DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are expected to have one of the best offenses in the NFL for the upcoming season. That side of the ball is chock full of talented players and the unit recently got back one of their top weapons in wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was taken off the PUP list.
There remains a possibility that Dallas’ offense could be even better than anticipated if everything goes well. For most of the 2020 season, the Cowboys were without quarterback Dak Prescott due to his ankle injury. Running back Ezekiel Elliott had his worst season which included a mystifying early-season fumbling issue. Wideout CeeDee Lamb was just getting acclimated to the league as a rookie, and the offense lost starting tight end Blake Jarwin for the year after 30 minutes of football.
Throw in the fact that the offensive line was influx because of injuries from the get-go and, despite the hot start where the Cowboys averaged over 30 points per game, it wasn’t the year that was expected from the star-studded offense in Big D.
While Dallas is counting on a totally revamped squad on defense, things could also look different on offense for the 2021 Cowboys. Prescott returning is the biggest cause for an offense revival, but it’s mostly the players around the quarterback that might signal a change.
A motivated Elliott – who reshaped his body this offseason – is a reason to feel excited about the running game. Elliott mentioned that he hasn’t been at his current weight since his college days at Ohio St. and that could mean more big runs than he’s had in recent seasons.
During his rookie campaign, Elliott ripped off 14 runs of 20 or more yards, including a long of 60 yards. Last year, Elliott had just three runs of over 20 yards and a long of 31 yards. If Elliott brings back that home run ability from the backfield, it will make the offense tougher to defend.
Another reason we could see a shift in Dallas’ offense is the expected improvement from second-year receiver Lamb. It was a fine first season for the former Oklahoma standout, but he lined up in the slot for over 90% of his snaps as a rookie. That will change this year as Lamb will be utilized at all the receiver positions to make him even more dangerous in his sophomore campaign.
It’s early, and we haven’t seen him in game action yet, but the buzz on Lamb has him as one of the best players in camp for the Cowboys so far. His improvement and versatility will provide a different look for the offense.
Lamb is not the only receiver who’s expected to give defenses something new to think about. Veteran WR Michael Gallup is also going to be used in a variety of ways his year. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is expected to line Gallup up in the slot more than he has during Gallup’s first three seasons in the league.
With Cooper, Gallup, and Lamb all becoming interchangeable parts at receiver, the offense is going to look different and provide a difficult challenge for secondaries throughout the league.
The Cowboys also get Jarwin back to pair with Dalton Schultz, last year’s breakout tight end. The duo should be one of the better tandems in the league and will provide the opportunity for more two tight end looks than the offense has previously used. Schultz dispelled any thoughts that he was merely a blocking TE in 2020 and has looked exceptional in camp.
However, if Jarwin can come back from his ACL tear from a year ago to become the receiving threat that the team had hoped he would be, that adds another dynamic element to the offense.
The offensive line coming back healthy will also help. If Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, and Zack Martin are able to stay in the lineup for the majority of the season, there’s no doubt that the offense will appear unlike the one that finished last year.
The players might be the same, but there will be a new look to this Cowboys’ offense. That’s a scary proposition for defenses that struggled to slow them last season when Prescott was healthy. An offense with new wrinkles, returning players, and a rejuvenated group of Cowboys are preparing to give defenses fits in 2021.
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