Donny Donowitz and the 49ers

Sergeant Donny"The Bear Jew" Donowitz has retired his bat for a whistle and a headset. Donowitz is ready to begin his inagural season as 49ers head coach. The niners come into the 2022 season with high expectations,ready to deploy their franchise QB full time, for the first time since drafting him in 2021. That man is of course Trey Lance. Lance saw his team go a perfect 3-0 during the preseason where himself and the rest of the 49ers starters played in 5 of the 8 playable quarters. Without a first round pick of their own, expect the niners to be going all in this season.

Preseason Standouts

The preseason is a time where low draft picks and even undrafted free agents can make a name for themselves and potentially make an NFL roster. The niners saw a few standouts, including second year corner Ambry Thomas (3rd round), rookie linebacker Damone Clark (Cut by Cowboys 5th round thanks Gomes) and second year linebacker free agent Dylan Moses. 

Thomas snagged 4 interceptions, taking 2 of them back for touchdowns. On top of those stats the niners defense held user opponents to 0 offensive touchdowns. Clark and Moses were brought it before the teams' 3rd preseason game where they both made immediate impact, each forcing one turnover. 

Regular Season Outlook

The 49ers will begin their 2022 season in the Windy City as they will travel to Chicago to take on the Bears who have a new coach to the league, which could set up for a potential trap game with the unfamiliarity of a new league member. With that being said there is also a new memeber in the NFC West in the owner of the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West should have interesting competition with a succesful, experienced owner in LB and Brad who takes the reigns of the defending Superbowl champion Los Angeles Rams. 

The 49ers have an interesting mix of players who are poised for a succesful 2022, including the likes of Elijah Mitchell and George Kittle expected to get most of the offensive touches and on defense where Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are the clear leaders. However in order for the niners to have success they will need other role players to step up. Brandon Ayuik is slated to begin the season in the slot where he will need to be productive with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle garnering the most attention from opposing defenses. On the defensive side of the ball it's clear the front 7 should have problems, the weakness lies in the secondary where they hope Ambry Thomas can continue his preseason success. It will be just as important that safties George Odum and Jimmie Ward make plays in the passing game when they're called upon. 

Wishing everyone a successfl and enjoyable SFL cycle.

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, A Factory of Sadness

If you were to say the 2022 season has been a let-down for the Steelers, you would be accurate. To make it even worse, the team has shown flashes of brilliance. Which begs the question, why can’t this team win consistently? The answer may be obvious to some, and to others it is not. First let’s dive into what is going right for Pittsburgh.

The Good

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an undisputed best player on their roster. His name is Minkah Fitzpatrick. Who the Steelers locked up for the next 4 season due to his incredible play over the last 2 seasons. The free safety finished the 2021 campaign with 9 interceptions which is an incredible year alone. However, he has followed up with 13 interceptions in 10 games so far this season, returning 5 of them for touchdowns. Not only is he making a case for DB of the year, but he has also thrown his hat in the ring for DPOY.  His 5 defensive touchdowns are as many as any Steelers WR this season. With that being said the Steelers have a much more lethal passing attack than last year’s squad. After moving on from Chase Claypool in the offseason, AJ Brown and Diontae Johnson have shown flashes of becoming a lethal WR duo. Throwing Dede Westbrook and Trey Burton into the arsenal has proven to be effective. However, none of that works without Najee Harris’s ability to run the ball. Ranking 2^nd in league rushing heading into their week 11 bye, the sophomore running back has followed up his impressive 2021 season where he totalled 2370 yards and 19 touchdowns, with 1506 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 10 games so far. That’s right about where the good things end for Pittsburgh

The Bad

Someway, somehow, the Steelers have absolutely no pass rush. Even with the likes of TJ Watt and Cam Heyward on the squad. They generate nothing. While the db’s have held their own (apart from giving up 60 points to the Patriots) The pass rush has been a major letdown. If things don’t turn around I n the bottom half of the season, look for a major shake up to the defensive line in this upcoming offseason with the Steelers possessing 2 first round picks. Adding onto the bad, we need to discuss Carson Wentz. While he could’ve been placed in the “ugly” section of the article, this isn’t totally on him. Mostly because he wasn’t supposed to be the long term solution for this team, more so just a band aid until they find the “Qb of the future” like several other franchises have done. Wentz has completed 64.3% of his passes through 10 games which is above average for SFL quarterbacks. Even his interceptions are down by over half of what he had last season (58) to only 14 thus far, which again, in SFL terms really isn’t too bad. However with only 16 passing td’s it’s clear he has put a crutch on the offense. His most glaring stat is that he’s been sacked 45 times in 10 games. Compared to 39 all of last season, but more on that in the ugly section.

