Same Old Cowboys?

While the NFC East is full of competition, no team has been closer to the Philadelphia Eagles in ruling the division than the Dallas Cowboys, coming off 2022 with 12 wins and a season split with the Birds.

On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” legendary NFL film analyst Greg Cosell once again joined Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher to preview teams from the NFC East, this time a discussing a Dallas team hoping this will be the year they finally achieve success past the regular season.

The Dallas Cowboys are hoping starting QB Dak Prescott can return to form in 2023 after an uncharacteristically turnover-filled season.

Dak Prescott

Greg Cosell: “He did make some uncharacteristically poor reads [in 2022.] Now it is a new offense, we will see what happens. From everything I have heard about Dak Prescott, he is an incredibly hard worker and smart guy, takes it really seriously. He will do whatever it takes. I don’t think they want him dropping back 45 times a game.”

Tony Pollard

Cosell: “We know Pollard is an explosive player, coming off a serious injury. But the bigger question is if he is healthy, what kind of run game will they have in terms of volume. Even though he has been really good the last couple of years, I am not sure if he is seen as a guy that is going to cary 20-22 times a week.” 

Tyler Smith

Cosell: “Just watching his tape from Tulsa, I thought there was no way he could step in as a left tackle, but he actually did pretty well. The question is his athleticism and his feet. Now Tyron Smith will be back at left tackle and Tyler Smith will move to left guard, they have a really good offensive lien.”

Dan Quinn

Cosell: “He was the first of the ‘Legion of Boom’ defensive coordinators when they played Cover 3 almost full-time…where he has evolved is a ton more Cover 1, man-to-man coverage. In the last two years in Dallas, they have been among the highest percentage defenses in the league playing Cover 1, and what he started to do far more situationally last year, is play Cover 2. When you get pass rushers like Micah Parsons, you can rush the QB with four.”

Trevon Diggs

Cosell: “He does get beat because he is a keyer, a cluer, and he jumps routes. We saw the Eagles attack him in the second play of the game with a sluggo with A.J. Brown. He’ll get beat every once in a while, but he is still a quality NFL corner. That is the way he plays and he makes plays doing that.”

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.