WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY: Cowboys Nuggets
Welcome to WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY. Today we look at several position groups and where they stand as the Dallas Cowboys (4-2) gear up for an 11-week run to finish off the regular season, and hopefully earn a playoff berth. Here are some thoughts (2,600+ words worth) on the linebackers, the running backs, the quarterbacks, this week’s opponent and lots more. Let’s get to it.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE LINEBACKERS?
This may be the most versatile group of linebackers in the NFL.
The room now includes traditional linebackers – Leighton Vander Esch (injured list), DeMarvion Overshown (injured list), Damone Clark, Malik Jefferson and newly signed Rashaan Evans, a safety – Marquese Bell, and a pass rushing defensive end – Micah Parsons.
“It is an interesting group right now, that’s for sure,” Cowboys linebackers coach Scott McCurley said. “At the same time, they are good players. You move Micah off the ball, and he’s an elite linebacker. We got guys like Bell moving into the room; he can cover and do all those jobs. And then you’ve got a versatile guy like (Damone) who can run the way he does. It’s a great group to have.”
With LVE out with a neck injury, the position’s flexibility will be tested. Clark and Bell will be tasked with taking over for Vander Esch, while Parsons will see more time at linebacker.
Clark, a sure tackler, will be tasked with weakside linebacker duties – an athletic run stuffer.
“Damone is the right person,” McCurley said. “Everything about the young man is everything you want. … The sky is the limit for him. Everything he does, and what he puts into the game, it’s exciting to think about where he can get to yet. His best football is still ahead of him, even after the steps he has taken this year.”
Bell, the smaller of the two and the more physical, will lineup at middle linebacker, where the Cowboys plan to use his speed to make plays up the field.
“I’m very excited for Marquese and where he can go,” McCurley said. “He loves the game of football, and he loves to compete, and that’s where it starts for him. I would throw him into any situation and let him go play, just based on the type of guy he is and the way he approaches the game.”
The wild card is six-year veteran Evans, who was signed off the street last week, and how fast he can get up to speed and make an impact.
“He’s played a ton of big-time football,” McCurley said. “He has the Alabama pedigree, he’s a veteran in this league. So, it will be a process to get him up to speed and just getting him ready to play physically. Mentally, we’ll get him there. But depth in the room, he is gonna play a big piece in that when it is all said and done.”
WHAT’S UP WITH THE SECONDARY?
It has been like a merry-go-round for the Cowboys secondary group since starter and all-pro cornerback Trevon Diggs went down with an injury. They have moved DaRon Bland from his starting nickel corner spot to right corner, opposite veteran Stephon Gilmore, and it was a smooth transition.
“He’s done a great job,” Cowboys defensive backs coach Al Harris said about Bland. “We expected him to do a great job. He has met all the challenges that we have asked of him, as far as a defensive staff.”
The safety group might be one of the best tandems in the league with Jayron Kearse, the signal caller for the defense, at strong and Malik Hooker at free. Both hard hitting safeties that are rarely out of position.
When Diggs went down, he was the top-rated cornerback in the NFL. As a group in those two games, the Cowboys gave up 63 yards passing to the Giants and 151 yards in the air to the Jets, with just one touchdown passing. Since then, they have allowed 178 yards passing to the Cardinals, 200 passing yards to the Patriots, 251 passing yards to the 49ers and 219 yards through the air to the Chargers, with a total of seven touchdowns passing the football.
“You never lose the fact that you lose a guy like (Diggs), in being a difference maker,” Harris said. “But putting Bland in that particular spot, we as a defensive staff have a lot of confidence in him. But whoever goes down, you plug in the next piece.”
As a group, they have eight interceptions and 32 passes knocked away through six games.
Others in the room are backup cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis, Noah Igbinoghene, Nahshon Wright, C.J. Goodwin (injured list), Eric Scott Jr., Josh Butler (practice squad), Sheldrick Redwine (practice squad) and safeties Israel Mukuamu, Donovan Wilson and Juanyeh Thomas.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE DEFENSIVE LINE?
The Cowboys came into the season knowing that teams were going to attack them on the ground. It’s why the drafted defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round of the most recent NFL draft. But he hasn’t been able to crack the lineup.
