Ever since the NFL made the aesthetically vexing decision to play an odd number of games starting in 2021, there hasn’t been an official midway point of the NFL season. Sure, halftime of the eighth game of the year for the Dallas Cowboys technically suffices, but that’s more semantics than anything. 

Therefore, postgame after eight games has still functioned as the halfway point for most staffs and front offices because, depending on the team’s bye week, the trade deadline has already passed after the ninth. 

With that out of the way, halfway through the season, I’m still not sure that anyone knows what to make of the Dallas Cowboys after their 44-24 Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. On one hand, a team with one of, if not the best, offenses in the league can’t be considered bad, right?

On the other hand, a team that deploys (a charitable description I might add) one of, if not the worst, defenses in the league can’t be considered good, right? As the Cowboys continue to fit that strange dichotomy, where does that leave them?

Well, to put it bluntly, it leaves in the worst place a team can be: average. Obviously, every team wants to be a winner but, if you can’t be that it’s arguable that being bad would be preferable. That would present a clear direction, an easily discernable path of action when it comes to team building. 

But unfortunately, Dallas can hardly be considered discernible. A team with Dak Prescott who, before throwing for only 188 yards with two picks today, had been an MVP level player, can’t be counted as poor. Especially if they roster skill guys like Javonte Williams (44 yards and two touchdowns today), George Pickens (seven catches for 78 yards) and CeeDee Lamb (seven catches for 74 yards), a trio that had been considered in the upper echelon of their positions before struggling today. 

Of course, the crux of the issue lies on the defensive side of the ball. Yes, they were missing Donovan Wilson, Trevon Diggs, and Juanyeh Thomas going into the game before losing Alijah Clark midway through the contest. But even with those players suiting up, they’ve infamously struggled to stop opposing offenses all season. 

And while strong efforts against the New York Jets in Week 5 and the Washington Commanders in Week 7 gave reason for hope, the Cowboys surrendering 421 yards to the Broncos undid almost all of the goodwill earned in those performances. 

After throwing a pick on the first drive, Bo Nix was in complete control, throwing for 247 yards and four touchdowns while JK Dobbins crossed the century mark on the ground and RJ Harvey totaled three total touchdowns. To put it succinctly, Denver got anything they wanted. 

So, here we are, with Dallas heading into their Monday night Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at 3-4-1 and having one last chance to make a case that this team deserves to add at the deadline. Either way, the goal for the rest of the year has to be to pick a direction for the future of the franchise because if they don’t they risk getting stuck in the one place no team wants to be: the middle.