Over the next three days, a new opponent will arrive at AT&T Stadium, and the memory of the Arizona Cardinals’ defeat will fade away.
The Dallas Cowboys are a 2 and 1 football team with one of the better rosters in the NFL.
They are well aware of the criticisms, complaints, and negative opinions expressed by their fans, the media, and skeptics.
Can they change their perception with a big win versus the New England Patriots?
It seems more plausible than possible.
However, if they stay healthy and avoid mistakes, they have the talent to make a deep playoff run.
Dallas has young players who could make an impact as the season progresses, but the coaching staff will need to adjust their approach and get them more snaps.
These are the three names that come to mind.
Chauncey Golston continues to make the best of his opportunities
The Dallas Cowboys passed on Sam LaPorta, Nolan Smith, and Joey Porter, Jr. The list goes on and on.
They wanted an athletic, run-stuffing defensive lineman to accentuate their dominant pass-rushing unit led by Player of the Month, Micah Parsons.
Dallas picked Mazi Smith from the University of Michigan with the 26th overall draft pick.
To put it mildly, he has yet to live up to the hype, and his snaps are minimal in the season’s early going.
Chauncey Golston wasn’t as highly touted. However, he’s been showing some serious potential lately, and I’m excited to see what more he can bring to the table.
Chauncey Golston is becoming quite the weapon as an interior pass-rusher this season. Two straight games with a 20+% pass-rush win rate. #Cowboys
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 18, 2023
Most people will point out that he is a lighter player, and Dallas already struggles to stop the run.
Putting him in will only create a large crater in the defense.
Technically, that’s true, but the fact that both Jonathan Hankins and Mazi Smith are sitting on 47.5 and 56.4 run grades, respectively, you’re not losing much in that area.
However, you are gaining more pass rush. Play to your strengths; if he falls in that area, I’m increasing his snaps.
Could Hunter Luepke help with the red zone efficiencies?
At this point, the Dallas Cowboys shouldn’t leave any stone unturned regarding the red zone.
To be fair, there were opportunities for Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle to score, but the play-caller went a different direction.
Nevertheless, Hunter Luepke is the biggest running back who serves as a fullback on this roster.
Other teams have used their fullbacks to run the ball and have been successful along the way.
Tampa Bay and Mike Alstott stand out. Jon Kuhn is someone Mike McCarthy should remember and maybe a better comparison.
#CowboysNation #Dallascowboys
Luepke NEEDS MORE REDZONE touches!!Mike Alstott:
9.75 RAS Score
6’1, 248lbs
-4.66 40 Yard
-33 inch Vert
-4.16 Shuttle #Cowboys FB/ H-Back Hunter Luepke:-9.54 RAS. This ranked 24 out of 497 FB from 1987 to 2023.
6’1, 236lbs
-9.54 RAS.… pic.twitter.com/CKgBgTy2ZK— Mark D. TalknBoysWitDaBoyZ (@MarkDsCorner) September 28, 2023
Hunter has only played in 30 offensive snaps in three games. The coaching staff has to be judicious in who snaps go to since there are only so many in the game.
This team will have to play the 49ers and Eagles, and they may have to stop with the trickery and line up and run it right at them.
Having a 238lb. runner in 12-personnel could get the job done at least in the red zone.
You’ll need to give him more snaps to get him there.
Where is the Israel Mukuamu who played so well versus Chris Godwin in the Wild Card game?
It’s possible that I overhyped or overvalued Israel Mukuamu’s playoff performance last season versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He dealt with injuries this offseason, but he is healthy now.
Where is he? We see him on the field periodically but not to the extent that most would expect.
Especially with Trevon Diggs being out for the season, I expected his snaps to increase somewhat to offset that loss.
That has not been the case, but there is always time to change that.
Only a few teams have 6’4″ defensive backs who can play corner and safety. The Dallas Cowboys have one of those guys.
Mukuamu has been in Dan Quinn’s system for almost three seasons, is young and athletic.
He has played 32 defensive snaps, but 23 were in week 1. What gives?
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said S Israel Mukuamu "has position flex. That's a big part of him growing here and earning more opportunities. …His skill set is one of importance because of the multiple positions he can play." Mukuamu an option to help at nickel.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 22, 2023
Donovan Wilson is back in the fold; letting him compete with Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland, and Jourdan Lewis makes the most sense.
While Weeks 4 and 5 are essential, the matchup versus the LA Chargers and those basketball players playing wide receiver stands out.
Israel Mukuamu’s size would match up well with them. I trust Dan Quinn’s plan, but I hope to see more snaps for Izzy.
