These 3 players could be key to Dallas’ rising expectations

This week is going to be a critical time for the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s a reset for most teams as they recover from injuries and fine-tune gaps in the offense or defense.

Some organizations try to improve their rosters by making trades to position themselves for a deep run in the playoffs.

As it stands, this Cowboys team has the talent to make that playoff run mentioned above.

It feels like it has been an entire season already.

The offensive line hasn’t played together much but is coming together. While missing two critical cogs in Trevon Diggs and Leighton Vander Esch, the defense is still a top-10 unit.

However, certain players must find consistency, regain their form, or become balanced to meet supporters’ expectations.

Mike McCarthy, even at 4-2, has some work to do, and players need to elevate their game sooner rather than later.

Michael Gallup’s supporters are declining each week

This one is tough, everybody.

I’ve been an enormous supporter of Michael Gallup for a while now.

I’ve projected that he would be one of the top offensive players on this team, but he has yet to be that consistently.

For the record, I’m not saying Michael Gallup needs to be benched or anything like that.

But if the six-year receiver out of Colorado State has another level he can reach, now is the time to level up.

Initially, he was the odd man out as far as targets were concerned. In the first two games, he was targeted four times.

In the next two games, 11 receptions on 13 targets.

We thought he was turning the corner, and the arrow was beginning to point upward.

However, in his last two games, five receptions on 15 targets. That won’t get the job done for a number 2/3 wide receiver in the NFL.

Michael Gallup's contract is starting to look worse by the game https://t.co/hbDNeAWs6S ✭ [Written by Shane Taylor]https://t.co/hbDNeAWs6S

— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) October 20, 2023

More teams will take CeeDee Lamb away.

You can guarantee it’s coming. Lamb is Dak Prescott’s safety blanket, and opposing teams won’t let him get comfortable.

Dallas plays a lot of 3-wide receiver sets. Brandin Cooks has 230 snaps to Gallup’s 280 snaps. There is minimal disparity there. It’s the Jalens that we need to start considering.

I included an “s” on Jalen because I’m referring to Tolbert and Brooks. Not to mention, KaVontae Turpin is chomping at the bit to get more snaps.

The consistency for Michael may get to a place where we all expect. Giving the younger guys more snaps may be a good idea if not.

Improvement from Donovan Wilson could help the defense hit another level

I wrote about this a few weeks ago and am ready to double down on my stance.

Donovan Wilson was the first of the safeties Dallas opened their pockets for, so it’s unlikely we’ll see any demotion. And we really shouldn’t expect it.

However, we must see a different Donovan coming out of this bye.

We know the hard-hitting safety from Texas A&M was knocking some rust off after dealing with a preseason and early season injury.

One game, unfortunately, doesn’t constitute a trend. If it did, the Los Angeles Chargers would be a good indicator of things to come.

Having a 0% missed tackle rate and 80 overall tackling grade is an excellent sign for someone the team relies on to make stops in the secondary.

https://twitter.com/larimore_ben/status/1714323930792501428?t=Ega_zoazttcj0-WaXQLcNQ&s=03

Going into week 8, when the Dallas Cowboys play the Los Angeles Rams, that matchup would be ideal for Wilson to re-establish himself as the enforcer on the team.

If regression is the gift we get from Wilson, Juanyeh Thomas is waiting in things.

Dan Quinn seems hesitant about playing the first-year player more than 80 defensive snaps he has earned thus far.

Maybe it’s just the fan in me but increasing that seems like it should be on the table.

Should Dallas find more balance in the backfield?

Running back Tony Pollard has played well this season. He has not been an All-Pro, but he is still a threat when used appropriately.

His situation is different from the two guys above. This is more about coaching than his overall performance.

Could he play better? Absolutely.

For the life of me, I’m not sure how the Dallas Cowboys swung so far left to right.

Last season, they finally landed on a dangerous duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Zeke had 558 total snaps, and TP20 ended the regular season with 568.

This season, the balance went out the window. Pollard is sitting at 285 offensive snaps. The next closest back is clearly Rico Dowdle.

Do you want to know where he stands? It’s not pretty. He has logged 64 snaps on offense.

Dallas Cowboys rushing against the Los Angeles Chargers:
– Tony Pollard: 15 carries, 30 yards, 2 YPC
– Dak Prescott: 7 carries, 40 yards, 5.7 YPC
– Rico Dowdle: 3 carries, 12 yards, 4 YPC
– Brandin Cooks: 1 carry, 14 yards, 14 YPC

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) October 17, 2023

We’ve heard the problem around the red zone.

Tony will get a slice of the accountability. He needs to continue to improve.

Even if he elevates his game, this team success will be based on a balanced attack, and it starts in the backfield. Rico absolutely needs more touches.