Can the Cowboys ignite their offense and lock down the Cardinals' potent tight end? Their playoff hopes hinge on these crucial Week 9 players.
The Dallas Cowboys enter their Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals with one last chance to show that this team warrants, if not additions, then at the very least no subtractions before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. To come out ahead and prove their validity as a potential playoff crasher, they’ll need to follow these keys to victory.
Limit Trey McBride
One of the most productive tight ends in football, McBride leads the team with 66 targets, 27 catches, 421 yards, and four touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a distant second in all four categories with 24 catches on 40 targets for 396 yards and two touchdowns.
Limiting McBride would be no small task for any defense, but will be an even taller one for a Dallas defense that has no safety or linebacker (the two positions typically tasked with covering tight ends) with a coverage grade higher than Jack Sanborn’s 58.6 mark. If the Cowboys defense wants to have a shot at reclaiming some pride following Week 8, someone will have to step up.
Who that could be remains to be seen, as the next best grade (that belongs to a healthy player) would be Kenneth Murray Jr. who somehow is still starting despite ranking 80th out of 80 linebackers with an overall 39.7 overall grade. So, the pickings are slim, but someone will have to be picked, nonetheless.
Get the Passing Game Back on Track
Dak Prescott had his worst game of the year against the Denver Broncos in Week 8, completing 61.3% of his passes for 188 yards, no scores, and two picks. That was of course against a high-level Broncos secondary, whereas the Cardinals’ presents a less intimidating challenge.
Rookie corner Will Johnson and his 70.5 coverage grade lead the Arizona defense, followed by safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (68.9) and corner Denzel Burke (65.3). These grades are all respectable numbers, but hardly lockdown and thus presenting an opportunity for Dak, George Pickens, and CeeDee Lamb to all rebound from a season worst performance.
Get Jadeveon Clowney More Reps
It was understandable that Clowney was limited in his first few games following and including his team debut in Week 4. But five games later and with a season high 31 snaps in Week 5, it’s time to take the leash off and let Clowney get to the 40-50 snap range.
With the third best overall grade on the defense with 68.8 in 121 total snaps, he’s far outplayed Sam Williams (39.3 in 261 snaps) and Marshawn Kneeland (50.2 in 147). If the Cowboys are serious about winning, they need to put their best players on the field. At the moment, Clowney more than qualifies for that denotation.