|
For the Dallas Cowboys to contend for the playoffs this season, here are the five players who can help make that happen:  Tyron Smith, left tackle: Many look at Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension as the reason why the Cowboys’ 2017 season fell apart, but in reality, Smith’s absence played a bigger role. The Cowboys ran the ball well enough without Elliott, but they could not throw the ball as well without Smith. The 27-year-old has dealt with back injuries the past two seasons, as well as hip and knee issues. But he has gotten healthy this offseason and says he feels as good as he has felt in years. When he is healthy, he is the best tackle in the game. The Cowboys feel they have addressed the swing tackle spot in a better way than a year ago, but Smith’s importance to the offense cannot be overstated.
Ezekiel Elliott, running back: The Cowboys are 19-6 in the 25 games Elliott has played; he has had at least 80 yards rushing in 23 of those games. Elliott’s presence changes everything for Dallas' offense. The field might feel a little tighter with Dez Bryant gone and Jason Witten retired, but Elliott still has one of the best lines in football blocking for him. He is the big-play threat on offense, either on the run or in the screen game. When the Cowboys break the huddle, the opposing defense has to focus on Elliott. The Cowboys went 3-3 when he was suspended last season, but gaining every yard and scoring every touchdown in his absence was hard. With Elliott, the Cowboys believe they can dictate the pace of a game. Sean Lee, linebacker: He is as important to the defense as Tony Romo was to the offense late in the quarterback’s career. When Romo was around, the Cowboys could win. When Romo was injured, the Cowboys struggled until Dak Prescott came along in 2016. Since 2015, the Cowboys are 1-7 without Lee. In the five games without Lee last season, the Cowboys allowed 136 yards per game on the ground. In the 11 games with him, they allowed 89.5 rushing yards a game. As the weakside linebacker, he has to be the playmaker of the defense. He can dissect plays quickly. He knows not only what he is supposed to do, but what everybody else is supposed to do on the defense. Without him, the Cowboys don’t have that leader. Dak Prescott, quarterback: He is the quarterback, so of course he is important. We have not seen the Cowboys play a game without him during his first two seasons, so we don’t know what the offense would look like without him. With Elliott and the offensive line, the Cowboys believe they could win games with Cooper Rush -- just in a different way than they would with Prescott. Without Witten, Prescott will move into the top leadership role on the offense. That should not be an issue. He is wise beyond his years. What he needs to do in 2018 is improve his accuracy, get back to making big plays down the field and protect the football. He did all of that in 2016, so the Cowboys know he has that in him. They need the others around him to play better. DeMarcus Lawrence, defensive end: He entered last year with nine sacks in his first three seasons in part because of injuries (back, foot) and suspension. He finished 2017 with 14.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance. But it was more than just the sacks. Lawrence affected the quarterback. He had a staggering 52 quarterback pressures, according to the Cowboys’ coaches. But it wasn’t just how he rushed the passer. He had six tackles for loss and was always around the ball. He is the “war daddy” Jerry Jones craves, and the team placed the franchise tag on him to make sure he could not get away in free agency. Without Lawrence, the Cowboys go back to a committee approach to get to the quarterback. Having somebody like him forcing offenses to send attention his way opens up options for the other pass-rushers.
|
