NFL Week 3: Can the Dallas Cowboys Turn Things Around After Their 0-2 Start?

By now everyone is familiar with the implosion going on in Dallas. Once a team with Super Bowl aspirations, they have now reduced themselves to a team searching for an identity.

It is time for them to take a look in the mirror, splash some water on their face and realize who they really are. But first, let’s start with who they are not. They are not the Minnesota Vikings or the New Orleans Saints from 2009.

Nor are they the Indianapolis Colts of the Peyton Manning era. They should not be trying to overload the scoreboard with points. At least not with the defense they share a bench with on Sundays. 

They held Washington to six offensive points and still lost. Why? Because they keep trying to feed all of the mouths they have on offense. That is an impossible feat in one sixty minute game. 

Stop trying to get Williams, Austin, and Bryant ten catches a game. Instead, allow one of them to have ten or twelve one game, accept the double team the next game or two and allow the others to pick up the slack. 

Or better yet, use Witten. The guy is a pro bowl receiver and they have barely looked his way this season. So far this year it seems the only reason they do look his way is to use him as a bail out. I remember the days when he was used as a primary receiver. Dallas was winning more games back then too.

Sure, Witten over the middle for five or seven is not sexy, but it is a huge chunk on first or second down and makes third down more manageable. 

It also opens up the outside for the receiving corps. With the receivers they have (even Roy Williams) they should be giving defensive coordinators nightmares. Instead, they are relieved to see the Cowboys approaching on the schedule. Predictability will do that for a defensive coordinator. 

Knowing the Cowboys are a pass first, run second team makes their job much easier. Romo was correct this week in his assessment of the situation. They need to run more. 

Now, of course ESPN will probably make a bigger deal out of this (like they always do) than need be, but Romo was actually speaking the truth. He was not throwing coaches or his fellow players under the bus; he was telling it like it is. 

He was showing the leadership that many of the “experts” (cough-cough ESPN) say he does not possess. Knowing he is probably going to get thrown under the bus himself for making such comments, he did not care. He wants to win. And, after all, he is right. 

They have three running backs that could possibly start for any other team in the league, but they refuse to utilize them. It seems the only reason they are on the field is because the NFL rules state you have to field eleven at all times. 

That is also why they struggle in the red zone. This team moves the ball up and down the field at will until they get inside the twenty. Why, because the offense has not done anything previously to put a defense on alert inside the twenty. 

Dallas has become too enamored with looking pretty instead of being enamored with winning football games.

Let’s go back to caveman football; keep it simple. Succeed on first down, move on to second down. Stop trying to get it all on one play. 

Two pillars of success on both sides of the ball in this league are third down efficiency and turnovers. Dallas is failing miserably at both on the offensive side. 

One final thought before I go. Everyone knows the Cowboys need discipline. It has been lacking for years now. It’s not too late. Start fining guys for the little things. It does not matter if they are one minute late for a meeting or if they false start on third and twenty; make them accountable. Every penalty and turnover should be a fine of some sort.   

Accountability and discipline; two major building blocks to the foundation of a winning team, are missing from the 2010 version of the Dallas Cowboys.