Dallas Cowboys fans have now had four days of recovery from the beat down the Denver Broncos handed them on Sunday, yet there continues to be a mixture of reactions from people everywhere.
The first couple of weeks have indeed caused fans to be confused about what to expect from this 2017 team. While this is a fair evaluation, the overload of concern surrounding this team needs to be addressed.
It seems that perhaps people are forgetting that the Cowboys are a team that is coming off of a 13-3 season and a divisional championship. And while there appears to be a handful of reasons to freak out, there are three key reasons to continue believing in the star.
1. Ezekiel Elliott is arguably the Dallas Cowboy’s most dangerous weapon; this is not news. What is new, is the total shut out Elliott experienced against this Denver defense. Here is a player that led the league in rushing yards last season so it’s natural, expected, to hold him to the same standards. However, one fact that seems to be lost on some fans is that Elliott is currently going through a legal battle while simultaneously playing football. Is it possible that Elliott is having difficulty focusing on the game? It’s a valid question, but that is not to discredit this elite Broncos defense that did an excellent job of stopping Zeke on Sunday.
2. When Tony Romo was the Cowboy’s QB, time and time again there were fans who blamed Romo for a game loss, or for a losing season, or for the weather. After Sunday’s game, Dak Prescott got a glimpse of the intense pressure people place on the quarterback and the wrath that follows when he doesn’t deliver.
I've said it once and I'll say it again, Dak Prescott has RUINED Dez Bryant's career. Dez was such a monster with @tonyromo!
— #9 Tony Romo ? (@ajohnston05) September 18, 2017
Like Romo, Dak is an excellent quarterback and this should go without saying. The QB position naturally carries a lot of pressure. The amount Dak is experiencing right now is high with Zeke under fire from the NFL. He is the leader of America’s team— he recognizes this and the world recognizes this. Dak has carried himself with as much grace and poise as one could hope for a young player. He has earned respect all across the NFL and has proven himself to be a reliable QB. These may have been a rocky two weeks for Dak, but it’s nothing to worry about. After all, Dak now has a victory against the New York Giants, which was a hurdle he didn’t get over last season.
3. Many questions have been raised about whether the Giants defense was over hyped or the Broncos team was simply explosive…the answer here is both but more so the latter. Denver dominated the majority of the game by maximizing opportunities presented by Dallas including penalties and failure to make defensive stops. The Cowboys offense struggled to establish the passing game and it was evident that they could not get into rhythm. Defensively, there were a number of missed tackles and a failure to cause turnovers. Demarcus Lawrence’s two sacks were perhaps the most significant moments for the Dallas defense, but even that wasn’t enough to hold back this Broncos offense.
The @Broncos currently have the NFL's #1 third down offense (56.7 percent) and #2 third down defense (23.1 percent) this season
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) September 19, 2017
The key here is to give credit where credit is due, this Broncos defense is very good. This doesn’t take away from the Cowboys who are still very much among the NFLs elite.
It’s important to note that this team has been and will continue to move forward (a very Coach Garrett thing to say). In just a few days the Cowboys will head to Arizona for some Monday Night Football where we hope the team will demonstrate it can humbly take a loss and bounce back. You can relax for now Cowboys Nation. Save the worrying for another day.
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