The front four of left defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, left defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, right defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and right defensive end/linebacker Micah Parsons have been solid. They are 18th in the NFL against the run, giving up 111 yards per game.
They did hold Saquon Barkley to just 51 yards, Breece Hall to nine yards, Rhamondre Stevenson to 30 yards and Austin Ekeler to 27 yards. But they gave up 98 yards to James Connor and 170 yards to the 49ers.
“We have a gang of rushers,” Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde said. “It’s like a fight on the sidelines to get out there. They want to get out there and compete. These guy’s mindset, and I don’t want to speak for them because you can ask them yourself, but that it is more about the mission. The mission is to keep stacking wins and keep growing. If we affect the quarterback – we hit him, we pressure him, we sack him, whatever the outcome is that it will help the coverage. … For us, the outcome is the outcome. Just get after them. As long as we’re working and communicating as one, we’re all happy.”
Smith has played in all six games and has seen his playing time increase, but just slightly. He has made just four tackles, with one tackle for loss, in 97 snaps this season. He played a low of 11 snaps in the Cowboys blowout win over the Jets in Week 2, and a season-high 22 plays in the Week 5 blowout loss in San Francisco.
“We sometimes take it for granted that when you come into a game as a first-round pick – the pressure that’s on you,” Durde said. “College football … the game is a lot different in the way they get told plays. A lot of them are getting like 80 snaps a game. They plays moving fast, the coordinator is telling him, and they don’t have to listen to communication. Now, all of that has changed. Now you get into a huddle, someone gives you the communication, you lineup and now what am I getting. These things are changing.
“As we are going through this, Mazi’s growth and understanding of how to play the game at that level is growing. You can see week in week out he is marginal gains, and that’s what it’s about. … He’s around a good group of players that he’s in a position where he can grow and he’s in the right place. He’s doing good.”
As a group, they have 105 tackles this season, along with 15 sacks and 28 quarterback hits.
Odighizuwa leads the way with 21 tackles and three sacks, followed closely by Parsons with 20 tackles and five sacks and Lawrence with 16 tackles and two sacks.
Other backups in the room include defensive ends Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler Jr., Chauncey Golston, Viliami Fehoko Jr., Tyrus Wheat and Durrell Johnson (practice squad); as well as defensive tackles Neville Gallimore and Willington Previlon (practice squad).
“If we do the things we are going to do,” Durde said. “We go through the process of we’re going to go through that week, they have to deal with us. And then let the chips fall where they fall.”
WHAT’S UP WITH THE QUARTERBACKS?
This is the most stable position, for now, on the Cowboys.
With Dak Prescott firmly entrenched as the starter and Cooper Rush as the backup, the team has two guys that have won games in the NFL.
“I’m so proud of our guys,” Cowboys quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien said. “Everyone has worked well together. From Dak to Cooper to Trey (Lance), all these guys have the right mindset and they’re all in it to help one another out. … That’s who those guys are. That’s what’s great about it – it’s not something that’s trained, it’s just who those guys are.”
The Cowboys acquired Lance, who they immediately set as their third string quarterback – he suits up for games but can only play if Prescott and Rush are hurt and can’t return.
“I’m really pleased with Trey so far,” Tolzien said. “His approach to me is what stands out more than anything. This guy is willing to improve. He puts in the time in the classroom and on the field and wants to get better. I’m appreciative of that.”
Those are the only three quarterbacks on the roster after they lost Will Grier, who barely lost the No. 2 job to Rush coming out of training camp, to New England after trying to slide him through waivers and onto the practice squad.
Prescott has been up and down this season, completing 132 of 190 passes for 1,335 yards, with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Rush has just four completions on five passes for 28 yards in mop-up duty for Prescott in the games against the Giants, Patriots and 49ers.
The Cowboys will go as Prescott goes for the foreseeable future, and his coach believes that his body of work in practice and games is proof enough.
“(Dak) has always had the resilience and all of that ability,” Tolzien said. “I’ve been impressed with his ability to physically improve himself on the field as a quarterback, and then also mentally. It is funny how this thing works for a quarterback, your library of reps; you think about that, the quarterbacks that are playing longer years well their library’s also growing – their experiences good and bad that they’ve have had on and off the field. I’ve seen growth there and just his ability to read coverages, but also apply the playbook that we’re implementing.”
