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The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a lost season.
With Dak Prescott back in a revamped offense, Cowboys fans believe the sky is the limit. But like every team, it's not all sunshine and rainbows for the Dallas Cowboys. Bouncing back from a mess of a season will take some doing. Are the Dallas Cowboys equipped well enough to roll with the punches this year?
Here are the five biggest strengths and weaknesses for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Dallas Cowboys strengths
#1 - Running back
Ezekiel Elliot has faced a lot of flak in recent seasons for not being the explosive athlete he was early in his career. However, looking at his stats, he is still a solid, reliable runner for the Cowboys. Last season was the worst campaign of his career and he still earned 979 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Levels.
#2 - Quarterback
While Dak Prescott is not quite billed as a top-five quarterback, he is still a massive strength on this team, as evident by his equally massive contract. In his last full season, Prescott threw for 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also earned almost 5,000 yards of offense.
He could very well eclipse those numbers this year.
#3 - Wide receiver
A couple of years ago, wide receiver was a weakness for the Cowboys. Today, the Cowboys are in a position to have their receivers dominate secondaries. Specifically, the Cowboys have the best receiver in the division in Amari Cooper and a young up-and-comer in CeeDee Lamb.
Amari Cooper is coming off two seasons with more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2020, he nearly touched a century in receptions. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb is coming off a superb rookie year with almost 1,000 yards. He had 74 receptions and five touchdowns.
#4 - Kicker
Greg Zuerlein is one of the most reliable kickers in the league. While some teams have gone years without a solid name at kicker, the Cowboys have the position on lockdown. In 2020, Greg Zuerlein made 34 of 41 field goals.
#5 - Opportunistic division
Without the Cowboys taking off last season, the NFC East was the worst division in pro football. The Washington Football Team won the division with a negative record.
Had Prescott been healthy, the Cowboys would have run away with the division title. The other teams in the NFC East have mostly treaded water, while the Cowboys will be much improved with Dak Prescott looking to make up for lost time.
The chinks in the Cowboys' armor
#1 - Backup quarterback
While Dak Prescott is a big presence, the players behind him are anything but.
The Cowboys may have one of the weaker backup situations in the league. Currently, the Cowboys are trotting out either Garrett Gilbert, Ben DiNucci or Cooper Rush. None of these options inspires confidence. If Dak Prescott gets hurt again in 2021, the Cowboys will be in big trouble.
#2 - Backup running back
Similar to quarterback, the Dallas Cowboys have a great starting running back. However, the depth behind Ezekiel Elliot could use some work. Behind Elliot are Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Sewo Olonilua. Pollard is likely to see the most action. Last season, he earned 435 yards and four touchdowns.
#3 - Head Coach
The decision to hire Mike McCarthy came as a surprise to many. He was practically chased out of Green Bay after years of conservative playcalls and mistakes in critical moments. In his first season with the Cowboys, McCarthy's team went 6-10. Of course, they missed Dak Prescott, but the team's performance did not inspire confidence.
#4 - Prescott entering the first year of his new deal
2021 will be Dak Prescott's first year after signing a $160 million contract. Once they get their first big contract, some players have a tendency to take a step backwards. It may seem like an odd thing to pinpoint, but stranger things have happened in this league.
#5 - Prescott coming off a big injury
Dak Prescott is coming off a serious injury. Pre-season will give him enough time to work his way back into rhythm, but an ankle injury is a difficult one to shake off. Will it have any lasting effects on his play?
Only time will tell. The Cowboys have a strong squad on paper in a relatively mediocre NFC. But if Prescott picks up another injury, the whole thing could go sideways. Again.
