CFZ Cowboys Grades at the Break

[Bobhaze]

It’s not even mid-season yet but we are at the break. Only 6 games in with 11 to go, there’s a ton of football left to play and we’re still trying to figure out what this team is. Nevertheless, here are my grades for the most important pieces of the team:

COACHING: Overall Grade: C+

• Mike McCarthy- C. He has at least brought the ability to bounce back after a loss with his 10-1 record after a loss since ‘21. His revamp of the offense has been a dud so far and his in-game management and stupid penalty numbers are concerning. But he’s way better than Garrett and somehow keeps the Jones boys happy.
• Dan Quinn- B+. The defense is clearly the team’s strength and Quinn has done a good job of using his people well. The SF game was hopefully an outlier to what has otherwise been an excellent start for the D.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C- (clearly a slow and disjointed start. Must improve if we have plans for playoff glory)

• QB- Dak: C- Has clearly struggled in the new offense. His best game was Mon night vs the Chargers because he seemed to start relying more on what made him more successful early in his career. Running the ball on occasion and passing on the move.
• RBs- C. Tony Pollard-His injury seems to have hampered his explosiveness somewhat. I like Pollard a lot but I’m concerned he’s not a RB who needs more than 15 touches a game. Dowdell needs more touches but honestly this team is way too light at this position.
• WRs- C- Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B. But he needs to stop the pouting. Maybe he’s uptight about his contract but we’re going to need him a ton down the stretch. Michael Gallup is an F. He’s nothing like he was before his knee injury. No burst, poor routes. Just sad. Maybe he can rebound. We have to hope so because it’s hard to throw to a guy who’s never open. Brandin Cooks: D. I think Cooks is getting better as evidenced against the chargers. He needs to stretch the field more.
• TEs. Grade: C-. Jake Ferguson has shown flashes of good but he needs to be more reliable. Schoonmaker is clearly on a rookie learning curve. Hendershot is hurt while Sean McKeon has been reliably average.
• OL Grade: D. This group has struggled more than expected. Early injuries and little time to work together has hurt. Tyron Smith has been a shadow of his once greatness and Zack Martin has shown less dominance. Pass protection has been well below standard and the run game has been spotty. This group has to improve if we want to compete.

DEFENSE Overall Grade: B+ (would have been an A except for the cards and niners games. Great at times, puzzling on occasion)

• DL Grade: A- Parsons has been great most of the time, but he needs some maturity added to his game. He’s the clear best player on this team. Worry about him wearing down. D-Law: He’s one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Best run defender on DL, doesn’t get a lot sacks but he is very disruptive. Osa Odighizhua has been a pleasant surprise while Mazi Smith has been a minor disappointment but he’s still developing.
• LB Grade: C. LVE is hurt again but he’s been very inconsistent. Has good moments then has a game like Ariz and SF. Damone Clark had a good game in LA and shows some development. This position needs help.
• Secondary Grade: B+. Even with the loss of Diggs, this group has performed pretty well. Daron Bland has been very good and Stephon Gilmore seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The safeties have been good not great. The development of Marquese Bell has been encouraging.

SPECIAL TEAMS Overall Grade: A

• K Grade: A+. Rookie Brandon Aubrey has been the most consistently reliable player on the team. Great find by the Cowboys,
• P Grade: A- Brain Anger remains one of the better punters in the league.
• Returns Grade: C+. Turpin has been hurt so there’s not much to show for him. He did have a great punt return called back against Ariz.
• Coverage Grade: B+. CJ Goodwin is hurt and his great coverage will be missed.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-. Being 4-2 is good but not great. This team has warts. The offense must improve and probably needs some new talent infused through a trade. We need a LB on defense too. The D has carried this team but Big Mac needs to fix the offense and the penalties or this team is just another above average team that doesn’t win much in the playoffs. The FO needs to make some moves!

What are your grades?

 

[MoistMayonnaise]

Team - C+

 

[Bobhaze]

Team - C+

Based on…?

 

[MoistMayonnaise]

Based on…?

Offensively deficient. Big wins come through defense. Lost to a lesser team and almost lost to a second. Got destroyed by a better team. Seemingly unprepared, as usual, for the spotlight.

 

[Redline360]

I think Pollard and Dowdell would be just fine. Dowell needs way more touches. Run game is simply struggling because the OL is slumping right now, run scheme(I personally hate) is pathetic. They were fine to start the season.