The Ugly

While you could point to many “ugly” things about the Steelers there are two obvious ones for me. The inconsistency from the three phases of the game, and the offensive line. We will discuss the former first. Only once this season have the Steelers been good on both sides of the ball. That was in week 7 versus the (at the time) 5-1 Saints. That game saw Najee Harris Rush for over 200 yards and 2 tds, and the offence only turned the ball over once. While the defense forced 5 interceptions along with a fumble recovery. Holding the Saints offense to only 7 points. Apart from that the inconsistency has been glaringly obvious. i.e- 60-50 loss to New England, 54-43 Loss to Cincinnati, 24-13 loss to Baltimore. Looking ahead to next season, they need to find a way to put together a full 60 minutes on both sides of the ball more consistently if they want to find any sort of success in this league. Now for the offensive line. Before the season started the Steelers sort of knew they were doomed. Starting two rookie lineman (one out of position) they knew they’d have to be patient and hope they got better with every game they played. Well, that has not been the case. Giving up 45 sacks in 10 games is disastrous. While they boast the league’s top running game (yrds/gm) it makes you wonder how much of the credit goes to Najee Harris compared to the line. Again, the Steelers possess some draft capital and may be looking to add more. One would think reinforcements are on the way.

Pittsburgh Steelers  Season 2 Check-in

Entering season 2 coach Wayne Kerr knew him and his team would be behind the 8-ball to begin the season as coach Kerr was on vacation throughout the entire off-season, preseason and first two weeks of the regular season. He assigned his associate coach to make a couple free agency signings, most of which are former New York Giants that are washed up and are unlikely to make any sort of impact.

Trades Recap

Coach Kerr was on the phones by the poolside making a couple trades to help bolster the lineup now and in the future. Starting with a 1st round pick swap with the Carolina Panthers, now Pittsburgh sits on 2 first round picks in the upcoming draft. The other trade made was moving WR Chase Claypool and a few draft picks for WR AJ Brown who is already making an impact putting up a 5-94-1 stat line in his first game with the club. 

A Reunion of Sorts

Last cycle coach Wayne Kerr led the Eagles to a trio of playoff appearances including a 14-2 season that saw the team lose in the NFC championship. At helm of the offense was Carson Wentz. Although the offense ran through. Miles Sanders, Carson Wentz was still an important piece to the success Kerr had in Philly. With Kerr now residing across the state in Pittsburgh, he had the QB position wide open as Big Ben saw his last season in the NFL from the sideline and Kaepernick not getting the job done in season 1. The Steelers were on the hunt for a new signal caller. They made several offers in free agency including now Colts QB Matthew Stafford. How ever the one that came to fruition was former Colts and Eagles QB Carson Wentz. Wentz coming off an abysmal 2021 season where he threw 58 interceptions (???) compared to only 24 tds. Coach Kerr was looking for someone he was comfortable with and someone who knew the system. It wasn't the reunion Kerr expected or wanted but it's the one he got. 

A Look at the 2022 Season

The team was forced to start the season 0-2 due to Kerr's absence. His first game back was no easy task going up against last year's AFC north division winner the Baltimore Ravens. The defense kept the team in the game but the offensive line struggled to keep Wentz off the ground and the Steelers lost 24-13. Looking at this weeks matchup versus the Cowboys, another one of Kerr's old stomping grounds, they head into the matchup desperate for a win. Coach Gomes and the Cowboys are off to a solid 2-1 start and are certainly not lacking talent on either side of the ball. The rest of the opponents they will see this season are from 2 strong divisions, including the NFC south and AFC east. Although the Steelers are 0-3 there is still lots of season left to figure things out and get on the right track. 

