Dallas City News

It was quite the test for the Dallas Cowboys when they traveled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Not only were they facing a very capable defense and a team that dedicated itself to the run, but Dallas came into the game extremely shorthanded with injuries to All-Pro Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Brandin Cooks to name a few. Plus, there was a weather delay that lasted about 90 minutes, which made things even more interesting.

By no means was this a clean performance for the Cowboys. Quarterback Dak Prescott had three turnovers, the team was terrible in the red zone, and penalties were once again an issue. However, despite being down by four points with just under five minutes left, the Cowboys went on a 15-play drive that amassed 70 yards and culminated with a touchdown pass from Prescott to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds remaining. It improved the Cowboys record to 3-2 on the season, with all three wins coming away from AT&T Stadium.

Dallas will have another huge test when they host the Detroit Lion this Sunday. However, let’s take a look at what we’ve learned about the Cowboys entering Week 6.

Rico Dowdle is RB1

The Cowboys came into Pittsburgh as one of the worst running teams in the NFL. It wasn’t a dominant performance, but thanks to Dowdle and his 87 yards on 20 carries, Dallas was able to be effective enough on the ground (ran for 109 yards total). Dowdle looked very decisive when running with the ball and made some very key runs during the battle, which included two first-down conversions on the game-winning drive. Also, he contributed in the passing game with a touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.

Dowdle was successful but they still need to find a philosophy or some creativity when it comes to running the football. However, Dowdle is by far the best choice to be the lead dog in this committee approach. The Cowboys should activate veteran Dalvin Cook as well to give them more of an opportunity to be effective on the ground.

Jalen Tolbert has taken over the WR2 role

Fans have been waiting since his rookie campaign in 2022, but Tolbert had his coming out party against the Steelers. The former third-round pick set single-game career-highs in receptions (7) and yards (87) and scored his second touchdown in three games. Tolbert has caught at least 70% of his targets over the last two games, and he’s at 69% for the season. He’s listed as starting all five games and has played 78% of the offensive snaps so far, and the fact that Prescott went to him on the most important play of the game speaks to the confidence he has in Tolbert.

A wide receiver the caliber of CeeDee Lamb brings lots of attention, which means there has to be another threat. The ascension of Tolbert will force teams to look at him more, therefore creating some one-on-one opportunities for Lamb, and it can open up tight end Jake Ferguson. Tolbert is now an important part of what the Cowboys do offensively, and he will only see more chances as he continues to trend up.

Penalties continue to be an issue

For whatever reason, the Cowboys can’t seem to get their penalty issues under control. They’ve had three games this season in which they’ve been flagged for 11 penalties. Currently, the Cowboys are tied for the third most penalties with 43, and the 331 yards they’ve lost is the fifth most in the NFL. It’s been a problem during the entire Mike McCarthy era as the Cowboys have finished eleventh, first, ninth, and third in penalties over the previous four seasons. This speaks to discipline, or the lack thereof, and it’s something McCarthy has to get fixed.

Dallas has routinely made drives more difficult, had them end, or allowed the opposition to continue drives due to costly penalties on the defense far too often. As the season goes along, McCarthy has got to find a way to clean up this issue. He’s coached for too long to have a team that continuously makes these kinds of errors.