Still don't understand bringing in Cooks when the plan was to limit the pass game. Just tie a rope around his legs at this point.

Gallup is terrible.

We don't figure out the OL struggles we aren't going anywhere. Defense wise I look at either a CB or LB. LVE is hurt and WAY to inconsistent

 

[Stak78]

It’s not even mid-season yet but we are at the break. Only 6 games in with 11 to go, there’s a ton of football left to play and we’re still trying to figure out what this team is. Nevertheless, here are my grades for the most important pieces of the team:

COACHING: Overall Grade: C+

• Mike McCarthy- C. He has at least brought the ability to bounce back after a loss with his 10-1 record after a loss since ‘21. His revamp of the offense has been a dud so far and his in-game management and stupid penalty numbers are concerning. But he’s way better than Garrett and somehow keeps the Jones boys happy.
• Dan Quinn- B+. The defense is clearly the team’s strength and Quinn has done a good job of using his people well. The SF game was hopefully an outlier to what has otherwise been an excellent start for the D.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C- (clearly a slow and disjointed start. Must improve if we have plans for playoff glory)

• QB- Dak: C- Has clearly struggled in the new offense. His best game was Mon night vs the Chargers because he seemed to start relying more on what made him more successful early in his career. Running the ball on occasion and passing on the move.
• RBs- C. Tony Pollard-His injury seems to have hampered his explosiveness somewhat. I like Pollard a lot but I’m concerned he’s not a RB who needs more than 15 touches a game. Dowdell needs more touches but honestly this team is way too light at this position.
• WRs- C- Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B. But he needs to stop the pouting. Maybe he’s uptight about his contract but we’re going to need him a ton down the stretch. Michael Gallup is an F. He’s nothing like he was before his knee injury. No burst, poor routes. Just sad. Maybe he can rebound. We have to hope so because it’s hard to throw to a guy who’s never open. Brandin Cooks: D. I think Cooks is getting better as evidenced against the chargers. He needs to stretch the field more.
• TEs. Grade: C-. Jake Ferguson has shown flashes of good but he needs to be more reliable. Schoonmaker is clearly on a rookie learning curve. Hendershot is hurt while Sean McKeon has been reliably average.
• OL Grade: D. This group has struggled more than expected. Early injuries and little time to work together has hurt. Tyron Smith has been a shadow of his once greatness and Zack Martin has shown less dominance. Pass protection has been well below standard and the run game has been spotty. This group has to improve if we want to compete.

DEFENSE Overall Grade: B+ (would have been an A except for the cards and niners games. Great at times, puzzling on occasion)

• DL Grade: A- Parsons has been great most of the time, but he needs some maturity added to his game. He’s the clear best player on this team. Worry about him wearing down. D-Law: He’s one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Best run defender on DL, doesn’t get a lot sacks but he is very disruptive. Osa Odighizhua has been a pleasant surprise while Mazi Smith has been a minor disappointment but he’s still developing.
• LB Grade: C. LVE is hurt again but he’s been very inconsistent. Has good moments then has a game like Ariz and SF. Damone Clark had a good game in LA and shows some development. This position needs help.
• Secondary Grade: B+. Even with the loss of Diggs, this group has performed pretty well. Daron Bland has been very good and Stephon Gilmore seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The safeties have been good not great. The development of Marquese Bell has been encouraging.

SPECIAL TEAMS Overall Grade: A

• K Grade: A+. Rookie Brandon Aubrey has been the most consistently reliable player on the team. Great find by the Cowboys,
• P Grade: A- Brain Anger remains one of the better punters in the league.
• Returns Grade: C+. Turpin has been hurt so there’s not much to show for him. He did have a great punt return called back against Ariz.
• Coverage Grade: B+. CJ Goodwin is hurt and his great coverage will be missed.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-. Being 4-2 is good but not great. This team has warts. The offense must improve and probably needs some new talent infused through a trade. We need a LB on defense too. The D has carried this team but Big Mac needs to fix the offense and the penalties or this team is just another above average team that doesn’t win much in the playoffs. The FO needs to make some moves!

What are your grades?

Great breakdown. Agree 100%
We need help at LB and RB.
We didn’t help ourselves in the draft at all.
RB should have been addressed in the earlier rounds of the draft.
So help me, if we ever draft another Michigan Wolverine.

 

[CowboyFrog]

Mal was right i was wrong.. this is a good team. if MM continues to hold the ball this way its gonna be bad..