Does Yinzerland Deserve Better?

After a 3-1 start the Pittsburgh Steelers have been nothing more than fraudulent.  Steeltown has seen many ups and downs this season including a sweep of the NFC North and also blowout losses to the mickey mouse Browns and the Lamar Jackson led Ravens. Max Kellermans "cliff theory" may not have come to fruition when he spoke about Tom Brady however if he was talking about Colin Kaepernick he would've been right. Some may argue it's user error and in some cases it's true. The fact is Kaep no longer has the arm strength or speed to be a servicable player in this league. He has thrown almost double the amount of ints (30) as he has thrown td's (16). It is no secret coach Wayne Kerr would run the ball with rookie of the year candidate Najee Harris every play if he could. Unfortunately Navy's playbook isn't in madden. Najee Harris and Minkah Fitzpatrick have been the lone bright spots on the 2021 Steelers. With Harris racking up 1997 rushing yards through 14 games and Fitzpatrick collecting 8 interceptions. Meanwhile the wr core and dline including T.J Watt have been major let downs. Only 1 thousand yard wr and it isn't likely any of them will crack 10 td's. Watt checking in with 5 sacks through 14 games is inexcusable and that has obviously hurt the steelers who ranks near the bottom in that category as a team. 

Looking Ahead

Through all the negatives the Steelers find themselves within a game of a playoff spot. However time and strenght of schedule are not on their side. They have a meeting with the Chiefs in Kansas City before finshing up their schedue with back to back division games vs the Stains and the Ravens. Barring a mircale run the Steelers will be looking ahead to a very important offseason where they will hope to find their QB of the future and some reinforments on the offensive and defensive lines. Expect some major changes over the next few weeks as Wayne Kerr attempts to regain his perrenial spot in the SFL playoffs. 

The surprise 3-1 Pittsburgh Steelers

Heading into the 2021 season the Steelers had several questions marks surronding their roster. Who will start at QB? Will the offensive line hold up? Will rookie running back Najee Harris come as advertised? Can the defense do enough to keep the offense in the game?

All of these questions have been answered thus far throughout the first 4 weeks of the season. As the Steelers look ahead to a matchup vs Denver we will take a look back at the Steelers season so far.

QB Colin Kaepernick was brought into training camp as someone who could challenge franchise legend Big Ben for the starting quarterback position. Kaepernick won the starting job after a good preseason combined with horrendous Big Ben outing vs the Lions in week 2 of preseason. Kaep has put up a servicable 1,015 yards while completeing 63% of his passes. Minimizing turnovers has been a point of emphasis for the Steelers this season. Only throwing 5 ints through 4 games. (Which is great compared to many of you sfl members)

As far as the offensive line is concerened they've only given up 10 sacks which ranks around the middle of the pack. While also fielding a top 10 run unit. Running back Najee Harris ranks top 5 among backs for rushing yardage. Considering they finished dead last in the league last season, Pittsburgh will take this as a win. 

The defense has been nothing short of spectacular. Checking in with a top 5 defense in points given up (27/g) and rushing yards allowed (92.8 y/g) Headlining the defense is a couple of veterans in steel town. 11 year veteran Joe Haden leads the way with 4 interceptions. Starting strong saftey Terrell Edmunds has found the endzone twice already through 4 weeks. One fumble recovery for 6 and a pick 6. Newly acquired CB Kendall Sheffield (trade with Atlanta for Juju Smith-Schuster) checks in with 2 ints and 8 DEFL's. He has been a difference maker for the defense and hopes to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the season. 

There have been a few underwhelming players for the Steelers. Outside linebacker TJ Watt has only accounted for 6 total tckles and 3 sacks. It is only a matter of time before he gets going. Inside lineman Cam Heyward had a tremendous first 2 weeks but has been injured since. A huge loss for the defensive run game, the Steelers can't wait until he can get back on the field. Lastly WR james washington has had a dissapointing start to the season. Collecting only 5 catches for 53 yards and a td. Pittsburgh moved on from Juju because they wanted Washington to see more snaps. They hope James can turn his season around and make the Steelers passing attack lethal.

