There very few players around the NFL that can do what Cole Beasley does when he’s on the field. It’s no wonder that he is one of the fan favorites around Cowboys Nation. But, for some reason or another the Dallas Cowboys have failed to really get him involved in the passing game as much as they probably should.
There is no denying that Cole Beasley is a special talent. No, he’s not the biggest or strongest wide receiver in the NFL, but he is one of the few who is virtually impossible to cover one-on-one by any defensive back. That is why I believe we need to see much more of Beasley and his signature hot sauce celebration.
I completely understand there are many mouths to feed on the Cowboys offense and everybody wants to be more involved, but Cole Beasley is really the only one I believe needs to see more targets in the passing game. I know some of you may disagree, but give me a chance to try to explain myself.
Cole Beasley = Security Blanket
You may or may not have heard of the term “security blanket”, but it basically refers to someone who is reliable play after play in the NFL. That’s what Cole Beasley needs to become once again for Dak Prescott, like he was a season ago.
It’s easy to forget that Beasley was the Dallas Cowboys leading wide receiver last season. He caught 75 passes for 833 yards and scored five touchdowns in 2016. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t carried over into this season, but that has a lot to do with the fact he’s not as involved in the offensive game plan as much this year for some reason.
Cole Beasley and Dak Prescott need to become best friends once again in the passing game, especially with Ezekiel Elliott not in the lineup. Prescott needs a reliable target to depend upon and with how quick and shifty Beasley is, he’s the most logical choice since he is almost always open.
An Extension of the Running Game?
One of the many problems the Dallas Cowboys had against the Atlanta Falcons was that the offense was continuously in long down distant situations. This allowed the Falcons pass rush to pin their ears back and get after Dak Prescott. Without a reliable running game to depend on, the offense needed to turn to the passing game to create favorable down in distant situations.
Enter Cole Beasley.
The Dallas Cowboys offense absolutely has to find a better way to create favorable down the distance situations without Ezekiel Elliott. To me, this is where Cole Beasley needs to be utilize the most. He is at his best at the short to intermediate routes, which means he could be used as an extension of the running game.
The New England Patriots are the masters at using their WRs in this fashion. The Patriots don’t really have a reliable running game, much like the Cowboys now, but they use their receivers to pick up the slack. Tom Brady gives his WRs a chance to pick up yards after the catch on the short/intermediate routes. That’s something the Cowboys need to incorporate into their offense with Cole Beasley.
Until the Cowboys running game is reliable once again, they need to use Cole Beasley and possibly Ryan Switzer in the passing game to create better down and distant situations. This takes a lot of pressure off of Prescott and also builds his confidence at the same time. It also keeps the opposing defenses pass rush from being in attack mode all the time.
we have to win on first down, we certainly didn’t against atlanta.
too many penalties have hurt us as well.
time to get one of these bigger wr’s in the slot, dez, butler or brown, create mis-matches. get 10 out there running up the seam clearing out the middle of the field. intermediate to deep crossing routes…..
i will say this again and again, dak needs to get the ball out faster, he is holding onto it way too long. he has gotten away from stepping up into the pocket, instead he leaves it all together. read the defense, step up and make the throw.
Very well said and I completely agree with you.
I read a article that said no team has been penaltilized in last 26 quarters for offensive holding against Dallas. I don’t see how when we have Irving and Lawrence playing out their minds. The refs missed so many calls in that Atlanta game it’s like the nfl are taking it to Jerry and Dallas for this whole him suing thing. It’s funny Jarvis Landry had same situation as Elliott and he got no games and Elliott got 6. Anyways they missed so many facemask calls on dak, dez and Beasley getting knocked down running route no flags. The refs job is to protect the qb and if it was tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers they would have called that facemask in a heartbeat. I think they are trying to screw us and Dallas fans will feel it the most
I actually wrote about the entire officiating fiasco earlier this week. It does seem like the NFL is out to get the Dallas Cowboys, but unfortunately I don’t see anything changing anytime soon.
I believe secondaries are rotating down on Beasley more & treating him like the key receiver to stop. Last year he was the beneficiary of extra help on Dez.
I agree there are ways to get him the ball regardless. But this passing game does seem to have a missing link – i.e., nobody who opens the floodgates like Dez used to with his presence & downfield threat.
Moreover, it can use any boost available right now. The Eagles are 4th in total offense and score 31.4 per. If the Cowboys don’t get a fix at LT & most of the running game back, it’s over anyway. But it’s time for new stuff on top of that. Get the W this week, still alive in 2017;
a) I’m not leaving Butler on the bench. If that means 3 WR and not 2 TE, and handoffs out of that formation, so be it. Or he starts in the 2/2/1 base. Hit him deep once and the defense changes.
b) I’m not losing games because of Heath and Brown. Start Woods at FS and move Jones to CB. It’s drastic but it has a lot of upside potential, relative to what is happening right now in the secondary. At SS it’s Frazier, or poach somebody from a practice squad.
c) I’m dressing Gathers and getting him some game reps, then pretty soon some targets. Like Butler, it’s a mismatch against defenders which the Cowboys need right now.
d) Chaz Green looks like an interior OL player only. Again, poach somebody from a practice squad and give the guy a chance if Smith remains out at LT
There’s a lot of information here to digest LOL. I personally believe the Cowboys need to scheme ways for Beasley to get more involved. It helps both Prescott and the running game, while also opening things up on the outside for Bryant.
I’m also keeping Byron Jones at FS, but playing Woods opposite him. Woods continues to play really well and deserves more playing time. Awuzie should be back this week and I would rotate him with Brown.
I don’t think we are going to see Gathers this season. Yes, he may be a mismatch, but unless there’s an injury at the TE position I don’t see them activating him.
I’m hoping that Chaz Green just had a really bad game last week. He has filled in for Tyron Smith before and done just fine. And, he has better at tackle then OG.
I presume there is not a good OT prospect on a practice squad right now, or that signing would have happened. If Tyron Smith or Collins can’t go, there needs to be better depth options IMO.
Of course it will be academic at 5-5. At 6-4 it will be time for the team to address it.
Skeptical of Woods at SS, or to flip Jones to it, but will stand corrected. Clearly it’s time for Woods to start somehow. If that is the move made, then we have to hope Awuzie is finally able to give something. I haven’t given up on Anthony Brown but he may not be a starting CB. Had a good rookie year for a 6th rounder, but he may be a nickle and depth CB in the NFL. Woods as a 6th rounder, was more clearly a steal IMO.
Moreover Garrett – after looking good going from 2-3 to 5-3 – now looks like the guy who won’t make any adjustments. That doesn’t portend well for another win streak right now – again will be happy to stand corrected if he does.
Totally agree Brian. Getting Beasley involved while Ezekiel Elliott is out is going to be paramount to Dallas’ success the rest of this season.
If they struggle to get the running game going, which they probably will this week, it needs to be Beasley in some quick option routes or bubble screens. Gotta start picking up the 5 or 6 yards in the passing game on a regular basis. Especially if Tyron Smith’s injury lingers.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be Beasley, but he is their best short to intermediate option in the passing game. They just need to find ways to create better down and distance situations. Unfortunately, the Cowboys coaching staff hasn’t really shown this season they are capable of making those kind of adjustments. Hopefully though that changes.