 

[rambo2]

It’s not even mid-season yet but we are at the break. Only 6 games in with 11 to go, there’s a ton of football left to play and we’re still trying to figure out what this team is. Nevertheless, here are my grades for the most important pieces of the team:

COACHING: Overall Grade: C+

• Mike McCarthy- C. He has at least brought the ability to bounce back after a loss with his 10-1 record after a loss since ‘21. His revamp of the offense has been a dud so far and his in-game management and stupid penalty numbers are concerning. But he’s way better than Garrett and somehow keeps the Jones boys happy.
• Dan Quinn- B+. The defense is clearly the team’s strength and Quinn has done a good job of using his people well. The SF game was hopefully an outlier to what has otherwise been an excellent start for the D.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C- (clearly a slow and disjointed start. Must improve if we have plans for playoff glory)

• QB- Dak: C- Has clearly struggled in the new offense. His best game was Mon night vs the Chargers because he seemed to start relying more on what made him more successful early in his career. Running the ball on occasion and passing on the move.
• RBs- C. Tony Pollard-His injury seems to have hampered his explosiveness somewhat. I like Pollard a lot but I’m concerned he’s not a RB who needs more than 15 touches a game. Dowdell needs more touches but honestly this team is way too light at this position.
• WRs- C- Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B. But he needs to stop the pouting. Maybe he’s uptight about his contract but we’re going to need him a ton down the stretch. Michael Gallup is an F. He’s nothing like he was before his knee injury. No burst, poor routes. Just sad. Maybe he can rebound. We have to hope so because it’s hard to throw to a guy who’s never open. Brandin Cooks: D. I think Cooks is getting better as evidenced against the chargers. He needs to stretch the field more.
• TEs. Grade: C-. Jake Ferguson has shown flashes of good but he needs to be more reliable. Schoonmaker is clearly on a rookie learning curve. Hendershot is hurt while Sean McKeon has been reliably average.
• OL Grade: D. This group has struggled more than expected. Early injuries and little time to work together has hurt. Tyron Smith has been a shadow of his once greatness and Zack Martin has shown less dominance. Pass protection has been well below standard and the run game has been spotty. This group has to improve if we want to compete.

DEFENSE Overall Grade: B+ (would have been an A except for the cards and niners games. Great at times, puzzling on occasion)

• DL Grade: A- Parsons has been great most of the time, but he needs some maturity added to his game. He’s the clear best player on this team. Worry about him wearing down. D-Law: He’s one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Best run defender on DL, doesn’t get a lot sacks but he is very disruptive. Osa Odighizhua has been a pleasant surprise while Mazi Smith has been a minor disappointment but he’s still developing.
• LB Grade: C. LVE is hurt again but he’s been very inconsistent. Has good moments then has a game like Ariz and SF. Damone Clark had a good game in LA and shows some development. This position needs help.
• Secondary Grade: B+. Even with the loss of Diggs, this group has performed pretty well. Daron Bland has been very good and Stephon Gilmore seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The safeties have been good not great. The development of Marquese Bell has been encouraging.

SPECIAL TEAMS Overall Grade: A

• K Grade: A+. Rookie Brandon Aubrey has been the most consistently reliable player on the team. Great find by the Cowboys,
• P Grade: A- Brain Anger remains one of the better punters in the league.
• Returns Grade: C+. Turpin has been hurt so there’s not much to show for him. He did have a great punt return called back against Ariz.
• Coverage Grade: B+. CJ Goodwin is hurt and his great coverage will be missed.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-. Being 4-2 is good but not great. This team has warts. The offense must improve and probably needs some new talent infused through a trade. We need a LB on defense too. The D has carried this team but Big Mac needs to fix the offense and the penalties or this team is just another above average team that doesn’t win much in the playoffs. The FO needs to make some moves!

What are your grades?

I like the way things are setting up especially if we beat the Rams and the 49ers and or the Eagles get a loss this week.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Is there a category for champion of social media?

 

[RS12]

Good write up pretty much agree with Bob's grades. Big picture comment: waaay too many C's for what i read right here was the team's best roster in decades. Didnt believe it, but i read it.