That is all. See you in 4 weeks for another check up on the Steelers.

Through eight games this season philly stands at a respectable 5-3 which is good for second in the NFC East. Their schedule doesn't get any easier as we approach the playoffs. The Eagles are well off their pace from last season but as they learned quickly last year, record doesn't matter once you're in playoffs. Their 5-3 record is nothing short of a miracle given the offseason changes that had to be made from the mess Howie Roseman left behind after he was let go. However this team isn't looking for excuses, they go out expecting to win every sunday.

The defense has been plagued with injuries which has translated to players playing out of their natural positions. Cornerback Avonte Maddox, who is entering a contract year, has been their best defensive player, playing opposite of superstar corner Darius Slay. Maddox checks in with a team high 6 interceptions. Rookies Paris Ford and Richard Lecounte have delivered 3 and 2 interceptions, respectively. Their biggest challenge thus far has been getting to the quarterback. Preseason free agency pick up Chad Thomas currently leads the team in qb tackles with 6. Reinforcements are on the way however, with the likes of Javon Hargrave (16m a year thanks Howie) and 3rd year man Josh Sweat inching closer to returning. 

On the offensive side of the ball, they're on a similar trajectory as they were last season, with the core of the group remaining intact. Sophmore receiver Jalen Reagor got of to a sluggish start but has excelled in his last 2 appearances. At the end of the day this offense with go wherever Miles Sanders and the offensive line will take them.

Without looking too far ahead, the Eagles will enter the offseason with rougly 55 million in cap space, with a few key players to resign. The final weeks of the season will decide who has earned a contract and who hasn't.

Eagles 2021 offseason

Cowboys On the Outside Looking In

With the playoffs around the corner the Cowboys find themselves unlikely to qualify. At 6-6 they are the 9^th seed in the NFC. They will most likely be playing spoiler for the rest of the season. But how did they get here? Coach Dale has only missed the playoffs once since entering the SFL and this will most likely be his first time missing them will Dallas. Let’s look at how they’re in the position they’re in.

Lack of Roster Changes: There were tons of rumors circling the team around the trade deadline for the team to acquire a top safety and a young QB. Those trade talks fell through and nothing was resolved before the tradeline. With Washington trading for two top players and Philadelphia making moves of their own, Dallas just stood idly by.

Troubled Offence: Outside of Ezekiel the offence has been inconsistent and honestly terrible. They’ve tried playbook after playbook, and nothing has changed. Too many turnovers and poor redzone percentage have played factors in the losing. If it weren’t for a few stat padding games vs Pittsburgh and San Francisco, Dak Prescott’s numbers would be uglier than they already are. Michael Gallup has shown flashes of greatness but hasn’t gotten even close to his rookie season form. Although barring injury he’ll surpass 1000 yards they need him to be a top wide receiver.

Defense Needs to Stop the Bleeding: Although the defensive stats aren’t horrible, they need to be better. It doesn’t help when their offence can’t score, and they consistently turn the ball over. But when they need a stop, they can never seem to get it. The play of David Irving and Demarcus Lawrence has dropped off considerably. Irving hasn’t recorded a sack since week 7 and Lawrence’s has been almost nonexistent. This has seen former 1^st round pick Taz Harding take more snaps.  Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has been dreadful in coverage in the second half of the season. They need him to be the top corner he was at the beginning of the season. Two of the only players that have played well all season are safeties Xavier Woods and Byron Jones. Combining for 9 Int’s and Jones leading the team in tackles.

At the end of the day the Cowboys are just not good enough to compete right now. Lots needs to change in this upcoming offseason. They’ve pretty much written this season off.

