Nick Wright Identifies Cowboys’ Turning Point This Season
The Dallas Cowboys have been on a roll as of late, and it appears as if they have finally found their footing as one of the top teams in the NFC. After getting blown out 42-10 by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, the Cowboys have since won seven out of their last eight, including a 48-7 beatdown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Many experts have been trying to pinpoint when the Cowboys finally turned the corner, and FS1’s Nick Wright believes he has found the answer.
“From Week 5 onward, the Cowboys have transformed from an inconsistent unit to an undeniable force in the NFC,” Wright said on Thursday.
He credits a few factors in the team’s success since that fateful loss in Santa Clara. One is the return of quarterback Dak Prescott, who missed the first four games of the season following shoulder surgery. Another is the emergence of rookie running back Tony Pollard, who has taken some of the offensive load off of Prescott.
“Pollard is a nice compliment to Ezekiel Elliott,” Wright said. “He’s a home run hitter that defenses need to respect and the offense actually benefits from having another dynamic weapon in the backfield.”
The defense has also been a major contributor to the Cowboys’ success. After giving up over 35 points per game in the first four weeks, the unit has clamped down considerably and now ranks sixth in the NFL, allowing just 19.8 points per game.
The Cowboys offense has been no slouch either, as Prescott and Elliott have combined to form one of the most dangerous duos in the league. They have combined for over 2,000 yards on the ground and are averaging an incredible 5.2 yards per carry. It’s no wonder the Cowboys have put up an average of 32.9 points per game since Week 5.
All of this means that the Cowboys now boast one of the most balanced teams in the league. They have the fifth-ranked passing attack and the fourth-ranked rushing attack. And with this combination, the sky’s the limit for the Cowboys in December and beyond.
“I know it’s only Week 14, but this team looks like it could make some serious noise come the playoffs,” Wright added. “The Cowboys are a legitimate Super Bowl contender now, and I think it can all be traced back to Week 5 when they finally turned the corner.”
If the Cowboys continue to ride the wave of momentum they have created for themselves, then they could make a deep playoff run in 2020. And if they do then it could all be traced back to the loss to San Francisco that jumpstarted the transformation of this team.
