The Cowboys currently lead the NFL in two categories and if you’ve watched the Cowboys play this season, you know this team can get your blood boiling because of one of these areas.
One week you have a team that looks like a contender, then the next game it’s a team that floods the field with yellow flags, missed defensive assignments and breakdowns.
We have had the pleasure over the last three games of watching this team beat the Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs. These three games have told a different story compared to the start of the season.
The offense is still the best in football, but the defense is finally holding its own weight and contributing.
The League’s Best Offense Isn’t the Problem
How about we start this article with what is working for the Cowboys, the offense.
Dallas currently has the lead with 4,717 total yards in total offense, more than the Lions, Chiefs, Eagles and anyone else trying to keep up. It hasn’t really mattered who we have watched the Cowboys play, they move the ball on everybody.
The numbers from the last three games back this up. The Cowboys have had 381 yards against the Raiders, 473 against the Eagles, and 457 against the Chiefs.
We have seen consistency, we’ve seen firepower, and that is a unit we can trust.
However, us fans know the offense isn’t the issue and moving the ball isn’t the problem. It has been stopping the ball and penalties.
Cowboys’ Penalties are Still a Problem
Though we have the luxury of the number one offense in the NFL, Dallas still has a problem that has plagued them for years… Penalties.
The Cowboys’ currently lead the league with 94 penalties, and they sit near the league lead in penalty yards.
- 31 accepted against the defense
- 42 accepted on the offense
- 21 on special teams
The two players on offense with the most penalties called against and accepted are Tyler Guyton with seven and Tyler Smith with six.
There is a three-way tie on defense with four between Sam Williams, Marist Liufau, Marquese Bell, and
The lead referees with the most calls accepted against the Cowboys:
- 21 Bill Vinovich
- 12 Ron Torbert
- 12 Carl Cheffers
- 11 Alex Moore
- 10 Alex Kemp
The defense has been called for 38 of the penalties, the offense has 54 penalties, and special teams have accounted for 24. These are all penalties, whether they were accepted or denied.
The Cowboys’ are finding ways to win in spite of it.
Fans watched as the Cowboys’ committed six penalties against the Raiders, eight against the Eagles, and another seven against the Chiefs.
In the past, we have watched Cowboys’ teams fold when they get behind because of penalties, but this team has played through mistakes the last three games.
The Biggest Shift: The Defense is Holding Up
The season started to flip, for the better, when the defense started playing good football.
The Cowboys’ have still given up 4,514 yards on defense, an ugly number, and two spots from the league lead, but the big plays, missed tackles, and long drives have been minimized the last three games.
In those games, the defense has given up 16 to the Raiders, 21 to the Eagles, and 28 to the Chiefs. Is it perfect? No. Is it progress? Yes.
We watched as the Raiders couldn’t run the ball at all as the defense only gave up 27 yards on the ground. The Eagles were held to 63 rushing yards, and the Chiefs got over a hundred, but worked for every yard.
Matt Eberflus has a bend but don’t break defense and early in the season it broke often. Now we are seeing it bend and getting off the field.
Situational Football is Another Area of Improvement
The offensive and defensive numbers don’t give you the whole story, the feel of the game does.
Dallas was able to make stops when needed against the Eagles in the fourth quarter, something they weren’t doing early in the season.
They closed out the Raiders with no issues.
Against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the Cowboys actually did something we are not used to. They finished the game, instead of giving Mahomes one more possession to steal it away.
What Are the Cowboys Right Now?
Fans know the Cowboys’ are still messy. They’re still frustrating. They still lead the league in penalties.
On the flip side, the Cowboys are explosive, pretty well-balanced, battle-tested, and getting better on defense.
Most importantly of all, the Dallas Cowboys’ are looking like the type of team that can use momentum to finish games.
I, for one, am all for it. This team is playing the type of football we expected at the beginning of the season, but in true Dallas Cowboys fashion, drama trumps all, and this season has had it in spades.
