The Dallas Cowboys were able to improve to 2-0 on the season last week against their division rival Philadelphia Eagles, but the win came at a huge price. Tony Romo went down with a broken collarbone and is expected to miss at least the next eight weeks. Dez Bryant was already down for a chunk of time due to a broken foot and of course the Cowboys lost star running back DeMarco Murray in free agency to the Eagles.
Without Romo, the Cowboys’ Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons is going to be very difficult to win.
Atlanta is coming in with 2-0 record, an impressive offense and the ability to make plays defensively with Dan Quinn now on the sidelines. They are a very bad matchup for a Romo-less Cowboys football team. Jason Garrett is hoping that the Cowboys can pull together as a team and make enough plays to pull out a big win, but that is going to be very tough for them to do.
All of that being said, let’s take a look at the five keys that the Cowboys must focus on in order to have a chance at remaining perfect with a 3-0 record on the young season.
1. Brandon Weeden Must Make Plays While Taking Care of the Football
After Romo went down with the broken collarbone, Brandon Weeden came into the game completed all of his seven pass attempts for 73 yards and a touchdown. He has to make some plays against the Falcons, but he also must focus on taking care of the football and not turning it over. If he is able to play the role of an excellent game manager, the Cowboys will have a chance to stay in the game all the way to the final whistle.
2. Joseph Randle Must Break Out with a Big Game
Obviously the ground game is going to be asked to take a big load off of Weeden in Week 3 and Joseph Randle is going to lead the way. He is more than capable of making big plays any time he touches the football and has carried the football 34 times for 116 yards so far this season. Those numbers need to take a big jump this week with a big performance if the Cowboys want to come away with a huge win.
3. Terrance Williams Must Replace Dez Bryant Well
Last week, talented third-year wide receiver Terrance Williams stepped up to help replace Dez Bryant very well. He caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, which will be around what he needs to do against the Falcons this week. Weeden needs his targets to step up and Williams has to take a leadership role and be a legitimate No. 1 target for the Cowboys’ backup quarterback.
4. Defense Can’t Allow Big Passing Plays
Whenever the Atlanta Falcons are mentioned, Julio Jones usually comes to mind. He is the face of the Falcons’ franchise and is without question one of the biggest playmakers at the wide receiver position in the NFL. Dallas can’t allow Jones and Matt Ryan to hook up on big plays or any huge passing plays that would give Atlanta’s offense the momentum that they feed off of.
5. Stay Composed Under Pressure
More than likely throughout the course of the game, the Cowboys are going to run into some difficult times. They are down two of their offensive stars and are likely going to struggle to put points on the board during some drives. Staying calm, cool and collected during those times is a must for the Cowboys and they have to stay mentally in the game no matter what happens.