 

[Reality]

It’s not even mid-season yet but we are at the break. Only 6 games in with 11 to go, there’s a ton of football left to play and we’re still trying to figure out what this team is. Nevertheless, here are my grades for the most important pieces of the team:

COACHING: Overall Grade: C+

• Mike McCarthy- C. He has at least brought the ability to bounce back after a loss with his 10-1 record after a loss since ‘21. His revamp of the offense has been a dud so far and his in-game management and stupid penalty numbers are concerning. But he’s way better than Garrett and somehow keeps the Jones boys happy.
• Dan Quinn- B+. The defense is clearly the team’s strength and Quinn has done a good job of using his people well. The SF game was hopefully an outlier to what has otherwise been an excellent start for the D.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C- (clearly a slow and disjointed start. Must improve if we have plans for playoff glory)

• QB- Dak: C- Has clearly struggled in the new offense. His best game was Mon night vs the Chargers because he seemed to start relying more on what made him more successful early in his career. Running the ball on occasion and passing on the move.
• RBs- C. Tony Pollard-His injury seems to have hampered his explosiveness somewhat. I like Pollard a lot but I’m concerned he’s not a RB who needs more than 15 touches a game. Dowdell needs more touches but honestly this team is way too light at this position.
• WRs- C- Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B. But he needs to stop the pouting. Maybe he’s uptight about his contract but we’re going to need him a ton down the stretch. Michael Gallup is an F. He’s nothing like he was before his knee injury. No burst, poor routes. Just sad. Maybe he can rebound. We have to hope so because it’s hard to throw to a guy who’s never open. Brandin Cooks: D. I think Cooks is getting better as evidenced against the chargers. He needs to stretch the field more.
• TEs. Grade: C-. Jake Ferguson has shown flashes of good but he needs to be more reliable. Schoonmaker is clearly on a rookie learning curve. Hendershot is hurt while Sean McKeon has been reliably average.
• OL Grade: D. This group has struggled more than expected. Early injuries and little time to work together has hurt. Tyron Smith has been a shadow of his once greatness and Zack Martin has shown less dominance. Pass protection has been well below standard and the run game has been spotty. This group has to improve if we want to compete.

DEFENSE Overall Grade: B+ (would have been an A except for the cards and niners games. Great at times, puzzling on occasion)

• DL Grade: A- Parsons has been great most of the time, but he needs some maturity added to his game. He’s the clear best player on this team. Worry about him wearing down. D-Law: He’s one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Best run defender on DL, doesn’t get a lot sacks but he is very disruptive. Osa Odighizhua has been a pleasant surprise while Mazi Smith has been a minor disappointment but he’s still developing.
• LB Grade: C. LVE is hurt again but he’s been very inconsistent. Has good moments then has a game like Ariz and SF. Damone Clark had a good game in LA and shows some development. This position needs help.
• Secondary Grade: B+. Even with the loss of Diggs, this group has performed pretty well. Daron Bland has been very good and Stephon Gilmore seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The safeties have been good not great. The development of Marquese Bell has been encouraging.

SPECIAL TEAMS Overall Grade: A

• K Grade: A+. Rookie Brandon Aubrey has been the most consistently reliable player on the team. Great find by the Cowboys,
• P Grade: A- Brain Anger remains one of the better punters in the league.
• Returns Grade: C+. Turpin has been hurt so there’s not much to show for him. He did have a great punt return called back against Ariz.
• Coverage Grade: B+. CJ Goodwin is hurt and his great coverage will be missed.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-. Being 4-2 is good but not great. This team has warts. The offense must improve and probably needs some new talent infused through a trade. We need a LB on defense too. The D has carried this team but Big Mac needs to fix the offense and the penalties or this team is just another above average team that doesn’t win much in the playoffs. The FO needs to make some moves!

What are your grades?

I like and agree with most of your grades, but there are a couple I would give different grades.

With CeeDee Lamb, I would give him a B rating because when he has been used he has been good. I am not sure he needs to stop complaining because the Cowboys need to focus more on him. I do not consider him a top 5 receiver, but he is the best one the Cowboys have and not featuring him every game is a waste.

On the Offensive Line, I would give them a C. They have been good, not great. I think their run blocking has been bad, but their pass blocking has been solid. With Dak holding on to the ball longer trying to avoid interceptions, I think it makes the offensive line look worse because he gets hit or sacked more as a result.

Those are minor differences though so overall I liked your post, the grades you gave and the reasons why you did so.

 

[Bobhaze]

I think Pollard and Dowdell would be just fine. Dowell needs way more touches. Run game is simply struggling because the OL is slumping right now, run scheme(I personally hate) is pathetic. They were fine to start the season.

