FRISCO, Texas – When the Cowboys take the field for their revenge game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, there will be a little more energy, a little more life than usual in everyone wearing the silver and blue. The chance to avenge not only last season’s playoff loss, but also 2021’s playoff loss, is before us and at the forefront.
As the offense prepares to take the field on Sunday night, they will bring a newer offensive system than what they have shown San Francisco in the past, with Mike McCarthy now calling the plays. But the special thing about this match is neither the opponent nor the man calling the moves.
It is the offensive itself in its entirety that is still waiting to be unleashed.
It’s rare to look at your offense four weeks into the season and say you’ve barely touched the surface of what’s in your tool bag, but that’s exactly what we have with McCarthy’s offensive system heading into Sunday night’s mega duel on the road .
Normally at this point in the season you’re dealing with an offense that can largely be discovered based on what it presents on the field and on film over a four-week period, but the Cowboys had the rare luxury of not having to Having to dig deep for four weeks on offense, leading to a little more secrecy and a behind-the-scenes feel in week five.
Considering how the offense has performed to this point, the Cowboys were able to go on autopilot for much of the second half in three of the four games and pull off overwhelming victories. With the one exception, the loss to Arizona, the offense was simplified to the core from start to finish with three offensive players missing.
The trend has been particularly evident in the fourth quarter of the three blowout victories, as Dak Prescott has only had to throw 11 passes in the final 15 minutes of games away from Arizona, an average of just 3.67 passes per game. Literally doing something offensively late in the game.
In the loss to Arizona, it took the offense more than two quarters to complete a pass more than seven yards downfield because the offensive game plan was simplified with Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz and Zack Martin, allowing for an even faster game than the new one Crime on the Texas coast in 2023 has already been predicted.
So with so much left in the bag and a big test against the 49ers coming up, is there an advantage in not having to reveal too much until now?
“I would say [an advantage] is definitely a possibility, especially as we prepare to play the opponent we are preparing to play,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Monday. “They do what they do.” [San Francisco]. They don’t change very often. They’re just a really disciplined group. It’s a good advantage for us.”
What could this mean for what the Cowboys can show on Sunday night?
Above all, the vertical attack. In training camp, Dak Prescott and the offense weren’t afraid to unleash the long ball, and when you look at the success the Kellen Moore-led offense has had pushing the ball down the field, there’s no reason to go all the way to it waive. Bringing in a weapon like Brandin Cooks only further emphasizes that the offense still wants a big vertical presence, even though we haven’t seen much of it in four games and Prescott has only attempted eight passes of more than 20 yards to this point has downfield.
Speaking of chefs, unleashing his abilities is something that can still be utilized. With just eight receptions for 66 yards in three games, it can play a big role in pushing the boundaries against talented defenses like San Francisco.
After all, the Cowboys have so many weapons that can fire in the open field, but the middle of the field, where the most space is available, hasn’t been used to its full potential. Of Prescott’s 136 attempts in 2023, only 26 (19 percent) came from midfield. With just five attempts (3.6 percent), this number decreases even further between hashes.
For a West Coast-style offense, stretching the seams is important, and with weapons like CeeDee Lamb and even Jake Ferguson at your disposal to break open the middle of the pitch, you need to take advantage of them.
Well, that’s not a mockery of Mike McCarthy (yet), because that’s not happening. I view this more as something that had yet to be fully unleashed.
But if you have the time, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one than when the Cowboys take the field at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday night. Because in a game with so much stake and pride at stake in the NFC, it’s safe to say that the package the offense has delivered every Sunday will finally be torn open like a little child on Christmas Day in Santa Clara can.
The only question that remains is whether it will be cash or a dazzling gift in the form of a long-awaited win against the Niners. See you Sunday evening.