Heading into the Bye Week…

OFFENSIVELY

The Dallas Cowboys sit at 3-2 heading into their week 6 bye week. It has come at a good time as they are fresh off a 28-10 loss to Philly. In a game that saw plenty of chances for the Cowboys to get back in the game, they couldn’t finish off their drives. Quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown a touchdown pass in only 1 of 5 games this season. He holds a td-int ratio of 4-11, which clearly needs to improve if they have any aspirations of making the playoffs. Thankfully they get running back Ezekiel Elliott back after their bye, which should take some pressure off Dak. However, Dak isn’t the only one to blame. Players like Duke Williams who has a mere 107 yards in 5 games has lost his starting job and Austin Seferian-Jenkins who only has 165 yards and has been held without a td, have had terrible starts to the season. They need these depth players to step up and help Dak anyway they can. There has been one bright spot in that receiving core, Amara Darboh has hauled in a 14/398/2 stat line. He was listed as the number 4 wr to open the year but has climbed to the number 2 spot. Jeremy Hill and Chris Thompson have split carries in Zeke’s absence and have done a serviceable job, but it was clear the offense was hurting without him.

DEFENSIVELY

On the flip side the Cowboys defense has balled out. Even against Philly they only let up 21 points and forced 2 turnovers. The defensive line aka “Hot Boyz” as they call themselves have been putting up great statistical numbers. With David Irving and Taco Charlton on pace for career years. David Irving chipping in with 4.5 in his last game. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has already matched his career high in interceptions with 3. LVE and Jaylon Smith have been splitting the load as far as tackles go, they’ve had to take a step forward in their progression with Sean Lee seeing a largely reduced role. The obvious strength of this team is on defense, if the offense can feed off their energy after a turnover or a big stop the Cowboys will be hard to beat.

LOOKING FORWARD

With the NFC East being as competitive as ever (every team over .500) the Cowboys see themselves tied for last place with the Redskins at 3-2. They have a string of must win games coming up. 3 divisional games in their next 5 are the obvious must wins. However, games versus the 9ers and Steelers are not to be overlooked. After analyzing the remaining schedules for the NFC east teams, whomever wins the division will most likely have to hold a record of 12-4 or 11-5 which leaves very little room for error for the Cowboys. They’ll need Ezekiel Elliott to carry them but Dak needs turn his game around and get back to form. The battle for the wildcard spots in the NFC is shaping up to be an absolute battle between 9 teams. Surprise teams like Giants, Saints and Bucs have jumped out to nice starts, they’ve all struggled at various times in this madden cycle but are looking to get over the hump and make the playoffs.  The only runaway division we have so far this season is the NFC North; the Chicago Bears have all but locked up that division. Everyone else in the North has folded.

New Playbook Pays Off for Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys travelled up to Seattle for a week 2 game vs the Seahawks. The Cowboys couldn’t finish any drive they had in the first half, settling for 3 field goals. It took Dak Prescott 6 and a half quarter to get the team’s first touchdown of the season. Former Seahawks Amara Darboh had himself an explosive game, catching 2 passes for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. When it was all said and done Dallas beat Seattle 36-15 thanks to 4 td passes from Dak. The win did not come without consequences however, running back Ezekiel Elliott left the game early in the 4^th quarter and did not return. Zeke will be out for 4 weeks with a broken thumb. He will miss games vs Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Jeremy Hill will assume the starting role with Josh Adams backing him up. The offense will have to lean on Prescott more than ever going forward. Star receiver Michael Gallup had a bounce back game with 6 catches for 73 yards, he was held catch less in week one.

The Cowboys were gashed on the ground in week one but in week two they stifled the Seahawks run game. However, they did not have an answer for Breshaud Perriman who broke out for 236 yard and 2 tds. Outside of him they held all other receivers in check. The Cowboys defensive line had an outstanding game totaling 8 sacks, Taco Charlton led the was with 3 of his own. Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown chipped in with interceptions, both their firsts of the season. The Cowboys will face the Vikings next week for their home opener.

Cowboys Fire Offensive Coordinator

After a 20-6 loss to the LA Rams on opening weekend of the SFL the Cowboys have already fired their OC. In a game that saw Dak Prescott complete a grand total of 8 passes, Dallas still had a chance down 7 with under 2 minutes to go. Prescott threw a game ending interception (his 3rd of the game) to Lamrcus Joyner. The Cowboys were lucky to be in the game to begin with. Jared Goff was injured just before half and never returned. Dallas couldn’t take advantage of that and fall to 0-1. Ezekiel Elliott started the game with 46 yards on the first drive but only gained 43 yards after that.  Star wide receiver Michael Gallup was held catchless for the first time in his career. Moving onto Seattle Coach Dale will return to calling plays as he did last season. They’re rumored to be on the lookout for a new play caller but won’t rush into anything.

