Cowboys 2021 Preview

By: Greg Rector

Being in a division known as the NFC Least is not something to be overly proud of. For the Dallas Cowboys and their 2021 hopes, it’s a good thing. The Cowboys’ 2021 season, as always will begin with optimism. There are reasons for optimism however, having long suffered through too many seasons of high hopes being dashed, I am going to temper my expectations and keep this season preview as objective as possible. There are far too many factors that will come up during the season to make anything other than a shot in the dark guess at what should take place. We learned that lesson all too well in 2020 in week 5 as the season was ended for all intents and purposes when Dak Prescott’s ankle fracture occurred. No one saw the Cowboys going to the 4th tackle on the depth chart either. Let’s see how the offense and defense will look like beginning September 9th when the Dallas Cowboys begin the 2021 season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Offense:

QB – Dak Prescott

RB1 – Ezekiel Elliott

RB2 – Tony Pollard

LT – Tyron Smith

RT – La’el Collins*

LG – Connor Williams

RG – Zach Martin

C – Tyler Biadasz

WR1 – Amari Cooper

WR2 – Ceedee Lamb

WR3 – Michael Gallup

TE1 – Blake Jarwin

The asterisk beside Collins is already a troubling sign. Collins has not been getting through practices, and we hear of stingers or various other small issues. Given the 12 days off between the pre-season and the season-opening game, hopefully, he is able to get past the current dings. If so, this group is downright SCARY. Three receivers who all are capable of running any route from the X, Z, or Y positions. A running back in Elliott that took the entire off-season transforming his body, shedding 10lbs, and has appeared faster in training camp. We all know the monster numbers this group was putting up before Prescott’s injury, and that was minus both starting tackles. The big IF is remaining healthy on the offensive line, and if that happens, then every hater out there will be grinding their teeth, spitting out venomous takes about Dallas, and most importantly, tuning in to see what could be an offense that is just as dangerous as one located in Kansas City. Simply put, the weapons at Dak’s disposal are numerous and are matched by a high level of skill. CeeDee Lamb has looked dangerous and is poised for huge numbers. With Kellen Moore calling a more varied attack than last year, good luck guessing who is going where or whether they will run or pass. Head coach Mike McCarthy as well doesn’t want to see Elliott over-used as in his first few seasons in the running game. While he might see fewer carries, this could mean he is used more as a receiver and should surpass a career-high of 24 receptions. His running mate Tony Pollard will also be used quite a bit. Keeping both backs fresh, and if the receivers are somehow not open downfield, both should be the 3rd or 4th progression on passing downs. Blake Jarwin might be the starter at TE, but he and Dalton Schultz will both see plenty of snaps. Now for the triple threat posed by Cooper. Lamb, and Gallup, and you can see why opposing defensive coordinators are going to have sleepless nights ahead of facing the Dallas Cowboys. This group has the potential to be a top 5 offense in the league. Given their division, this also makes them the odds on favorite to win the division title.

DEFENSE :

Putrid, horrifying, pathetic, and many other negative adjectives applied to the 2020 Dallas Cowboys defense. From the get-go last year, this group looked unorganized, dazed, and confused, and far too often unprepared. Here’s how the Cowboys’ defense will appear in the nickel, which in this era will be about 75% of the time given the pass-happy nature of today’s NFL.

LDE – Demarcus Lawrence

LDT – Osa Odighizuwa (R)

RDT – Carlos Watkins

RDE – Randy Gregory

WIL – Micah Parsons (R)

SAM – Keanu Neal/ Leighton Vander Esche

RCB- Trevon Diggs

LCB – Anthony Brown

NB- Jourdan Lewis

SS- Donovan Wilson

FS – Damontae Kazee

While seeing Brown and Lewis both still starting makes me feel a bit nauseous, I can’t say that either Kelvin Joseph or Nahshon Wright, did enough to take away the starting job. That’s not to say in a few week’s time, with more coaching and some real game snaps under their belts, that one or both might see the field as a starter. This defense has at least so far been a whole lot better against the run than last year. It was horrific last year, which led to the problems on pass defense as well. That was job one for the scouts, the coaching staff, and the players too. The other noticeable difference is the overall speed is much better than last year, led by the 12th overall draft pick Micah Parsons, who has been used in many different spots and schemes employed by Dan Quinn. A true disruptive force that offenses will need to focus on where he lines up every down. Remember how his weakness coming out of the draft was suppose to be pass coverage? He hasn’t looked out of place doing that at all. We will still see Vander Esche and Jaylon Smith used on specific downs, but the snap counts for both will go down. Add to the LB mix, and who has impressed as well, especially in what was his so-called weakness coming out of college and that was against the run, has been Jabril Cox. With the middle layer of the defense not getting tied up by offensive lineman anywhere near as much as last year, this group should be making more tackles for loss and minimizing gains by opponents. The real key for this group has to be their focus, they do not need to be an elite defense, they do need to be competitive play in, and play out. They must be prepared at the beginning of games, something that was lacking so often last year. Get this group into the middle of the pack overall, and that will be a tremendous lift. Make stops, grab a few more turnovers than we’ve been used to in the last few years, and the Dallas Cowboys, with that very good offense, should win the NFC East.

My Outlook:

With an improved defense and having a healthier season, I am currently saying the Dallas Cowboys will go 11 and 6 this season, which will be enough to win the division. All bets are off, of course if the injury bug hits to the same degree as last year. I also believe that after the final cuts on Tuesday, there will be new bodies brought in especially offensive tackles, as I don’t trust the current backups all that much. As well, the backup QB position could see one or two guys get a look. Overall though, the 2021 Dallas Cowboys have a fairly easy schedule. Finally, my bold prediction is this. Thursday, September 9th, the Dallas Cowboys will beat the defending Super Bowl champions. Calling it right now Dallas 31 Tampa 27, in the first game of the season. The toughest part of the season will be right after the Thanksgiving Day game versus the Raiders. Three straight road games?? I thought that was a no-no by the league? However, the Cowboys will travel to New Orleans, Washington, and finally, New Jersey in December.

I AM READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL. “HOW BOUT THEM, COWBOYS!!”

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As always, you can find me on Twitter @GregCowboys