Still don't understand bringing in Cooks when the plan was to limit the pass game. Just tie a rope around his legs at this point.

Gallup is terrible.

We don't figure out the OL struggles we aren't going anywhere. Defense wise I look at either a CB or LB. LVE is hurt and WAY to inconsistent

My biggest concerns about this team if it’s serious about contending:

• The OL- been below average. We must get better here.
• RB- we are thin at this position. An injury to Pollard away from being a weakness. I would try to add some talent through a trade.
• LB- Even with LVE this group was the weakness of the defense. With LVE out for some time, we need another LB added also through a possible trade.
• Getting rid of the stupid penalties. Especially the pre-snap stuff. Like lining up off-sides. A middle school level football mistake. And the holding penalties…drive killers. This isn’t a ref problem it’s a players and coaches problem.

 

[Bobhaze]

I like and agree with most of your grades, but there are a couple I would give different grades.

With CeeDee Lamb, I would give him a B rating because when he has been used he has been good. I am not sure he needs to stop complaining because the Cowboys need to focus more on him. I do not consider him a top 5 receiver, but he is the best one the Cowboys have and not featuring him every game is a waste.

On the Offensive Line, I would give them a C. They have been good, not great. I think their run blocking has been bad, but their pass blocking has been solid. With Dak holding on to the ball longer trying to avoid interceptions, I think it makes the offensive line look worse because he gets hit or sacked more as a result.

Those are minor differences though so overall I liked your post, the grades you gave and the reasons why you did so.

Agree 100% about Lamb. I did have this in the OP: “Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B.”

Honestly right now, Lamb is the only reliable offensive weapon we have. He alone is not enough.

 

[rambo2]

My biggest concerns about this team if it’s serious about contending:

• The OL- been below average. We must get better here.
• RB- we are thin at this position. An injury to Pollard away from being a weakness. I would try to add some talent through a trade.
• LB- Even with LVE this group was the weakness of the defense. With LVE out for some time, we need another LB added also through a possible trade.
• Getting rid of the stupid penalties. Especially the pre-snap stuff. Like lining up off-sides. A middle school level football mistake. And the holding penalties…drive killers. This isn’t a ref problem it’s a players and coaches problem.

They did add a linebacker.

 

[Adreme]

Offensively deficient. Big wins come through defense. Lost to a lesser team and almost lost to a second. Got destroyed by a better team. Seemingly unprepared, as usual, for the spotlight.

If they are superior to these teams would that not by definition make them higher graded than those teams otherwise they are not better.

 

[erod]

What's the letter grade for stale?

 

[john van brocklin]

It’s not even mid-season yet but we are at the break. Only 6 games in with 11 to go, there’s a ton of football left to play and we’re still trying to figure out what this team is. Nevertheless, here are my grades for the most important pieces of the team:

COACHING: Overall Grade: C+

• Mike McCarthy- C. He has at least brought the ability to bounce back after a loss with his 10-1 record after a loss since ‘21. His revamp of the offense has been a dud so far and his in-game management and stupid penalty numbers are concerning. But he’s way better than Garrett and somehow keeps the Jones boys happy.
• Dan Quinn- B+. The defense is clearly the team’s strength and Quinn has done a good job of using his people well. The SF game was hopefully an outlier to what has otherwise been an excellent start for the D.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C- (clearly a slow and disjointed start. Must improve if we have plans for playoff glory)

• QB- Dak: C- Has clearly struggled in the new offense. His best game was Mon night vs the Chargers because he seemed to start relying more on what made him more successful early in his career. Running the ball on occasion and passing on the move.
• RBs- C. Tony Pollard-His injury seems to have hampered his explosiveness somewhat. I like Pollard a lot but I’m concerned he’s not a RB who needs more than 15 touches a game. Dowdell needs more touches but honestly this team is way too light at this position.
• WRs- C- Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B. But he needs to stop the pouting. Maybe he’s uptight about his contract but we’re going to need him a ton down the stretch. Michael Gallup is an F. He’s nothing like he was before his knee injury. No burst, poor routes. Just sad. Maybe he can rebound. We have to hope so because it’s hard to throw to a guy who’s never open. Brandin Cooks: D. I think Cooks is getting better as evidenced against the chargers. He needs to stretch the field more.
• TEs. Grade: C-. Jake Ferguson has shown flashes of good but he needs to be more reliable. Schoonmaker is clearly on a rookie learning curve. Hendershot is hurt while Sean McKeon has been reliably average.
• OL Grade: D. This group has struggled more than expected. Early injuries and little time to work together has hurt. Tyron Smith has been a shadow of his once greatness and Zack Martin has shown less dominance. Pass protection has been well below standard and the run game has been spotty. This group has to improve if we want to compete.

