Welcome to this week’s edition of Martin’s 5?
The Dallas Cowboys should be well rested and that is good news heading into a tough game against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
There were quite a few players that were banged up and needed the extra time to recuperate. The Cowboys should be as close to full strength as they have been all season and if I’m the Eagles, I’d be just a little bit worried.
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the more dominant teams in the NFL so far in 2016 and if everything plays out the way I think it will, they should continue that domination Sunday night in prime time against their NFC East division foe.
Even though I have full confidence in what the Cowboys can accomplish this season, there are still lingering questions/thoughts that I just can’t seem to get out of my head. Luckily, this is exactly why I started Martin’s 5.
So, without further ado, here are the five things that I just can’t get out of my head this week.
One: Now that Chaz Green is practicing once again after suffering an injury, I wonder if the Dallas Cowboys will start splitting reps between him and Doug Free at right tackle? Green had to fill in for an injured Tyron Smith earlier this season and despite my worries, performed really well. Doug Free as we know is the Cowboys weakest link along the offensive line, so it’s only natural to think Green could give him a run for his money. Although Free is the weakest member along the offensive line, he has performed pretty well so far in 2016. But, splitting reps between Free and Green could be beneficial to both players. Green would receive valuable repetitions to learn the position, while Free would be able to avoid some of the wear-and-tear that the season produces. Sounds like a win-win to me.
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Two: Speaking of splitting reps, I wonder if the Dallas Cowboys will work Orlando Scandrick back slowly and have him split time with Anthony Brown? Orlando’s return from his devastating knee injury that wiped out his 2015 season hasn’t gone as well as he or the Dallas Cowboys would’ve liked. He hasn’t been able to get in “football” shape and has suffered recurring injuries because of that. Luckily, rookie cornerback Anthony Brown has filled in as the Cowboys slot CB and the defense hasn’t missed a beat with him in the lineup. This allows the Cowboys to work Scandrick back slowly if that’s what they choose to do, but we will have to wait and see if that is indeed what happens.
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Three: After failing to turn over the ball the first five weeks of the season, quarterback Dak Prescott was responsible for three turnovers in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. I wonder if Prescott can have a short memory or if we will see him playing more safely to prevent these types of turnovers from happening? Nothing I have seen from Prescott makes me believe that those turnovers will have any lingering effect on him, but the thought is still there in the back of my mind and won’t go away. At some point this season I kept expecting to see Prescott perform like a rookie and maybe that’s what we saw against Green Bay. Hopefully this was just a one-time occurrence and we see him return to the player he was, and has been, throughout the majority of the season.
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Four: It looks as if Dez Bryant has received the green light to play this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. I wonder if having him back in the lineup will help make Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys running game even more dangerous? Dez Bryant’s return is a big boost for the Cowboys offense and should make the #3 overall unit in the NFL even more potent. Opposing defenses will now have to account for where Bryant lines up, and that means they can’t stack the box like they have been to try and stop Elliott and the Cowboys running game. If they do try to stack the box that means Bryant is likely in a one-on-one situation. So, no matter what opposing defenses try to do it should be a win-win situation for one of the best, if not the best offenses in the NFL.
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Five: The Dallas Cowboys were on a five-game winning streak heading into their bye week and looked like one of the hottest teams in the entire NFL. I wonder if they can build on that momentum after a week away from football activities and continue to dominate their opponents? Honestly, this isn’t a very big concern of mine, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyway. I think this team has a different attitude this season and should have no problems getting back on track after a week off. The game against the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t a give me game by any means, but it is a game the Dallas Cowboys should win nonetheless. Division games are always tough, but this game is important in order for the Dallas Cowboys to get back on track and pick up where they left off.
Do you have any lingering thoughts this week?
Please feel free to use the comment section below to share any of your thoughts and opinions.
split time with Free as well as additional T on Gline packages. As for Scandrick, maybe his pitch count will be mostly dime packages. d could see him in less than 33% of nickel.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Tommy. I think a rotation of Free and Green could be beneficial to both players. And I would definitely try to take things slow with Scandrick. There is still a lot of football left.