Cowboys Corner: Dak or Lamar? Biggest defensive concern? Time to add an RB?

The Dallas Cowboys looked so good on Opening Day, so tough in most phases, that it was easy to start feeling optimistic. The NFC looked pretty wide open. They looked ready to roll.

Then their blowout loss in their home opener to the New Orleans Saints put a stop to that.

It wasn’t just that they were drubbed 44-19. After all, the Cowboys have a history of big, humiliating losses just when they start to really feel good about themselves. But this one felt different. No one thought the Saints were a dangerous team … until they scored touchdowns on each of their first six possessions. They ran all over the Cowboys defense.

Maybe it’s too early to worry. But it sure brought up a lot of issues to discuss in Dallas, even as Jerry Jones — and everyone else in the organization — tried to preach calm.

But don’t panic (yet). In this Week 2 edition of Fox Sports’ Cowboys Corner, NFL writers David Helman and Ralph Vacchiano break down Dallas’ biggest problems and potential solutions, and take a look ahead to a dangerous game at home against the winless Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX):

1. Ahead of Sunday’s showdown in Dallas, which team’s Week 2 loss is most concerning: Cowboys or Ravens?

Helman: I’ll say the Cowboys. It’s got to be frustrating how the Ravens find ways to lose leads in the fourth quarter, but that can be fixed with better playcalling and execution. It’s a lot tougher to fix what we saw from the Dallas run defense. Once again, we watched the Cowboys’ defensive tackles get blown off the ball by the Saints, giving Alvin Kamara miles of open space to run before the linebackers could get to the play. Maybe Mike Zimmer can fix it to a degree, but this looks like a personnel issue that’s been ongoing dating back to 2021. Remember the Arizona and Buffalo losses last year? Looked awfully similar. Here’s guessing Derrick Henry is watching last week’s game tape with a smile on his face.

Vacchiano: There is no doubt that the Cowboys’ loss is most concerning — by a lot. I mean, it’s bad enough they got blown out in their home opener, but to see their defense fold the way it did? That defense was supposed to be their strength. To see them give up so many big plays and to so thoroughly be unable to stop the run in just the second game under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, how could you not be worried? At least the Ravens were close to winning in Week 2. Their main concern isn’t that loss, it’s that they’re 0-2. But the Cowboys were humiliated by the Saints, and some of their same old problems resurfaced. Stopping the run and running the ball were issues last season, too. Did they not do enough in the offseason to fix it? Are they just not adjusting to Zimmer’s scheme? It’s all reason to be concerned, and we haven’t even gotten to Dak Prescott and the offense yet.

2. Jake Ferguson is expected to play vs. Baltimore after sitting out Week 2. Is he the biggest individual X-factor in Dallas’ offense?

Vacchiano: I’m not sure that he is, but he certainly could be. Ferguson is one of the most underrated tight ends in the league, and he could be a serious asset to the Cowboys offense. He showed that last season when at times he was their best non-CeeDee Lamb weapon on the field. And that’s what this Cowboys’ offense so desperately needs — a second option. Brandon Cooks isn’t consistent enough. Jalen Brooks isn’t reliable enough, yet. And the running backs … well, let’s just say no defense is worrying about the 1-2 punch of Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle. Ferguson has the skills. He’ll be a valuable X-factor if the Cowboys let him.

Helman: If we learned one thing from the Dallas offense last week, it’s that they are severely lacking juice. CeeDee Lamb is an incredible player, obviously, and he gives you a chance to score points. But without Jake Ferguson on the field, the Cowboys’ other options were lacking. Brandin Cooks mostly disappeared again. Jalen Brooks missed a key block in the red zone and slipped during his route on an eventual interception. The Cowboys’ running backs didn’t manage a gain longer than seven yards. It was rough. The true X-factor on this offense is Lamb, but the Cowboys desperately need Ferguson to lift the rest of this group behind Lamb.

