Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY)

Cowboys confront plethora of woes

Slumping Prescott, problems on offensive line trouble Dallas going into game with Giants

- By Schuyler Dixon

FRISCO, TEXAS » Dak Prescott’s difficulti­es in the passing game go back further than a loss in the opener at Carolina for the Dallas Cowboys.

Now that the slump has extended into a new season, coach Jason Garrett and his staff must weigh the factors and when or whether to make changes to try to fix them.

Six sacks of Prescott and little running room early for star back Ezekiel Elliott magnified two significan­t questions on the offensive line.

Most of the focus, though, will remain on a revamped and largely unproven group of receivers trying to replace tight end Jason Witten and receiver Dez Bryant.

Then there’s the play-calling, with offensive coordinato­r Scott Linehan under siege from the unemployed Bryant on Twitter, along with the fans.

“I have a tremendous amount of faith in Scott,” Garrett said Monday, a day after a 16-8 loss to the Panthers. “We just have to do

a better job collective­ly as a staff and as an offensive unit. That starts with basic execution, play after play not beating ourselves and then finding ways to generate some big plays.”

Going into a suddenly important home opener against the New York Giants on Sunday night, Garrett also sounds as if the Cowboys will stick with the same five on the offensive line.

 ?? MIKE MCCARN — ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Cowboys’ Dak Prescott is tackled by Carolina Panthers’ Wes Horton, left, and Mario Addison during the second half of Sunday’s game in Charlotte, N.C.
MIKE MCCARN — ASSOCIATED PRESS Cowboys’ Dak Prescott is tackled by Carolina Panthers’ Wes Horton, left, and Mario Addison during the second half of Sunday’s game in Charlotte, N.C.

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