Cowboys Film Room: What to do with Dallas’ receivers

The Dallas Cowboys have to figure out how they are going to move forward with their receiving corps after this season, including Dez Bryant.

The Cowboys’ offense in 2017 has been… inconsistent. Through 14 weeks, the Cowboys are averaging 24 points per game which puts them 11th in the NFL. Last season, Dallas finished inside the top-five in scoring, averaging nearly 27 points per game. They have taken quite a step backward this year and that shouldn’t happen considering the youth and talent on that side of the ball.

But there are a few reasons (and explanations) as to why the Cowboys have struggled on offense this season. Obviously, the loss of Ezekiel Elliott for six games has had a major impact on the offense. There is certainly no debating that. When Elliott is in the game, the offense can and certainly has thrived at times. In the eight games in which Elliott started, the Cowboys averaged more than 28 points per game. In the six he hasn’t played, that number drops down to 18.3; a 10 point per game difference.

However, there is something else going on with their offense outside of the loss of Elliott, specifically in the passing game.

Simply put, the Cowboys aren’t getting enough out of the receivers this season and that includes Dez Bryant. We will get to Bryant in a moment, but let us first start with the complementary options. As a unit, the group has severely underperformed this season. Take a look at their individual stats through 14 games this season (excluding Bryant):

Terrance Williams – 47 receptions for 520 yards, 0 touchdowns

Cole Beasley – 34 receptions for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns

Brice Butler -13 receptions for 262 yards and 2 touchdowns

Noah Brown – 4 receptions for 33 yards, 0 touchdowns

Ryan Switzer – 2 receptions for 9 yards, 0 touchdowns