DEFENSE Overall Grade: B+ (would have been an A except for the cards and niners games. Great at times, puzzling on occasion)

• DL Grade: A- Parsons has been great most of the time, but he needs some maturity added to his game. He’s the clear best player on this team. Worry about him wearing down. D-Law: He’s one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Best run defender on DL, doesn’t get a lot sacks but he is very disruptive. Osa Odighizhua has been a pleasant surprise while Mazi Smith has been a minor disappointment but he’s still developing.
• LB Grade: C. LVE is hurt again but he’s been very inconsistent. Has good moments then has a game like Ariz and SF. Damone Clark had a good game in LA and shows some development. This position needs help.
• Secondary Grade: B+. Even with the loss of Diggs, this group has performed pretty well. Daron Bland has been very good and Stephon Gilmore seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The safeties have been good not great. The development of Marquese Bell has been encouraging.

SPECIAL TEAMS Overall Grade: A

• K Grade: A+. Rookie Brandon Aubrey has been the most consistently reliable player on the team. Great find by the Cowboys,
• P Grade: A- Brain Anger remains one of the better punters in the league.
• Returns Grade: C+. Turpin has been hurt so there’s not much to show for him. He did have a great punt return called back against Ariz.
• Coverage Grade: B+. CJ Goodwin is hurt and his great coverage will be missed.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-. Being 4-2 is good but not great. This team has warts. The offense must improve and probably needs some new talent infused through a trade. We need a LB on defense too. The D has carried this team but Big Mac needs to fix the offense and the penalties or this team is just another above average team that doesn’t win much in the playoffs. The FO needs to make some moves!

What are your grades?

GM Jerry Jones D+
His lack of accountability trickles down throughout the entire organization.
Until we get a professional GM
it hardly matters as GM is the most important position on the team.

 

[Creeper]

The offense is so inconsistent. So is the defense. But they are 4-2 so overall they get a B in my opinion. The offense probably deserves a D. Defense a B. Special teams gets an A.

Most of the players get "needs Improvement". The exceptions are:

Micah Parsons
Osa Odighizuwa
Hankins
Marquese Bell
Bland
Jake Ferguson
Tyron Smith
CeeDee Lamb
Aubrey
Bryan Anger
DLaw
Trent Sieg
Rico Dowdle

Maybe I missed one or two but overall everyone else needs to step up their game.

In particular,
I'd like to see Sam Williams and Dorance Armstrong pick it up a notch.
Gallup for sure.
McCarthy has got to make better use of the players he has, like Cooks and Turpin.
Donovan Wilson has to get back to where he was last year.
Schoonmaker needs to show some improvement even if it is slight.
if Zack Martin and Terence Steele could get back to where they were last year, that would be nice.
I'd say Dak but I think Dak is playing at the level of who he is.
I think the same it true for Biadasz.
I guess I'd have to add Kearse and Hooker to this list as well. Kearse played better against the Chargers, but Hooker can do better.

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

Very good OP, and I concur with almost all of it.

I am a little higher on Gallup. He's not been great, but he's better than what many here think. The WR group is better than a C-.

I continue to believe they should have addressed the RB position in the draft. At least Dowdle is showing a little burst. Hope he stays healthy!

 

[alicetooljam]

It’s not even mid-season yet but we are at the break. Only 6 games in with 11 to go, there’s a ton of football left to play and we’re still trying to figure out what this team is. Nevertheless, here are my grades for the most important pieces of the team:

COACHING: Overall Grade: C+

• Mike McCarthy- C. He has at least brought the ability to bounce back after a loss with his 10-1 record after a loss since ‘21. His revamp of the offense has been a dud so far and his in-game management and stupid penalty numbers are concerning. But he’s way better than Garrett and somehow keeps the Jones boys happy.
• Dan Quinn- B+. The defense is clearly the team’s strength and Quinn has done a good job of using his people well. The SF game was hopefully an outlier to what has otherwise been an excellent start for the D.

