Cowboys (Halloween Edition): 4 possible nightmare scenarios
By Reid Hanson
What better time than Halloween to discuss nightmare scenarios for the Dallas Cowboys. Here are five haunting ways events could unfold…
Normally we make a concentrated effort to focus on the possible good rather than worry about the possible bad, but since today is Halloween, we shift to the spooky and look at four ways this season can go hauntingly bad and become a nightmare for the Dallas Cowboys.
Tyron Smith’s Availability
It all starts here. Besides Dak Prescott, there’s no more important person on the Dallas Cowboys than Tyron Smith. Sure, you can make a valid case for Amari Cooper and what he brings to the passing game both directly and indirectly, but no non-QB is more vital to success than Tyron Smith.
For a while we had a false narrative running around that Ezekiel Elliott was vital to Dak’s success, but that has since been debunked when separating Zeke’s absenses from Tyron’s. Turns out the offense gets better when it’s just Zeke missing and completely tanks when it’s just Tyron missing.
It’s not just because Tyron is elite either. You see, Dallas places a lot of responsibility on their offensive tackles and avoids offering help on the edge. That’s not a problem when you have guys like Smith and La’el Collins out there on an island, but when you have back-ups, the problems become apparent.
As if we needed a reminder, the results of Tyron’s Smith’s absences were again illustrated when Tyron missed time in Week 4 and was out altogether in Weeks 5 and 6. You may notice, those are the only three games Dallas has lost this season.