"The bye week may have come at the perfect time for the Cowboys. Two straight losses has the season on the brink of being over, but two big trades at the deadline - plus the imminent return of both DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel - offer a chance at a reset, defensively. And, really, the Cowboys defense only needs to achieve "average" play with the way their offense has been this season."
"Special teams should jump out here, though. Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin are the best at their respective roles, unquestionably, but everything outside of them has been bad. They're 27th in hidden points, which effectively measures the advantage gained by the opposing special teams unit, and they also have the fourth-most special teams penalties despite not playing this past week. Nick Sorensen badly needs to clean up his unit."
"The EPA-based team tiers reveal an almost comical divide between the upper and lower echelon of the NFL, and the Cowboys are right there in no man's land. That beautifully reflects the nature of this team, as they have the offense of a contender but the defense of a team that's only contending for a top five draft pick. In a way, though, this chart demonstrates why the Cowboys are capable of making a run still."
The Cowboys enter the post-bye stretch after two straight losses and roster moves that could bolster a struggling defense. The team pairs a top-tier offense—11th in offensive DVOA—with a defense that has underperformed, leaving the season precarious. Special teams performance has been uneven: Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin excel in kicking and returns, while the unit ranks 27th in hidden points and has the fourth-most penalties. Recent trades and the impending returns of DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel create an opportunity for defensive improvement. Climbing the EPA tiers to match teams like the Ravens or 49ers would place the Cowboys back into playoff contention.
Read at Blogging The Boys
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]