In true Dallas Cowboys fashion, the team inexplicably has a chance to be .500 after five games while having given up 31 or more points in three of their first four games. What will need to happen for them to pull that off? And what would have happened if they couldn’t? Let’s take a look.

The Cowboys Will Win If…

The Cowboys will win if they continue to get the ball out quickly and force Justin Fields to do the opposite. Simple enough, right?

In the Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers, Dak Prescott was 17-of-19 for 136 yards and two touchdowns on throws considered short, meaning they were zero to nine yards beyond the line of scrimmage. 

With the Dallas offensive line missing at least two and potentially three starters, and with center Brock Hoffman struggling to a 32.3 pass blocking grade, it will be imperative that Dak Prescott gets the ball out quickly. 

Conversely, the defense needs to force Justin Fields to push it downfield. As we mentioned earlier this week, Fields is completing 77.8% of his passes but, in intermediate passes (10-19 yards beyond the LOS), he struggles to a 53.8% completion percentage. 

If Dallas is able to mask their offensive line’s struggles like they did in Week 4 while making Fields throw out of his comfort zone, expect them to come out victorious. 

The Cowboys Will Lose If…

The Cowboys will lose if they don’t limit the impact of the Jets interior defensive line. New York employs both the third and tenth ranked interior defensive linemen in Quinnen Williams and Jowon Briggs. 

As we mentioned, Hoffman is struggling mightily in pass protection, allowing nine pressures and seven hurries through two starts. Guards Tyler Smith (41.0 pass blocking grade) and TJ Bass (55.1) have been better, but have still struggled in their own right. 

If Dallas isn’t able to get the ball out quickly and struggles to contain pressure up the middle, it could be another disappointing loss similar to Week 3. 

Conclusion

The Cowboys are the better team this week, and it’s not particularly close. If they win, it will be because they’re talented enough to mask weaknesses against lesser teams, something they weren’t able to do against the Chicago Bears. 

However, if they’re upset by the Jets, it will be because they weren’t able to force a less talented team to play in situations that they’re not comfortable in, another fault they fell prey to in Chicago. Here’s to hoping that Dallas doesn’t give us another shocking loss to reference the rest of the season.