Expect no change in this group, as Cowboys are going to ride with Prescott until the wheels come off.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE TIGHT ENDS?
This is a very young group, and it has shown on the field.
The Cowboys are lacking real production from a group that includes second-year starter Jake Ferguson, rookie Luke Schoonmaker, second-year free agent Peyton Hendershot (injured list) and four-year veteran Sean McKeon.
“Ferguson has done a heck of a job – handling the responsibilities, preparing himself to get to this point and then with some of the success he’s had in the passing game,” Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells said. “Every day he’s coming in and continuing to work hard on the field and off the field and in meetings. He’s doing a nice job doing some things that we call ‘sleep money,’ meaning behind the scenes in terms of protections over these last couple weeks.”
So far this season, the group has 23 receptions on 37 targets for 194 yards and two touchdowns. All but 2 catches, 4 yards and one touchdown have come from Jake Ferguson.
While McKeon is mostly a blocker, the Cowboys will need more from Schoonmaker to push the offense forward. Without a second threat at tight end, the Cowboys offense becomes more predictable.
“We got behind the eight ball a little bit in the offseason with the injury, but since he has been able to get back on the grass he has continually gotten better,” Wells said about Schoonmaker. “Some of the things we have been emphasizing in the run game – playing with a little more play strength, and in the passing game – be more decisive. So, we will continue to work on that. … He’s progressing. He hasn’t had a ton of production. He’s had some opportunities for production in the passing game, obviously as we all know. But, at some point in time, in the near future, we hope to make some hay on some of the stuff we have been working on.”
The only other player in the room is Princeton Fant, an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee.
WHAT’S UP WITH THIS OFFENSIVE LINE?
With a room that includes two future Hall of Famers, the Cowboys offensive line should be one of the best on the NFL. But they are far from it.
The starters – left tackle Tyron Smith, left guard Tyler Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, right guard Zack Martin and right tackle Terence Steele, have struggled to find continuity this season, with injuries playing a big role.
Tyron Smith (knee) and Tyler Smith (hamstring) have both missed a pair of games this season, while Martin (ankle) and Biadasz (hamstring) have both missed time. Only Steele has played every snap this season.
“We say the next man up,” Cowboys offensive line coach Mike Solari said. “(Backups playing) will help us down the road, because all the sudden we gave some guys some reps, some valuable reps … but that’s going to help us down the road with experience and guys getting a good feel that hey, ‘I can do it. I can be accountable and help us win.’ So, it’s gonna help us.”
Right now, the starting five are just trying to gel together.
The group has been flagged 13 times, with Biadasz being the only starter not to be called for a penalty this season. They have been credited with allowing four sacks, including two from Steele and one each from Biadasz and Martin.
The more time this group has together on the field, the better they should get. That can only improve the offensive output that ranks 16th in the NFL in total yards per game heading into Week 8.
“It’s been great having the five guys back,” Solari said. “That really helps us with continuity and consistency. It’s going to be exciting to get better each week now with those five working together.”
Others in the room are backups guard/center T.J. Bass, guard/tackle Chuma Edoga, center Brock Hoffman, guard/tackle Asim Richards, tackle Josh Ball (injured list), tackle Matt Waletzko (injured list), tackle Earl Bostick Jr. (practice squad), center Sean Harlow (practice squad) and center Billy Price (practice squad).
NEXT OPPONENT: WHAT’S UP WITH THE L.A. RAMS?
The Rams are just 3-4, but don’t be fooled by that record; they still have weapons on offense and defense. With quarterback Matthew Stafford leading the way, Cooper Kupp back from injury, an emerging star in receiver Puka Nacua and a revolving door at running back, expect the Rams to attack the Cowboys through the air. They are currently averaging just over 253 yards passing per game, and Stafford has thrown seven touchdowns. Kupp has been back for just three games, but already has 340 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
When the Cowboys have the ball, they will see plenty of Aaron Donald. Donald, now in his 10th season in the NFL, has just 2.5 sacks this season, but he has eight tackles for loss. Linebacker Earnest Jones is seven in the league in tackles this season with 67, including one sack and eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Despite that, they have not been good against the run this season, giving up 117 yards per game and 8 touchdowns in their seven games. The pass defense is what’s stingy, giving up just 209 yards per game and just four touchdowns through the air this season.