With starting QB Dak Prescott being ruled out for the season, can Dallas continue the "winning mentality" under Andy Dalton?
While all hope looks to be lost in Dallas, there is still a pretty good chance of winning under Dalton.
It's 1st & 10 in the 3rd quarter at the AT&T Stadium. Dak gets the snap. He looks to his right briefly before launching to his right. Logan Ryan, the Giants CB, charges in from nowhere and tackles Dak. Once Ryan gets up, Dak continues to sit in agony, with his leg being twisted. The whole stadium is in shock. Michael Gallup has his arms in his head. Mike McCarthy rushes to Dak. The Jones are hugging each other for comfort. In the midst of all this, former Bengals QB Andy Dalton is seen warming up on the bench. It's Dalton time.
Have we already seen glimpses of Dalton?
It goes without saying, having been taken 35th overall in the 2011 NFL draft, Dalton had played above average in a heavily flawed team, leading them to 4 post-season games (albeit winning a grand total of 0 times), and topping the AFC North 3 times in the process.
However, after leading the team to a 2-14 record in 2019, the Bengals were handed the first overall pick, and drafted LSU QB Joe Burrow 1st overall, and Dalton was released to the Cowboys, to play backup to Dak.
Once Dak went out of the game in tears, Dalton was put into the role of QB. In approximately 21 minutes of playing, Dalton threw 11 times, completed 9 throws, for 111 yards, with 0 touchdowns & interceptions. He also tried rushing once, but gained 0 yards from that.
While those number may not be great, it is worth noting that Dallas has always been a team that prefers running the ball over passing. Zeke is by far the best player for the Cowboys at the moment. In 20 attempts, he rushed for 91 yards, with 2 touchdowns as well.
If Ezekiel can put up these numbers on a consistent basis, all Andy Dalton needs to do is not make any mistakes so Zeke can do his usual stuff and lead the team to victory.
What can we expect from Dalton's Cowboys?
Assuming Zeke keeps up his form, expect the Cowboys to run the ball more often than not. However, it is worth noting that there is a significant difference between Dak & Dalton. Dak is one of the best QBs, both in terms of running the ball and in passing. Dalton, on the other hand, rarely scrambles, and isn't nearly as good as Dak while passing.
The only reason the Cowboys still win with the defense, is because their offense is the best in my opinion. With weapons such as Amari Cooper, the aforementioned Ezekiel Elliot, the rookie CeeDee Lamb & with premier blocking talents like Zack Martin, Tyron Smith & La'El Collins.
I would expect Dallas to finish 7th in the NFC, with Dalton at the helm, which is just enough to secure the playoff spot, however, I don't see them going past the Wildcard round.
What's next for Dak?
This off-season, Dak has been demanded $40 Million as franchise QB from Jerry Jones. However, heading into this season, Jerry said that they will not be paying him the money that he wants and contact negotiations will resume next year. However, with physicality issues, Jerry will struggle to see why they should pay Dak's salary demands. Dak must lower his salary demands, if not they will release him, and fewer teams will actually be interested, because of the mentioned physicality issues. If Dalton impresses, the Cowboys will start second-guessing the franchise quarterback Dak has been asking for, which might lead to him being released.
If the Cowboys release Dak, the best teams for him to land would be the Indianapolis Colts & the Chicago Bears, both teams, having a very dire QB situation.
Sources: CBS, Highlight Heaven, News18, B/R & Getty Images.
