they don't, they could be the biggest reason why they don't make the playoffs this year.

Lack of Pass Rush

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Despite the Cowboys' highly successful season in 2016, the team's year ended after not being able to get to Aaron Rodgers.

Even if Dallas had somehow been able to get past the Green Bay Packers, their lack of pass rush was their biggest weakness all season. The team just didn't have the horses to get to the passer consistently enough last year. 

To prove just how mediocre the Cowboys' pass rush was last year, here are some mind-blowing statistics from 2016.

According to Sportradar (the league's stat-keeping database), the Cowboys generated the least amount of pressures in 2016 with just 150. Just to compare, the Miami Dolphins led the league with 254. Not only did Dallas finish last in pressures, it finished in just the middle of the pack in terms of sacks with 34. 

To further emphasize how putrid the Cowboys' pass rush was last year, the team finished third in average time in the pocket at 2.49. Only the Bills and the Packers allowed quarterbacks to have more time in the pocket. Dallas also finished dead last in "hurries" with just 64.  

If the Cowboys can't improve their pass rush in 2017, they will fail as a team. They added Taco Charlton in the first round to help ensure this does not happen, but as we know, rookie pass-rushers typically don't move the needle much in their first season.

Dallas is relying on young players such as Maliek Collins, David Irving, and Demarcus Lawrence to help improve their rush next year. 

Much like 2016, the Cowboys' pass rush or lack of pressure could be their biggest downfall in 2017. It will likely decide what their ceiling is and if they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Tough Schedule

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In 2015, the Cowboys finished 4-12 and last in the NFC East. It was a tough year for Cowboys fans, but it eventually led to the team selecting Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick.

Because of the team's down year, it led to the Cowboys having a fourth-place schedule for the 2016 season. The two extra games the Cowboys added (outside of playing the NFC North and AFC North) were games against the 49ers and Buccaneers. Dallas won both contests. 

Dallas finished first in the NFC East, meaning they will now play a first-place schedule in 2017. Aside from playing the best division in football in the AFC West and the NFC West, the Cowboys picked up two games against teams who went to the NFC Championship game in 2017—the Packers and the Falcons. 

Dallas will take on the Packers at home on October 8 and the Falcons in Atlanta on November 12. The Cowboys' improved schedule will challenge them throughout the year, and if they can't survive this brutal schedule, they will sink to the bottom of the NFC East once again.

Backup Quarterback

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Dallas not only lost Tony Romo this offseason, they also lost Mark Sanchez in free agency. That leaves Kellen Moore as the primary backup behind Dak Prescott.

While it's true that Moore fits what Dallas wants in a backup quarterback (someone who can help the starter install the game plan each week), Moore just doesn't have an NFL arm and won't be able to win games if Prescott were to go down. 

With the Cowboys having one of the toughest schedules in the league, they cannot afford to drop a game or two because of a shaky backup quarterback situation.

While Bryan Broaddus reported Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones is looking to bring in a veteran quarterback, the team hasn't done so yet (no, I'm not counting Zac Dysert who was signed on Monday). 

As much as Dallas loves Moore, he's just underqualified to be a backup quarterback in the NFL. For the Cowboys' sake, they need Prescott to stay healthy for every single snap if this team wants to be in the playoffs again in 2017.

Young Defensive Backs

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One of the big stories of the offseason was what the Cowboys would do with all of their uncertainty in their secondary.

After the season ended, four defensive backs (two corners and two safeties) were scheduled to hit free agency. That was a big deal considering how well the unit played in 2016.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys had the No. 1-graded secondary for 2016. Entering free agency, the question was: How is Dallas going to keep this secondary together with limited cap room? The team responded by letting all four (Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox) hit free agency and didn't retain a single one.

Instead, the Cowboys opted to go to the draft to replenish their depth chart with talent. They selected four defensive backs in the 2017 draft, two of whom—Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis—came within the top-100 picks. With Anthony Brown and Byron Jones returning, Dallas will have one of the youngest secondaries in the entire league. 

While it's reasonable to be excited about this unit going forward, it should be expected that this group will struggle because of its youth. But Dallas is banking on their young corners to step up and play well and do so early in the season.

If the Cowboys can't get decent play from their secondary, it could be another long year for their defense.

Sophomore Slumps

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Last year, the Cowboys were led by their star rookies in Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.

They took the league by storm as they won 13 games and locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Prescott won the offensive rookie of the year honors, while Elliott finished second. 

But now, the entire league has 17 games of film on the two rookies and there will be a target on their backs. Prescott and Elliott will need to improve their play even further if the Cowboys want to be a serious contender in the NFC.

A sophomore slump can't happen for either player, or the team will drastically decline in 2017.