The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers officially kicked off the 2021 NFL preseason in a game that featured the ’Boys doing what they have done well over the past 25 years… losing.
Sure, it’s just one preseason game, and Dak Prescott, along with most of the Cowboys’ offensive starters did not even suit up. But in the coming weeks, we will all see that these are still the same ol’ ’Boys the world has come to expect in the 21st century. Here’s why:
For the third time, HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ will feature Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, as the franchise becomes the first to score a ‘Hard Knocks’ hat trick. Cowboys fans should be worried about this, though, but [I/we] likely won’t be.
Their first two appearances resulted in disappointment at the end of the season for Jerry and the Cowboys faithful. In their debut in 2002, the Cowboys ended the season last in the NFC Least with a 5-11 record.
Following their 2008 appearance, the Cowboys managed a better record (9-7), but the same result in finishing just outside the NFC playoff picture.
To be fair, this can be said about most of the Cowboys’ seasons since the year 2000. Over these 21 years, Big D has been part of the postseason only seven times. Being the focal point of ‘Hard Knocks’ hasn’t seemed to help this either.
But when your owner is one Jerral Wayne Jones (you didn’t know that was his real name?), the expression “any publicity is good publicity” gets taken to a whole other level. It is no secret that Jones is a far better businessman than a general manager. If you don’t believe me, go back and look at how long it took him to sign his “franchise” QB in Dak Prescott, knowing all along he was going to re-sign him anyway. Jones and son Stephen dragging that negotiation out over two years was just absurd.
Coming off one of the most horrific injuries anyone has ever witnessed on an NFL field, Prescott returns along with the hopes of Cowboys fans all over the world. Oh, wait a minute, he’s hurt again already. Hopefully, with some rest and treatment to his throwing shoulder (latissimus strain), Prescott will be ready to go by Week 1 of the season (a Thursday night visit to defending champion Tampa Bay).
Before the injuries, Prescott was an ironman, never missing time — but now a return to such past glory looks to be in jeopardy with this latest setback. While Dak insists this isn’t major, the team is taking a different approach and is being cautious about the injury.
Last season in 4.5 games Prescott was on a record-setting pace, putting up Madden NFL-type numbers until his ankle injury occurred in Week 5. Everyone got so excited about his blazing fast start out of the gates as Prescott was on pace to throw for over 6,000 yards. What gets overlooked is most of that yardage came from Prescott when the Cowboys were trailing and, in many cases, trailing by multiple scores.
Elite QBs become elite by doing it when the lights shine brightest and when games are still in doubt. Not when you’re down by double-digits week-after-week, piling up yards when the opponent is so far ahead they give you anything you want underneath, not worried about a score because your defense hasn’t stopped them all day. The time has come for Dak to step up and become an even greater leader in Dallas. But for him to do so, he’s got to get, and stay, healthy.
Since Jones doesn’t speak about the defense often, I will. The Cowboys’ defense has received a bit of a makeover in hopes of improving on a historically bad 2020. It did improve as the season wore on, but not enough to save former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s job. If no other changes were made after last season, Nolan leaving had to be the one.
Enter Dan Quinn. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach also lost his job in 2020 due to his defense being historically bad. Sound familiar? The fact that Jones thinks Quinn is the person to rejuvenate his lackluster defense says so much. Quinn is still living off the success he had in Seattle as the Seahawks defensive coordinator.
There is no “Legion of Boom” in Dallas. Defenses like Dallas’ don’t usually get cool nicknames. They may get nicknamed, but it isn’t usually one to be proud of. Quinn and the Falcons just never recovered after losing that huge lead in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots. Quinn held onto his job as head coach for another 3.5 years, but the Falcons and especially their defense just continued to plummet. Yet again, this is who Jones brings into breathe life back into his defense. Good luck with that.
Ezekiel Elliot has returned this season in the best shape of his career, but this may not be enough to return the former All-Pro running back to his glory days of just a couple of years ago. Elliott’s yards-per-game average has gone down every season since his rookie year. Rushing for 1,631 yards in his rookie campaign of 2016, Elliot may have set the bar a little too high right out of college. Elliot rushed for 108.7 yards/game that season, but was down to only 65.3 last year.
Injuries along the offensive line over the past couple of years get some of the blame, but anyone that watched the Cowboys regularly in 2020 could see that Zeke is not the same player he once was. We usually see running backs in the NFL begin to decline as they approach the age of 30. Elliott is just 26 years old, and by all accounts should be in the middle of his prime as a ball carrier. If last season is any indication, then Elliott’s prime is in the rearview.
Any fan holding out hope that Zeke will return to being a 1,500-plus yard rusher is living in a sweeter escape than Gwen Stefani. Those days are long over, and Elliott will be lucky to sniff 1,200 yards rushing this season.
No NFL owner cashes their quarterback out in the offseason then turns around the next season and has said quarterback hand the ball off 35 times per game. Prescott will make $75 million in the first year of his new deal. On top of that, Elliott is now splitting time in the backfield with Tony Pollard. The likelihood of Zeke topping 1,200 rushing yards is low. About as low as the Cowboys’ chances of making a Super Bowl appearance this season.
Regardless of how the season goes for Jones and his Cowboys, one thing we know for sure, it will be entertaining whether you are a fan of the team or not.