2020 Season Schedule Walkthrough *SPOILER ALERT*

Week 1 @LA Rams- They’ve only played once this cycle, in the playoffs and LA dominated the game however with a weak offensive line and a weak linebacking group the Cowboys are have a strong pass rush and a great running game. Zack Martin vs Aaron Donald will be a great matchup. Teams coached by Chris Dale have typically gotten off to great starts, I expect the same this season. Advantage Dallas.

Week 2 @Seattle Seahawks- Coach Dale is familiar with Seattle from his days in Arizona. In their last head to head matchup the Cowboys won 35-3 completely dismantling the Seahawks offense. Seattle has a weak offense but a good defense, at the end of the day Seattle’s offense won’t keep up with Dallas. Advantage Dallas.

Week 3vsMinnesota Vikings- Coach Miller has had an up and down tenure in Minny. This team has no direction or Quarterback, it seems like RG3 is once again in a position where he will have to run for his life all season. Not just in this game.  Cowboys in this one.

Week 4vs New York Giants- The first divisional game of the year for both clubs, I expect both teams to be undefeated going into the game. Dallas is 4-0 this cycle vs NYG and that streak is expected to continue. There are question marks at QB in New York. They should have it figured out by the time this game comes around. Dallas in this one.

Week 5vs Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles have a tough start to the season, playing teams like Atlanta, Washington and LA Rams. All winnable games but they could also be desperate for a win by this time. Both teams have 2-2 records against each other, this one is a tossup.  However, if the tradition continues whoever can win the turnover battle will win the game. This game is a coin flip.

Week 7 @New York Giants- The second of two meeting between the Giants and Cowboys should shape up to be another good game, however Dallas still has the advantage due to the weak linebacking core of the Giants.

Week 8vs San Francisco 49ers- Coach Dale always has problems with the lowly 49ers, however Dallas has the advantage. The only real offensive threat the 9ers have is Lev’eon Bell. Their receiving core is full of speed, the offense either hits homeruns or strikes out. Dallas in this one.

Week 9 @Washington Redskins- The Cowboys Redskins have had great games over this madden cycle with 3 going to Dallas but most recently seeing Washington come out victorious. AC has put together a great team with a slew of running backs in the rotation. Not to mention the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore who will shadow Michael Gallup. I expect a 23-20 or 20-17 game. Could go either way.

Week 10vs Pittsburgh Steelers- Unfortunate waste of talent, no way Dallas doesn’t end up on top.

Week 11 @Philadelphia Eagles- Whoever wins the first game loses the second. Rivalry too good for a sweep.

Week 12vs Baltimore Ravens- Goins will either be winless or in the thick of the playoff hunt, most likely on the outside looking in. Coach Dale doesn’t have much experience vs Baltimore but will most likely jockeying for the top spot in the NFC East with Washington and Philadelphia. Cowboys win this one.

Week 13 @Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Coach Eddie has lots of potential but Coach Dale has had his number in the past. With a weak offensive line and a suspect secondary Dallas has the slight edge in this one.

Week 14 @Cleveland Browns- Coach Dale and Coach Pops have a history of great divisional and playoff games, with the series edge to Pops. The Browns have a nice squad and a cakewalk for a division. This is the first game throughout the Cowboys schedule where people think they have no chance. Cleveland matchups up well with the weaknesses Dallas has. Plus, the cold weather and potential for snow is something Dallas is not accustomed to. Browns in this one.

Week 15 @Cincinnati Bengals- Coach Andy has dropped off considerably since season 1 by the time this game comes around, he could be a basement dweller or in the playoff hunt. This will be the second week in a row where the Cowboys may face some tough weather conditions, I don’t think this stops them against a weaker Bengals team. Zeke will be crucial but give me Dallas here.

