We’d say the Cowboys hit rock bottom in Week 11, but they’ve been living a geologist’s dream all season.
Dallas lost at home to the Texans 34-10 on “Monday Night Football,” its fourth loss at AT&T Stadium by at least 24 points this season.
The Cowboys have crashed hard after three consecutive 12-win seasons, standing at 3-7 heading into a Week 12 road game against the Commanders (7-4).
As with any bad team, the Cowboys have multiple problems. Here’s how we’d right the ship in Dallas.
1. Overhaul coaching staff
Head coach Mike McCarthy is in the final season of a five-year contract he signed in 2020. With the Cowboys hurdling toward their second losing season under McCarthy, he’s unlikely to receive an extension.
Parting ways with McCarthy is just the tip of the iceberg. The entire staff needs an overhaul.
The offensive line, long a strength for the Cowboys, has declined.
Under first-year coordinator Mike Zimmer, the defense has been one of the league’s worst, ranking 31st in scoring (29.3 points allowed per game).
Former NFL head coaches Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel would be two of our top candidates for the Cowboys job.
With quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240 million) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136 million) locked into long-term contracts, Dallas needs a coach with a successful track record to raise its ceiling and maximize its high-priced core.
2. Trade Micah Parsons
During Tuesday’s edition of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Mike Greenberg and Louis Riddick discussed the case for trading Parsons.
“In order to rebuild this team, which the Cowboys desperately need to do, they need to trade Micah Parsons,” said Greenberg.
“Dallas needs draft capital,” added Riddick. “They need a plethora of players to come in here and really help build this football team back up.”
The two-time first-team All-Pro is one of the league’s best defenders and would fetch a sizable return via trade.
While losing a player of Parsons’ talent would hurt, the Cowboys could use the trove of picks they acquire to replenish their roster.
49ers edge-rusher Nick Bosa is currently the highest-paid player at his position after signing a five-year, $170 million extension in September 2023. Parsons will likely command more.
Prescott’s and Lamb’s contracts would make it difficult for Dallas to re-sign Parsons and add the talent necessary to keep it competitive.
3. Draft Ashton Jeanty
Using a first-round pick on a running back is usually a faux pas, but we’ll allow an exception when one is as good as Jeanty.
Dallas’ rushing offense has been terrible. The Cowboys rank 30th in rush attempts (215) and 31st in yards (817), touchdowns (three) and yards per attempt (3.8).
Jeanty, a potential 2024 Heisman finalist, would immediately improve the attack.
This season, the Boise State running back leads the country with 256 carries, 1,893 yards and 26 touchdowns.
4. Fix rush defense
The Cowboys won’t be a viable Super Bowl contender if they cannot stop the run.
Dallas has allowed the league’s most rushing touchdowns (18) this season and ranks 31st in rush defense (151 yards allowed per game).
Fortunately for the Cowboys, there should be affordable options in free agency to improve the run defense.
Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones is on an expiring contract and ranks first among defensive tackles in ESPN’s run-stop win-rate rankings
Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill ranks fourth, and Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler ranks seventh.
Per Pro Football Focus, Jones has been credited with 15 “stops,” which the site defines as “tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense,” while Butler has 14 and Hill 12.
The talent is out there for the Cowboys to have a vastly superior rush defense in 2025, as long as the front office doesn’t punt on free agency for the second consecutive year.
5. Find a WR2
Outside of Lamb, Dallas doesn’t have a consistently reliable option in the passing game.
Per ESPN Analytics, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert is their best option, but despite ranking ninth in catch score, he’s below average in route running and yards after the catch.
Tolbert’s open score ranks 94th (out of 121 pass-catchers), and his yards after catch (YAC) score is 90th.
Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, who the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for at this year’s deadline, has the worst overall score among qualifying receivers and tight ends.
KaVontae Turpin had the Cowboys’ lone highlight on Monday night when he scored a 64-yard touchdown, but he isn’t someone Dallas should expect to win one-on-one matchups against outside corners. Per PFF, he’s been held without a contested catch in five opportunities and has a team-high 13 percent drop rate.
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