June is just around the corner and that means our seasoned junior camp is coming soon. During this phase of the off-season, coaches will begin to establish the initial framework for the offense. Freshman offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterback Dak Prescott seem to be hitting it off well as Schottenheimer recently said this about Prescott “First, I love him; The way guys approach him, the way he wants to train, how he wants to be open to trying different things from a basic standpoint. It shows you the mark of a real winner, a champion, and he’s been fantastic, and I look forward to working with him.”
Powerful words from a coach who’s been in the NFL for a long time and who needs to consider some personal changes for the Dallas Cowboys offense. For starters, the team released a running back to Ezekiel Elliott earlier this season, with the addition of receiver Brandin Cooks to fill a stark need on a wide receiver. Plus, to make up for the free agency departure of Dalton Schultz, the team drafted Luke Schoonmaker in the second round of last month’s draft.
Given these changes at several key points, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect new players to see an increase or decrease in their stats. Let’s try to predict which players will lead the Cowboys this season in offensive categories and approximate their numbers.
pass
Crossing yards: Dak Prescott, 4,941 yards
Passing attempts: Dak Prescott, 610
YPA Permit: Dak Prescott, 8.1YPA
Touchdown: Dak Prescott, 35
Completion percentage: Dak Prescott 66%
There is nothing amazing here. Dak Prescott would lead the Cowboys in every passing statistic. With the release of Elliott, it’s reasonable to expect an uptick in pass attempts from Dak Prescott, especially in the game of short passes to the linebacker. Tony Pollard has always been a reliable option out of the field, and rookie running back Deuce Vaughn also has the ability to play pass plays on third down.
Say what you will about Prescott, but he’s been mostly an accurate passer in his career, with a completion percentage quite possibly close to seventy percent. Adding Chefs to a receiving staff that includes CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup should allow Prescott to benefit at all levels in the passing game. Prescott has reached 30 passing touchdowns in a season twice in his career and this season he’s poised to be his third.
haste
Rushing attempts: Tony Pollard, 272
Rush YPA: Tony Pollard, 4.6
Rushing yards: 1,251
Landing: Dak Prescott and Hunter Lubeck, T-9
Tony Pollard was awarded the franchise tag by the team after the 2022 season and there are no confirmations that Pollard will return to Dallas after this season. It’s plausible that the Cowboys could get everything they can from Pollard before sending him on his way out of town after 2023. Pollard has always been fond of explosive plays in the running game and is a certified threat to go the distance whenever he touches the ball. ball. The team will also dedicate more touches towards the passing game than before.
Considering keeping Pollard as fresh as reasonably possible for the later stages of games, you can expect the Cowboys to give Pollard around 16 games. However, that average equaled 272 carries for the season, nearly 100 more carries than his career high of 193. Pollard developed a reputation for being an efficient runner and averaged over five yards in three of his four seasons with the Cowboys . He won’t average more than five yards per attempt, but will probably get closer to 4.6 yards. Second year runner Malik Davis will also work on the mix. It would be a nice change of pace from Pollard who he would say periodically but would not advance in any statistical category.
As for who will lead the team in rushing touchdowns, that’s a little trickier. Pollard doesn’t exactly have a knack for short yardage and doesn’t have the necessary dribbling near the goal line. Davis might be an option but that’s not his calling card either. Ultimately, he becomes a combination of Prescott’s selective use in the red zone as he has in years past, and the rookie linebacker/halfback hybrid Hunter Leupke near the end zone. Leupke would play a bigger role in offense later in the season and he and Prescott equalized with the team’s squad to speed up results.
Receive
Receptions: CeeDee Lamb, 136 receptions
Yards: CeeDee Lamb, 1,772 yards
YPC: Brandin Cooks, 14.2
Landing: CeeDee Lamb, 13
The Cowboys passing game looked lackluster at various points last year and that was with or without Dak Prescott under center. This season should be different. The aforementioned additions of Cooks and Schoonmaker, along with a new offensive philosophy, will see better results and it all starts with the personnel.
CeeDee Lamb has become one of the NFL’s most well-received talents. Lamb can line up anywhere in the formation and since his rookie season has proven himself to be a first player from the slot. Lamb’s ability to break away from defenses with his competition running his way is the best of the game, and he’s also adept at making tough catches on the field and in traffic. Lamb’s ability to highlight the football also makes him an ideal candidate to lead the Cowboys in receiving touchdowns. The Aries will be better this season than last year and will record career highs in yards and receptions.
The only statistical receiving category the Cowboys will not lead is yards per catch. With Lamb occupying the defense’s attention in the short and medium passing game, that should open up opportunities for Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup on the field. Gallup had a disappointing season last year coming back from an ACL injury and is looking forward to making a recovery. Brandin Cooks has an excellent combination of pace and trajectory to get over the top of opposing defences.
In this drop, the Chefs get a slight advantage for leading Dallas in yards per attempt. Cooks has been hampered by sub-par play at quarterback over the past few seasons. If his comments about Dak Prescott are any indication, the two will be hooking up in some huge plays this season.