Cowboys Corner: Dak Prescott turnover-prone? Defensive X-factors? Zeke done?

It looks like it’s going to be one of those seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. One moment, it’s a total disaster. The next, everything’s wonderful again. That’s the way it felt Sunday night throughout their dramatic, nail-biting, 20-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When the dust settled, the Cowboys were 3-2, one game back in the NFC East race, but with a lot of frayed nerves left in their wake. They are clearly a good team capable of beating good teams, thanks mostly to their outstanding quarterback. But they are a flawed team, with too many issues and injuries that are suddenly beginning to mount.

So, strap in because this season is beginning to look like a roller-coaster ride. And at the moment, it’s hard to tell if they’re on the slow climb up, or set up for a stomach-churning drop.

Fox Sports NFL writers David Helman and Ralph Vacchiano try to figure that out in this week’s Cowboys Corner.

1. Dak Prescott threw for 352 yards and led a game-winning TD drive in the fourth quarter against the Steelers on Sunday night, but he also threw two interceptions. He now has four in five games, making this campaign look a lot more like 2022 (when he had an NFL-high 15 picks) than last year (when he had only nine). How worried are you that his turnover problems are back?

Vacchiano: I’m a little worried, to be honest, but not really because of Dak Prescott. I’ve made it pretty clear that I think he’s an elite quarterback — one of the best in the league. But right now, he’s really it for the Dallas Cowboys. He’s got one good receiver, no reliable running game, and a defense that’s missing two of its best players. Prescott can do a lot, but he’s going to be in positions where he knows that if he doesn’t make something happen, it’s probably not going to happen. And when he starts forcing throws, that’s when he’s going to get into trouble.

And I think that’s what’s going to happen. He’s going to have to start forcing things to CeeDee Lamb late in games to keep the Cowboys in it. Most of the time it’s probably going to work. But sometimes it won’t. And that’s when the interceptions will start creeping up. He knows, given the lack of options on the Cowboys’ roster, he has to get the ball to Lamb in crunch time. The problem is that defenses know it, too.

Helman: I need to see a lot more before I’m worried about Dak. Some of Sunday night’s decision-making was brutal, and it almost cost the Cowboys. But he’s largely been solid, with both of his other interceptions coming in the same game — the 44-19 loss to New Orleans that required him to throw his team back into the game on a day that his defense surrendered touchdowns on six straight possessions. With all of that context to consider, I feel fine about the way he’s playing and trust him to clean up some of the mistakes he made in Pittsburgh.

2. Running back Rico Dowdle and wide receiver Jalen Tolbert came somewhat out of nowhere to help the Cowboys topple Pittsburgh. Do you think those were more likely one-off performances or can either of them be counted on for the rest of the season?

Helman: That just might determine the course of the Cowboys’ season. Team brass’ inactivity during free agency made it obvious that they were going to ask a lot of young players in 2024. Rico has been a solid role player, but he’s already 60% of the way to his entire carry total from last season. Dallas has been waiting for Tolbert to break out since he was drafted back in 2022. I’m not going to overreact to one game, but I will say this: We’re going to find out quickly if they can be counted on because there are no other options. For better or worse, this is who the Cowboys have. It’s time to sink or swim.

Vacchiano: I think the breakout of Tolbert has a chance to be a really good thing for the Cowboys moving forward. As everyone knows, they’ve been lacking a second receiver since they traded away Amari Cooper. Brandin Cooks, who is now hurt, was fine in that role last year and he’s got some big-game potential. But he’s not the most reliable or consistent receiver. Tolbert, meanwhile, was a well-regarded small school player when the Cowboys took him in the third round two years ago. He’s fast and talented and maybe now that he’s getting an opportunity he’s ready to contribute.

Right now, that’s more hope than anything else. But also, I have absolutely no faith in Dowdle or the Cowboys’ running game. I honestly don’t think Mike McCarthy does either.