3. Which quarterback would you pick to start a playoff game: Dak Prescott or Lamar Jackson?

Helman: This take is going to get me yelled at, because Lamar Jackson has a better overall body of work than Dak. But if we’re talking about the playoffs, Dak has been the substantially better quarterback to this point in their careers. Take your pick of the numbers. Dak’s cumulative passer rating across all playoff starts is 91.8, compared to Lamar’s 75.6. Dak is completing 65% of his passes in the playoffs to Lamar’s 57%. Dak has 18 playoff touchdowns to seven playoff turnovers, compared to Lamar’s nine touchdowns and nine turnovers. Dak’s teams have also averaged 24 points per game in the playoffs, compared to Lamar’s 16. Lot of time left in both careers, but Dak has been the better postseason player to this point.

Vacchiano: Is there a third choice? I’m kidding. Probably. But look, we’re talking about two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Both were MVP candidates late last season and one, obviously, won. But their playoff success has been … lacking. They’re also different styles of quarterbacks running completely different offenses, which makes the comparison hard. But if you force me to make a pick, I’d probably pick Prescott. Like Dave said, he’s been the better postseason passer. But also, I think he’s the better passer in general. I know it’s old school, but I value the way Prescott can sit in the pocket and pick apart a defense. He can create off schedule if he has to, but he doesn’t do it nearly as often. That makes things easier on the receivers, the offensive line, the offensive coordinator. Jackson might have a higher upside for big plays, but I’ll go with the consistency. Honestly, though, I’d take either of these two over about 25 other starting quarterbacks in this league.

4. Which position group deserves the most blame for the Cowboys’ dreadful defensive showing against the Saints, and do you expect it to be fixed?

Vacchiano: I’ve got a few on my list, but I’ll probably start with the defensive tackles. The worst part is that the Cowboys knew this was going to be a problem. You could tell because they panicked near the end of the summer and quickly added Linval Joseph and Jordan Phillips. It was like they forgot that was an issue they needed to address all offseason long. Obviously, they should have. Phillips didn’t appear on the stat sheet Sunday and is now on injured reserve. Joseph had two tackles. They got decent play from Osa Odighizuwa. But remember Mazi Smith, the DT the Cowboys drafted in the first round last year? A big zero from him Sunday. If your defensive tackles are that useless, it should be no surprise when your opponent rushes for 190 yards. And it puts a strain on the rest of the defense, too, which could be seen in the amount of time Saints quarterback Derek Carr had in the pocket. I can find plenty of fault with the rest of the pass rush, the linebackers and the secondary, too, but the root of the problem was the middle of the defensive line.

Helman: I mentioned it already, but it’s worth shouting out the defensive tackle woes one more time. Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph were late additions made during training camp, so hopefully they can play their way into better performances as the season goes. It’d be great to get more from Mazi Smith, too — stop me if you’ve heard that before. I think Mike Zimmer can find ways to get improvement, because it can’t be much worse. I’m not sure this problem will ever truly go away, though.

5. Is there one particular running back you’d target on the wire or via trade to help their ground game?

Helman: The options aren’t exciting. At one point I would’ve said Miami’s Jeff Wilson, but the Dolphins have big injury issues at running back and that feels unlikely. Houston’s Joe Mixon also got banged up the other night, so I’m not sure the Texans would want to deal Dameon Pierce. I’d be willing to send a late-round pick to New York for Israel Abanikanda, who is wasting away at the bottom of the Jets’ depth chart. He might not revitalize the run game, but he’s got fresh legs and legit speed.

Vacchiano: There really aren’t many options — no good ones, anyway. Anyone on the waiver wire at this point isn’t going to be much of a help, and teams aren’t going to be willing to part with their top two running backs, given how injury-prone that position tends to be. I mean, if you want a picture of what’s out there, consider the Cowboys recently signed whatever is left of Dalvin Cook. Maybe, just maybe, one running back to watch is Miles Sanders of the Carolina Panthers. He’s behind Chuba Hubbard on their depth chart and the Panthers did draft Jonathan Brooks in the second round. He’s out for the first four games, and since he’s recovering from ACL surgery, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to return anytime soon. But if he’s close, maybe the Panthers will be willing to dump Sanders. He’s done nothing since leaving the Eagles after the 2022 season (474 yards on 3.3 yards per carry in 18 games in Carolina). But he’s proven capable when running behind a good offensive line. And the trade shouldn’t be too costly, because the Panthers are an organization that even Jerry Jones could fleece. At least he’d be a body. Just don’t expect him to be a savior.

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.

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_.

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