San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Dallas hoping Dalton can revive offense
With revolving door at QB, club averaging just 10 points a game since losing Prescott
DALLAS — Andy done this before.
Just not this month.
The Cowboys face their third opponent of November when they take the field this afternoon against Minnesota. Dalton will be their third different starting quarterback.
After Dak Prescott was lost for the season, no one expected the Dallas offense to operate at the same prolific level. But no one foresaw the position becoming a revolving door.
An offense that averaged 32.6 points in Prescott's five starts has limped along at 10.25 points in four games since. Dalton, Garrett Gilbert and rookie Ben DiNucci have led the Cowboys to the end zone just twice in 47 possessions since Prescott's injury.
Turnovershavebeen a constant, even with Prescott. Dallas has lost the ball 20 times this season. Only Denver (21) is worse.
But the recent issues go beyond turnovers. The constant change at quarterback has prevented this group from getting its bearings in thewake of Prescott's departure. A lack of consistency at the position has made the offense the team's most underperforming unit at the moment.
Let that sink in.
“I think it is a little difficultwhen you've got three different quarterbacks,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said. “Then on top of that, the offensive line is still banged up. I think one of those games we missed Zack (Martin).
“It's just a combination things.”
Two points here, which is only one less point than the Cowboys scored in losing to Washington to end October.
Elliott has not taken up the offensive slack theway youwould expect in Prescott's absence. The
Dalton
has
of
Cowboys are averaging 114.2 yards on the ground in the past four games. That's only a few yards more than they were averaging when Prescott was slinging it around the field.
Dalvin Cook dominates the conversation heading into today's game. Alone. No one is talking about a showdown between him and Elliott.
That's because Elliott hasn't rushed for 100 yards in a game this season.
“My frustration is that we're 2-7, not that I haven't had a 100-yard game,” Elliott said. “We're just trying to come together as a team and find a way to win a football game.”
The rawnumbers are too jarring to consume at first glance. To soften the blow, just know that the Cowboys are picking up 58 percent fewer yards through the air than they were when Prescott was healthy.
A Cowboys player had 80
or
more yards receiving nine times in the first five games.
No receiver has reached yards in the past four games.
The explosive element of Dallas attack is gone.
“We're still running the same plays and everything,” receiver Amari Cooper said. “But everything starts with the quarterback. To be explosive, we have to make those plays down the field.
“We still have the same receivers. We're doing a good job. We just have to do what we do in practice. In practice we look good. We just have to transfer it to the game. “That's it.”
That's on Dalton. Cooper said the receivers are comfortable with the veteran quarterback, and he feels like they're getting a rhythm with him.
Elliott believes Dalton's return — he missed the past two gameswith a concussion and COVID-19 — opens up the playbook more than
80
the
it has the first two games of this month.
“He's been in the system long enough,'' Elliott said. “It's kind of tough when you're a guy like Garrett who's coming in. He'd only been here for three weeks and you throw him in a game (Pittsburgh) and he's got to command the offense.
“Garrett, he did a hell of a job. But I think it does open up a little bit more with Andy back.”
All of this speaks to how this 2-7 season has been turned upside down.
“I felt that the offense really coming out of training camp was clearly ahead of the other two phases,'' head coach Mike McCarthy said.
And now? Special teams appear to be in sync with the defense coming on the past few weeks. Offense has fallen to the back of the pack.
“It's understandable the offense is going back and forth a little bit,''
McCarthy said. “It's only natural because of the different combination of lineups that we've been playing with.
“But yes, we're very cognizant of the different lineups, but we need toplay tothat. At the endof theday, we need to make it a strength.''
The Cowboys hope Dalton's return does that. Starting against the Vikings and coming back four days later on Thanksgiving to do so again againstWashingtonwould be a positive step.
“Whenyou've got a bunch of different guys coming in, it makes it just that much tougher, tight end Dalton Schultz said. “That's not an excuse. That's not a crutch.
“But having Andy back has definitely been a help for us this week. A lot of guys have gotten a lot of work with him, whether that be in training camp or extra work with routes.
“I think having him back will be good for us.”