3 changes Mike McCarthy must make to survive first season with Cowboys
3. Working to Andy Dalton’s strengths
Dalton did just enough in relief back in an emotional Week 5 win to lead the Cowboys to victory. The offense was all his in Week 6 and the final result was much different.
The veteran quarterback went 34/54 for 266 yards and one touchdown. He also finished the day with two interceptions and could have had several more if not for some drops by the Cardinals defense.
Throwing it this many times is not a recipe for success with Dalton. He also lacks Prescott’s mobility, so if he drops back it would be rare for him to rip off a 20-yard run.
There needs to be much more balance on offense with Dalton under center. Opposing defenses can continually bring pressure and let loose if they know the Cowboys aren’t going to run the ball. The Cardinals had eight quarterback hits and three sacks Monday. For comparison, the Cowboys defense hit Kyler Murray once.
Of course, Elliott fumbling twice hurt the flow Monday night. However, McCarthy can instill a better mix of run and pass, assuming Elliott won’t have those issues every week.
The head coach also needs to give Dalton some easy passes to the likes of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup earlier in the game. The group racked up some nice garbage-time stats against Arizona once the game was already lost.
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Quick, short passes for easy gains can do wonders for the confidence of the offense and also eliminates extended time in the pocket for Dalton behind this weakened line. Sometimes simple is what a team needs when everything is in disarray.