Wins are wins and all that, I know. Sitting atop the division is a good place to be.
But where does this thing really go from here? A couple of winnable games coming, and then the gauntlet begins. A bunch of high-octane offenses and/or good defenses await Dallas soon. A 3-1 start could offer fool's gold for a crash and burn.
This offense has to find itself, somehow, someway. I really don't know what to call, but they have to figure out something.
Unfortunately, last night looks to be about the best this offense can do against a reasonable or better defense. That. Whatever that is, which looks painfully frustrating. That game was begging for an easy 20-point cakewalk victory. It was just laying there to be had like a wounded duck.
The simple truth is, if not for a huge play in the first five minutes of the game, that game very well might have been lost. This offense has a very low ceiling, almost as low as the Giants'.
This will be the approach from every opponent until further notice. Just stack the box and play one-on-one against the wideouts. Occasionally, they'll get beat like BW Webb did, but most of the time, they'll be defending Zeke and quick slants. There's no real big-play threat to worry about.
Yes, I understand that will beat some teams. I'd say about half of them. So 8-8, 7-9....that's where this is.
The Giants are putrid. Their offensive line is a train wreck, and Eli is antsy as can be because of it. Barkley has to gain every yard all by himself. He's special, but he's not that special. Beckham is relegated to hitch routes and quick slants because there's no time for anything else. The Giants made a colossal mistake in drafting Barkely because as soon as they get their offensive line together, they'll be looking for a quarterback. That's a dumpster fire.
I can EASILY see the Giants at 0-7, so they may have a second shot at drafting a QB soon.
Meanwhile, this passing game in Dallas is just nauseating to watch. Dink, dink, dink, punt. The Cowboys were last in the NFL in 20-plus-yard plays going in, and that's probably still true.
Yes, the pass to Tavon Austin was beautiful. He shook Webb to the ground, then ran under a great ball. The first couple of drives were nice. But as soon as the script plays dried up, so did the offense. There is nowhere for Zeke to run. Even with Frederick, trying to run through 8-man fronts is tough to do with consistent success.
After that Austin beauty on the second pass of the game, it was 15 for 24 for 94 yards thereafter. Bleh.
Zeke added 78 yards rushing. So much for that run at 2,000 yards.
Looks like it's going to be the Beasley/Thompson/Austin show for the most part. Slot receivers, running backs, and tight ends. Quick, short throws. It's hard to march the field and score touchdowns with that. Not a single pass down the deep middle of the field. Some nice slant throws, and a couple of outs. Some nice high-school RPO runs. A little bit of Zeke flash every now and then.
And yes, that was enough to beat the Giants. Whoopee.
The defense is really fun to watch. It's exciting to finally see this franchise play some, at times, dominant defense. But that won't hold up against everybody. There are some ferocious offenses down the road that will require Dallas to put up 30 to win. You know, the real teams that will be in the playoffs.
Much needs to change somehow. I don't know what the answer is. I really don't think it's here.
