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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterOct 21, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
- Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
FRISCO, Texas — After the devastating 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 6, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had a message for his teammates as they went to the bye week.
“Look in the mirror. Go watch these six games over the bye week. Take a few days off. Reset. And be ready when we get back in that building Monday to refocus and do every single thing that you can to help this team,” Prescott said. “And everybody has a role, whatever that role may be. Make sure you understand what it is, and if its bigger than what it was a few weeks ago, if it’s smaller, whatever it may be, figure out a way to be the absolute best in it.
“Eleven games left. We’re going to take it one at a time. San Fran’s next, so as we watch these six games, go ahead and get a jumpstart on a couple of their games and be ready, as I said, to refocus after this reset.”
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Despite the collective bargaining agreement saying players must have four consecutive days off during the bye week, the Cowboys took six. At 3-3 and left dispirited after the Lions’ loss, maybe getting completely away from things was the better call than one or two practices.
But the season hangs in the balance as the Cowboys return to play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
Entering Week 7, the Cowboys did not have better than a 43% chance of winning any of their next five games, according to ESPN Analytics.
The Niners, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders are a combined 21-13, and San Francisco — yes, San Francisco — is the only team below .500 (3-4).
The Texans and Commanders lead their divisions. The Eagles and Falcons are in second in their divisions. Three of those five are away from home, though that may be a good thing since the Cowboys’ three wins gave been away from AT&T Stadium. Two are at home against the Eagles and Texans.
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A week ago, coach Mike McCarthy’s news conference was delayed by nearly two hours. He had a full player meeting and then met with the leadership council (a select group of veterans designed to keep the pulse of the locker room), which ran long. From there he had to go to personnel meetings.
McCarthy’s message to the players: “A number of things. Obviously, I addressed the performance [versus Detroit]. Just the things, really the basics. … We cannot function where we are as far as the number of giveaways and lack of takeaways. … Just kept it about the things we did do, didn’t do and make sure the direction was clear.”
The Cowboys have been hit by injuries, just like many teams. All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland could make his season debut against the Niners after having foot surgery in August. All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons could return after missing the past two games with a high left ankle sprain.
Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) is on injured reserve and will miss at least two more games — the last time he was spotted, he was on a scooter before the Lions’ game — as will wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) and defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee).
Their returns will be helpful, but the Cowboys struggled on both sides of the ball even when Parsons, Lawrence, Cooks and Kneeland were healthy. It won’t be a cure-all.
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“Our complementary [football] formula production is not there,” McCarthy said. “So that was the biggest emphasis coming out of the bye last year. It definitely will be again this year.”
The Cowboys were 4-2 coming off the bye last season, two weeks removed from a 32-point loss at San Francisco.
They won six of their next seven games, but only two came against playoff teams from that season (Eagles, Los Angeles Rams).
They also didn’t have this many questions to answer.
They are in the bottom third in red zone offense (37.5%), red zone defense (73.7%), rush offense (77.2 yards per game), yards allowed per play (7.5 yards), giveaways (11) and takeaways (five).
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has doubled down on his belief in the roster. The trade deadline is Nov. 5, but there is no expectation of a blockbuster trade to shake the team out of its doldrums. He said he will not consider a coaching change.
The change in this season’s direction has to come from within.
And it has to start now.