3. The Cowboys’ defense survived one game without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, but it won’t be nearly as easy Sunday against the Detroit Lions. What player needs to step up the most in their absence?

Vacchiano: Those are two huge losses, and it could really be a problem against a team that can really pound the rock. They’re going to need big performances from two guys, specifically: DT Mazi Smith and LB Eric Kendricks. Smith has been a bit of a disappointment in the middle of the Cowboys line since they took him in the first round last year. He’s showing some marginal signs of playing better, but he really needs to be a dominant player — if that’s even possible.

As for Kendricks, he was the Cowboys’ “big” free-agent signing this offseason and has barely had an impact after a big Week 1 (two sacks, one interception). He hasn’t been bad, but he’s trying to make up for the loss of Parsons. He needs to become an impact player again, now.

Helman: Complicating the matter is that rookie defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was injured in Pittsburgh, so this defensive front is truly depleted. The Lions get a lot of love for their explosive passing game, but the real threat here is that they have a nasty run game, powered by an offensive line that wants to grind you into dust. Keep an eye on space-eating defensive linemen Mazi Smith, Chauncey Golston and Linval Joseph, as well as linebackers Eric Kendricks, DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau. None of those guys can afford to have a bad day, or the Cowboys are going to give up 200-plus rushing yards again.

4. Ezekiel Elliott has only touched the ball 36 times in five games. Are you surprised they’re not using him more, especially since Jerry Jones bragged before the season that Zeke was still good enough to be a starter?

Helman: If anything, I’m proud of the Cowboys’ coaching staff for ignoring Jerry Jones and living in reality. Ezekiel Elliott is still a useful NFL running back, but at this stage of his career, his best attributes are his pass protection and short-yardage ability. He just doesn’t have the juice to be a lead back, as evidenced by his zero explosive runs to this point in the season or his explosive run rate of just 4.3% in 2023 — eight carries of 10-plus yards on 183 attempts. He can still help this team, but I think it’s best that his role is limited.

Vacchiano: First, full disclosure: I drafted Elliott in fantasy football (in a very, very late round) mostly because I figured if Jones was talking him up that much, Mike McCarthy was going to have to play him. Kudos to McCarthy for ignoring his boss and having his own plan.

So, yes, I am surprised. I thought this was a Jones special and what’s left of Elliott was going to be force-fed into the lineup. But really, what McCarthy is doing is the right call. Zeke looks done. Not completely done. He could be very useful in short yardage. His pass blocking still seems good. He can get the job done on a series or two each game. But he’s not a feature back anymore. And though it’s kind of hard to imagine the Cowboys’ rushing game being any worse, it probably would be if Elliott were leaned on more.

5. How seriously are you taking the Washington Commanders’ 4-1 start? Do you still expect the NFC East to ultimately come down again to Dallas and Philadelphia?

Vacchiano: The Commanders look like they’re for real. Only the Vikings and Saints have a bigger point differential than Washington’s plus-40 through five games. And its success isn’t only about super-rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Its defense and the rest of the running game has been excellent, too.

I do still think that the Eagles and Cowboys are the class of the division and one of them will probably win it. I worry a bit that the Commanders’ four wins have come against teams that are a combined 6-14 (the Giants, Cardinals, Browns and Bengals). We’ll know a lot more about them after they play at Baltimore on Sunday. Their schedule also gets much tougher in the second half. And at some point, Daniels is likely to have a rookie slump.

But at this point, if they play .500 ball the rest of the way, they’re a 10-win team. So, they’re in it. And they’ve proven to be dangerous. Overlook them at your own risk.

Helman: The Commanders aren’t a perfect team, but they’re well-built to make life tough on the Cowboys. They have a hellacious run game and a quarterback who gets the ball out quickly. Sounds like a nightmare for this Dallas defense, based on what we’ve seen so far. I’ll readily admit I saw this as a two-team race before the season started, but the Cowboys and Eagles aren’t as far out in front as I thought. 

David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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