OFFENSE: Overall Grade: C- (clearly a slow and disjointed start. Must improve if we have plans for playoff glory)

• QB- Dak: C- Has clearly struggled in the new offense. His best game was Mon night vs the Chargers because he seemed to start relying more on what made him more successful early in his career. Running the ball on occasion and passing on the move.
• RBs- C. Tony Pollard-His injury seems to have hampered his explosiveness somewhat. I like Pollard a lot but I’m concerned he’s not a RB who needs more than 15 touches a game. Dowdell needs more touches but honestly this team is way too light at this position.
• WRs- C- Cedee Lamb been our best offensive player for sure and warrants a B. But he needs to stop the pouting. Maybe he’s uptight about his contract but we’re going to need him a ton down the stretch. Michael Gallup is an F. He’s nothing like he was before his knee injury. No burst, poor routes. Just sad. Maybe he can rebound. We have to hope so because it’s hard to throw to a guy who’s never open. Brandin Cooks: D. I think Cooks is getting better as evidenced against the chargers. He needs to stretch the field more.
• TEs. Grade: C-. Jake Ferguson has shown flashes of good but he needs to be more reliable. Schoonmaker is clearly on a rookie learning curve. Hendershot is hurt while Sean McKeon has been reliably average.
• OL Grade: D. This group has struggled more than expected. Early injuries and little time to work together has hurt. Tyron Smith has been a shadow of his once greatness and Zack Martin has shown less dominance. Pass protection has been well below standard and the run game has been spotty. This group has to improve if we want to compete.

DEFENSE Overall Grade: B+ (would have been an A except for the cards and niners games. Great at times, puzzling on occasion)

• DL Grade: A- Parsons has been great most of the time, but he needs some maturity added to his game. He’s the clear best player on this team. Worry about him wearing down. D-Law: He’s one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Best run defender on DL, doesn’t get a lot sacks but he is very disruptive. Osa Odighizhua has been a pleasant surprise while Mazi Smith has been a minor disappointment but he’s still developing.
• LB Grade: C. LVE is hurt again but he’s been very inconsistent. Has good moments then has a game like Ariz and SF. Damone Clark had a good game in LA and shows some development. This position needs help.
• Secondary Grade: B+. Even with the loss of Diggs, this group has performed pretty well. Daron Bland has been very good and Stephon Gilmore seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The safeties have been good not great. The development of Marquese Bell has been encouraging.

SPECIAL TEAMS Overall Grade: A

• K Grade: A+. Rookie Brandon Aubrey has been the most consistently reliable player on the team. Great find by the Cowboys,
• P Grade: A- Brain Anger remains one of the better punters in the league.
• Returns Grade: C+. Turpin has been hurt so there’s not much to show for him. He did have a great punt return called back against Ariz.
• Coverage Grade: B+. CJ Goodwin is hurt and his great coverage will be missed.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-. Being 4-2 is good but not great. This team has warts. The offense must improve and probably needs some new talent infused through a trade. We need a LB on defense too. The D has carried this team but Big Mac needs to fix the offense and the penalties or this team is just another above average team that doesn’t win much in the playoffs. The FO needs to make some moves!

What are your grades?

Pretty spot on, where I vary slightly, Im right aligned with @Reality. Sure, I dont want to see CeeDee pout all season, but I understand why he was... He's been the most consistent/dynamic guy on offense with the ball in his hands and should be upset with how its went when targeting others. Id rather throw to a covered Lamb instead of an open Gallup. I wanted to believe Gallup would be closer to where he was pre-injury this season and the contract makes the fact he hasnt been, very disappointing. Hopefully Cooks becomes more consistent and they start giving Tolbert more PT. I dont like how we're using Pollard all of the time....create or get him in space. Current Oline play and penalties creeping back up(on both sides) is not something this team can endure. Tyron never surprises me either way, but hope Tyler & Terence get back to themselves soon. I havent cared for Martin's demeanor in the losses... Im not touching Dak...just be better!

SF game still haunts even though I limited my intake of it with distraction by the end of the 1st quarter because of disappointment and being keenly aware of where it was headed.. I had mixed emotions before and throughout the Chargers game because I had no idea what to expect...at least Cooks showed up and Micah when we needed him. I appreciate DLaw bringing his lunch pail so far. 4-2 and losses from the big 2 in the NFC feels a lot better than 3-3. I just dont know if they can be consistent enough (anywhere) and Im not expecting a significant trade,