The Cowboys defied the odds with their upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday night. Or was it Monday morning? That’s not an important question from the game, but others are worth considering as they may impact the upcoming schedule and perhaps the rest of the 2024 season.
Should Tyler Smith stay at left tackle?
When rookie Tyler Guyton left the game with a knee injury, Tyler Smith slid over to left tackle and T.J. Bass came in at guard. The results were less costly penalties, fewer protection breakdowns, and a solid run game. It begs the question of whether or not the Cowboys would be better off leaving Smith on the outside.
There’s no question that Guyton’s struggled so far this season. While Smith is a better guard than tackle, his experience and talent still make him an upgrade over the rookie. It arguably gives Dallas its five current best linemen on the field with Bass in the starting lineup, at least until Guyton gets more experience and improves his technique.
Perhaps during the upcoming bye week, and assuming he’s healthy, Dallas will explore using Guyton on the right side over Terence Steele. It was his college position, and it could be a better place for him to work through some things. And they may still opt to put him back in at left tackle once he’s good to go, still willing to live through the growing pains. But after how the offensive line performed once Guyton left the game, the coaches must be considering their options.
Should Brandin Cooks return with a lesser role?
There may not be a question in many minds that Jalen Tolbert should be the Cowboys’ other starting receiver going forward. He’s been more effective than Cooks all year and stepped up big in Sunday’s win. But even if that’s a foregone conclusion, just where should Cooks’ spot on the depth chart be once he gets back from injured reserve?
Less noticed in the game was that Kavontae Turpin also chipped in four catches for 50 yards on just five targets. It just feels like Dak Prescott is more comfortable and efficient targeting some of these younger receivers, and we’ve barely seen what Jalen Brooks could do with more opportunities.
Cooks was solid last year once he got healthy and found his groove with the offense, but it hasn’t been the same so far in 2024. Now that Cooks is 31 years old and has an expiring contract, Dallas may want to use him less and see if their other guys can be more effective targets. It could benefit the team now and down the road as they give future assets more experience.
What could the defense be once healthy?
Seeing what Mike Zimmer did last week without so many of his top players was impressive. Say what you want about the Steelers offense but they had more than enough talent to run the Cowboys over and Zimmer schemed up the right stuff, particularly on the defensive line, to not let that happen.
With Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, and Caelen Carson all potentially returning after the bye week, if not sooner for some, things are looking up for this side of the ball. There are still some concerns; Dallas was at mostly full strength when the Saints obliterated them in Week 2. But it seems like Zimmer has made the right adjustments and the team is getting more comfortable in his scheme. It’s exciting to think what things could be once he gets some star talent back in the mix.
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