Week 16vs Washington Redskins- This game may decide the fate of the NFC East crown. It will certainly have playoff implications. Both teams will bring out all their stops in this one. Will most likely be the game of the week. Look for another one score game, could come down to the final seconds. Another coin flip in my books.

Week 17vs Arizona Cardinals- Another game with potential playoff implication, Arizona had Dallas’s number last season, taking them out midway through the season and ultimately eliminating them in the wildcard round. Depending on where each team stands by week 17 this game could be a wash. However, the Cardinals have the advantage in this one. Although you can expect a close game if it has any meaning.

Keys to the Offense:

There is no secret that the offense goes as Zeke Elliott goes. However, if the Cowboys want to get to where they aspire to be which word around the media is more than one playoff game, Dak Prescott and Michael Gallup will have to return to their 2018 form where Gallup led the league in receiving yards and took home offensive rookie of the year. As long as the star-studded offensive line can stay healthy, they have a good chance to get back to the playoffs for the 3^rd consecutive year. Zeke was in the mix for top rushing yards until coach Dale had to take a leave of absence for 3 weeks, he still finished top 5 in rushing yards with 1576 and 18 total tds. Also adding 450 yards through air.

Departures

Offensively, the Cowboys lost wide receivers Allen Hurns who contributed 32/550/7 stat line in 2019 and wide receiver Terrance Williams, who saw his role decline immensely when coach Dale took over, chipping in a 11/124/2 line in 2 years under the new head coach. They also lost running back Charcandrick West who was primarily a kick returner but saw very few touches on offense.

Additions

 The Cowboys bolstered their receiving core by adding Denzel Wooten and Morgan Terrell through the draft and brought in Laquon Treadwell and former Cowboys draft pick Ryan Switzer through free agency. They finally added a number one tight end in Austin Seferian-Jenkins from the Jets. They’ve had minimal production from that position ever since the hall of famer Jason Witten retired before the 2018 season. Dak is still looking for a favorite target within his receiving core. The Cowboys signed scatback Chris Thompson from Washington for kick and punt returns. He can also be utilized  to also have him in various receiving downs, as Zeke will be the bell cow and Jeremey Hill will be his handcuff, should anything happen to Zeke.

Keys to the Defense:

The Cowboys have young talent everywhere on defense, and it starts with the linebacker tandem of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch. Although they were both out of the lineup with various injuries at different times, they still put up respectable numbers. Jaylon Smith had 50 tackles to go along with 2 QB tackles and 3 interceptions. LVE had 34 tackles, 5 QB tackles and 4 interceptions. He split time with veteran linebacker Sean Lee who gathered 55 tackles 1 QB tackle, 5 FF and 1 INT who just resigned for 2 years. The defensive line played lights out with 3 players having double digit QB tackles. (Demarcus Lawrence 19, David Irving 14 and Taco Charlton 14) The defensive line has crazy depth with sophomore end Taz Harding and 3^rd year pro Dorance Armstrong jr, who have both had limited roles so far in their young careers. Randy Gregory and Maliek Collins are now veterans who know their roles and contribute when starters go down.  The defensive backs are the weakest of a very strong group. 4^th year safety Xavier Woods led the team in tackles (69) and interceptions (5) one of which he returned for a touchdown. Slot corner Jourdan Lewis had an outstanding season posting 4 interceptions and 50 tackles. His draft class mate Chidobe Awuzie had 3 interceptions all of which he returned for touchdowns. These 3 need to take their game to the next level if this defense wants to be for real. They’re all in contract years and will need to be at the top of their game if they wish to get paid. Byron Jones had a tremendous start to the 2019 season, but it was shortened due to injury. He was replaced by rookie safety Aundrey Brooks and Maurice Alexander who filled in nicely in his absence.

Departures

The Cowboys cut defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford as he carried a 6 million cap hit, with his 2019 season hampered by injury and declining stats the writing was on the wall for the long time Cowboy. Other than depth at linebacker (Ramik Wilson and Joe Thomas) and veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick the Cowboys retained most of their main starters and players. The trio of players mentioned combined for only 20 tackles and 1 QB tackle.

