Examining how the Redskins stack up against the rest of the NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys enter the season with more questions then they ended last year with. Travis Frederick has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and is sidelined indefinitely. Their first round pick Leighton Vander Esch has missed substantial time this offseason. With the departure of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, they’ll need to rely on an unproven receiving corpse to balance the offense. If the Cowboys want to make the playoffs, Dak Prescott will need to lead the team. He’s gonna need to bring back some of his rookie season magic, and then some.
Allen Hurns, Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams, Michael Gallup, and Geoff Swaim/Blake Jarwin are not an elite group of pass catchers. They’re not even an average one. The Cowboys may very well have the worst receiving corpse not only in the division, but the entire NFL. I’ve been a very vocal fan of Dak Prescott, but it’s going to take a miracle for him to turn this passing offense into a positive. Luckily, with a stellar offensive line, he should have all day to throw.
The Cowboys want to run the ball. That’s completely obvious. The absence of Frederick will hurt the interior a little bit, but I don’t expect a massive drop off. The Cowboys will lead the division in rushing, and will finish the season a top three rushing team once again. Ezekiel Elliott is a top tier back, and they’ve added tons of talent throughout the years. The success of the rushing offense will dictate the success of the team as a whole.
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The Cowboys have finally put together a defense that I believe could be a competent group. They have a lot of young talent in the secondary, if the linebacker group can stay healthy it should be a top unit in the NFL, and they have a go to pass rusher in DeMarcus Lawrence. Add in pieces along the defensive line like David Irving, Taco Charlton, and Randy Gregory and they could be a strong group. All the defense needs to do is hold the opposition close enough that the offense can continue to run the ball.
The Cowboys success hinges on their success to run the football, their defensive development, and a serviceable passing offense. The run game will be elite, but how can the young defense gel together, and will the pass catchers be able to succeed when called upon? These are the three things the Cowboys must do to be competitive.