The Dallas Cowboys offense really could not have looked worse in their week one loss to the Panthers. The run game was non existent, they could not even look downfield, and there was no space whatsoever for wide outs.
The Cowboys needed a drastic turn around in week two against the New York Giants, and they took a nice step in the right direction. Keep in mind, the Giants defense could not compare to the way the Panthers played, and that can construe how much better they actually looked.
Even in the victory, the Cowboys were far from dominant on offense. They still had a problem of sustaining drives, and everything was in low volume. The Cowboys certainly showed that they have a capable offense, but they have not done enough to convince anyone they can be a top offense.
The best part is that the Cowboys should be able to grow in a lot of ways because of that performance against the Giants. After week one, it did not look like the Cowboys would be capable of getting their talent in a position to be successful. After week two, we at least got a glimpse into a team that can grow into the kind of offense that can be a threat to win.
The key against the Giants was embracing their versatility. The Cowboys do not have an athlete in the receiving core that is going to get open because of his physical dominance, so they started moving players around, and looking for the kind of options that the defense would not see coming.
The Cowboys actually looked to get Tavon Austin going with some big plays in creative situations, and Dak Prescott was targeting different options downfield, making sure to punish the defense for single coverage in an awkward spot.
Deonte Thompson looked like he can make some difficult plays to help bail out the offense at times, and Cole Beasley stayed reliable. The Cowboys have all kinds of different options in the passing game, and exploring their versatility was key against the Giants.
Their passing game will not be good enough if it stays vanilla and does not explore as many ways as possible to get something out of their weaker talent. Against the Giants, we got a taste of how the Cowboys might be able to sustain a passing attack by embracing the versatile options that a defense may not account for, even if they have the talent to do so.
The Cowboys looked a lot better because of how the secondary players executed, and made sure to give Prescott the help he needed, with separation downfield and options to look to on a regular basis.
Even more importantly, the Cowboys finally let the athleticism of Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot shine in a great way. They were attacking in ways that seemed like an afterthought in week one, and it helped open up everything else they wanted to do.
Elliot was actually spending some time lining up wide, ending the game with five receptions. He was not a major factor in the passing game and never really broke anything out. The key, however, is that they are exploring these options.
Elliot’s athleticism can make him one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL, but we can only see that if the Cowboys continue to explore his versatility, particularly in the passing game.
Prescott was also out there doing things that did not appear to be considered in week one. He was aggressive and assertive. A lot will come down to making sure he has the deep field accuracy, but he started doing things to help himself in that regard against the Giants.
Prescott did a great job of reading the defense, and run it right through them whenever he saw the opening. Prescott was fearless, and when he plays with that confidence there are so many more ways for him to score.
The Cowboys were far from perfect, and there is no way you could consider their offense any kind of elite. What we did see, however, was progress in all the places they needed most. The Cowboys were much less predictable, and it actually looked like they have enough talent on offense, as long as they continue to find the best ways to use all these new faces.
The offense will be a work in progress all year, and consistency may be impossible to ask for. Even so, the coaching staff and the players did their job to make sure people realize that week one against the Panthers does not have to be the standard, and they can give the defense the help it needs to get a win.
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