Additions

In the second round of the draft they added linebacker Tre Munnerlyn out of Ohio State who is projected to play a backup/ special teams’ role with the team in his rookie year. Eventually they will want him to replace Sean Lee as the third linebacker in the 43 packages. The Cowboys biggest free agent acquisition was former Pro Bowler Muhammad Wilkerson, he will come in and add to an already strong defensive line. They also brought back Cory Littleton (on the team last year) and Morris Claiborne (former 1^st round pick of the Cowboys) for depth at their respective positions.

Players to lookout for:

Morgan Terrell was a 3^rd round pick for Dallas in this year’s draft. Standing 6’4 227 the receiver out of BYU had an outstanding training camp and has played well in the preseason. He’s pushed 1^st round pick Denzell Wooten for a starting job. Not to mention Ryan Switzer, Amara Darboh and Laquon Treadwell also battling for that 3^rd receiver slot. Assuming Michael Gallup and Duke Williams will fill the 1 and 2 roles. At least one of these players won’t make the roster depending on how many WR’s they plan to carry.

Taco Charlton played second fiddle to Dlaw last season, but he’s poised for a career year. He’s developed nicely over the last two seasons putting up 15 and 14 QB tackles respectively. Taco is also in a contract year; even though all signs point towards him staying the Dallas. I’m sure he’d like to prove his worth this season alongside Dlaw. He has former 1^st round pick Taz Harding waiting for his chance to get into a starting role, in very few snaps last season Harding showed flashes of potential racking up a pair of QB tackles.

Rumors swirled around the Cowboys during the draft about the club potentially taking a QB in the first round to compete with Dak Prescott. Earl Elliott out of Clemson was a highly scouted QB who was available by the time Dallas was on the clock. By passing on him the Cowboys are putting faith into their QB even though he’s thrown for 7432 yards and 62 tds compared to 69 interceptions over the last 2 years, they reupped him for 5 years 61-million-dollar contract. The Cowboys are hoping they don’t regret that decision. At the end of the day if Dak can keep the turnovers down Dallas will be in for a deep playoff run.

With season 4 just around it's time we make some projections. Teams highlighted in bold are playoff teams. 

AFC North: 

Browns 

Bengals 

Ravens 

Steelers

AFC East:

Patriots 

Jets 

Bills 

Dolphins 

AFC West:

Raiders 

Chiefs 

Chargers 

Broncos

AFC South: 

Colts 

Texans

Jaguars

Titans

NFC North:

Bears

Vikings 

Lions

Packers

NFC East:

Cowboys

Giants

Eagles

Redskins

NFC West:

Seahawks

Rams

49ers

Cardinals

NFC South

Falcons

Saints

Panthers

Buccaneers 

PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS

AFC

Jets vs Raiders                    Texans vs Patriots

Jets vs Colts                         Texans vs Browns

                           Colts vs Browns

NFC

Saints vs Cowboys             Giants vs Bears

Cowboys vs Falcons          Giants vs Seahawks

                        Giants vs Falcons

Season 4 Superbowl will feature the Browns and Falcons. A race to championship number 8 for both owners. 

Who do you have bringing home the Lombardi this season?

With a first round bye and a game at home versus the 5th seed Panthers, Coach Dale and the Cowboys looked prime to advance to their first conference champioship under their current head coach. They had top 5 scoring offense and defense but the defense didn't show up. Cam Newton had one incomplete pass in a 45-38 win over the Cowboys. Many rumours swirling around the Cowboys HQ about major changes coming on offense and defense. With departure of 31 year old Dez Bryant Dak Prescott with have to rely on Ryan Siwtzer who had a career year last season. Reigning defensive rookie of the year, Darnell Nurse looks to have a larger role in the defense this season both as a pass rusher and a coverage linebacker. 3rd year running back Franklin Pennington will also look to imrpove on his 1500 yard season. He got off to a tremendous start but was slowed down during the last 6 or 7 weeks of the season. Heading into the 4th season of this madden cycle the Redskins finally seem to have a competitive owner which will make the NFC east a much more interesting race for the division crown.