The Dallas Cowboys most agonizing issue isn’t personnel or coaching. Well, maybe it is coaching, but it is a persistent problem that has plagued the team for years.
The solution lies in better decision-making and discipline.
Can decision-making and discipline evolve within a team that has been winning games for several years? Is this even perceived as a problem by the players and coaching staff?
While the immediate answer to these questions may seem to be a ‘No,’ it’s vital that we understand the issue at hand.
The issue is penalties.
Fans will say it’s the referees, but they have not highlighted the Dallas Cowboys games over the years. The referees are not singling out Cowboys players. Instead, the players make boneheaded decisions.
Let’s take a look at the penalty issue over the last few years and this season.
Cowboys Penalty Issues Since the 2020 Season
Since the 2020 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys have had a league-leading 474 penalties. These penalties have cost the Cowboys several yards and wins throughout the years.
In 2020, the Cowboys were penalized 96 times for 849 yards. Let’s break it down further.
The offense had 32 penalties, costing themselves 240 yards. The defense had 50 penalties for giving the opposing team 506 yards, while special teams had 14 penalties for 103 yards.
2021 fans witnessed an explosion of penalties for the offense, which totaled 69 penalties for 560 yards. The defense had 52 penalties for 487 yards, and special teams totaled 20 for 145 yards.
The total penalties and yards in 2021 were 141 penalties for 1,192 yards.
The penalty issues got slightly better in 2022. The team had 113 penalties for 907 yards.
The offense accrued 49 penalties for 356 yards, the defense had 48 penalties for 406 yards, and special teams totaled 16 penalties for 145 yards.
In the 2023 season, fans witnessed the penalties get back over 1,000 yards. The team totaled 121 penalties for 1,012 yards.
The offense had 51 penalties and lost 386 yards, the defense received 50 penalties for 444 yards, and special teams had 20 penalties for 182 yards.
These penalties have cost the Cowboys incredible field position and wins. The discipline on this team is an issue, but it could also be not being taught the technique to succeed.
The 2024 Season
The Dallas Cowboys have been experiencing the same issue in the first few games of this season. Penalties are costing them games.
The 2024 season has seen the Cowboys get 43 penalties for 333 yards. The offense is leading the way with 23 penalties for 183 yards.
The offensive line is the main issue with penalties.
Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton had eight penalties through the first few games, and six of the flags cost the team yards. The other two penalties were offset.
He has had three holding penalties, two false starts, and one illegal block above the waist. Growing pains were to be expected from the collegiate right tackle being moved to left tackle and being thrown in the fire from the start.
However, the Cowboys pass protection is rock solid. They boast an impressive 25.8% quarterback pressure rate allowed, ranking third-best in the NFL. This is especially noteworthy, considering they have two rookie starters in left tackle Tyler Guyton and center Cooper Beebe.
If they clean up the penalties on the offensive line, they could become dominant again.
The defense has seen 11 flags thrown, giving the opposing offense 78 yards—half as many penalties as the offense, which may be due to a more tough-minded coach.
The Dallas Cowboys special teams have always been one of the better groups in the NFL, but the penalties are also piling up for this group.
Special teams have had nine penalties for 70 yards.
Fans may be quick to say the referees are out to get the team, but each game this season has had a different referee crew. However, the team has had three games this year with ten or more penalties.
The two losses this year the Cowboys had the least number of penalties on the year.
During the New Orleans Saints game, the Cowboys only had four total penalties, and the referee’s crew was Shawn Smith.
The Baltimore Ravens game fans saw Ron Torbert’s crew penalized the Cowboys six times.
Maybe the team getting hyped up in close games or wins creates more penalties. Whatever the issue is, it needs to be figured out quickly.
Cowboys Compare to the Rest of the NFL
The Dallas Cowboys penalties, as seen above, are an issue, but how are they compared to the rest of the NFL?
Well, the Cowboys rank 27th out of 32 teams in total penalties and 26th in penalty yards. They do rank 7th in penalties on first downs, so the issue is coming on later downs.
It seems as though the Cowboys offense is getting stressed out on later downs, and this may be because they are usually behind the sticks. Running the ball on early downs and losing yards leads to a sense of urgency.
The main problem with penalties can be blamed on the offense, and Mike McCarthy and his guys can be blamed for that. They must teach better technique or learn how to keep the offense in short-yardage situations.
A competent running game, like against the Pittsburgh Steelers, can help with this issue.
If the Dallas Cowboys can fix the penalty issues that have plagued this team for numerous years, maybe they can get past the first round of the playoffs. Every yard matters at that point, and giving away yards does not help this team.
Get it together, Cowboys. Clean up the mistakes, develop more discipline, and stop helping the opposing team.