We are nearly two weeks removed from the Detroit Lions storming into Dallas and delivering a whooping, and three weeks removed from three Cowboys offensive stars shining in Pittsburgh.
With the bye week coming to an end against the 49ers this Sunday, it is time to start looking back at the Cowboys’ recent games, and those three weapons stand out when you do that.
They are Wide Receiver Jalen Tolbert, Tight End Jake Ferguson, and Running Back Rico Dowdle. All of these players were at their best against the Steelers, but dropped off significantly against Detroit.
As much as the defense surrendering 40+ points hurt the Cowboys, nine points on offense was not going to cut it either, and it certainly won’t against San Francisco this week.
Getting Tolbert, Dowdle, and Ferguson back on track is crucial for Dallas this week.
Let’s talk about these three guys more in-depth, as well as the Cowboys offensive standing going into “49er week.”
Jalen Tolbert: Week 5 Wonder, Or Real Deal?
The “Tolbert Game” in Pittsburgh was awfully fun. It was the first time we had seen the Cowboys 2022 3rd round pick shine the way we expected him to in the beginning of his career.
Tolbert finished the game with the winning touchdown, seven receptions, and 87 receiving yards. 48 of those came on the longest catch of his NFL career.
It was a special moment for the former South Alabama Jaguar, but his numbers deflated significantly against the Lions.
Now, everybody knows the Lions game was a disaster all around; nobody came out of that game with a phenomenal stat sheet. The issue here is a trend has developed for Tolbert: he fails to replicate his great, or even good performances, two weeks in a row.
He started off slow in Cleveland, and then exploded against the Saints. Then, back to back games with three receptions before the great Steelers performance, and back down to earth against Detroit.
This is as much a knock on Tolbert’s consistency as it is on the offense as a whole; they haven’t been able to consistently provide success.
That said, it is hard to officially say Jalen Tolbert has taken that next step until he starts performing like that consistently. This is a great week for him to start.
Rico Dowdle: RB1, or Committee Member?
The question of inconsistency around Dowdle is the fault of the Cowboys offensive coaches, rather than the player himself. What more does he have to show for them to realize he is their best bet at running back?
All season long, prior to the Steelers game, it had been a brutal task to watch the Cowboys running game.
Mixing in Ezekiel Elliott and Deuce Vaughn was not turning in results, as Dowdle was consistently averaging over four yards per carry.
Finally, things changed in Pittsburgh, and they trusted their best running back. Dowdle’s season high in carries went from 11 to 20, as he registered the best performance of his professional career.
You would think they would build off that performance and finally give him the clear-cut starting role in the next week.
Instead, his carries went from 20 to 5, while Elliott’s carries increased.
We all know how that strategy went. The question is will Dallas finally learn from this and give Rico Dowdle at least 15 carries against the 49ers. He deserves it, and the offense needs it.
Jake Ferguson: Elite Tight End, Or Just Good?
Jake Ferguson’s presence on this list is much different than that of Dowdle and Tolbert’s. The former Wisconsin Badger does not have to prove he belongs or get more of an opportunity; this week is his chance to elevate himself to elite status.
Dak Prescott’s second target in the offense is Ferguson, and this can be seen in his game log.
When you remove the Lions game from the equation, he put together three straight weeks of seven or more targets. He’s done just fine this season, especially considering the injury he battled early in the year.
The question at hand for Ferguson is can he move into the Travis Kelce and George Kittle elite tier of tight ends, and this week may be the answer to that question.
He will square off against Kittle in a must-win for both teams, huge rivalry road game on Sunday Night Football.
Stages do not get much bigger than that, and he must take advantage of it.
The Cowboys offensive numbers are incredibly bleak this year; they have not scored over 30 points since Week 1. In order to beat San Francisco, they’ll likely need to hit that number, and they can not do it without Ferguson, Dowdle, and Tolbert contributing.