DALLAS — When the NFL schedule was released last spring, this final portion looked the most daunting for the Dallas defense — a quarterback run that included the reigning MVP, a guy who could have been the 2017 MVP if not for injury, the odds-on rookie of the year, a Super Bowl starter from last season.
Like I said. Daunting.
Instead, now is the time for the Cowboys' defense to stand up and be something it hasn't been all year — average. That's all fans are asking because this team has been gifted with a stretch run filled with challenged quarterbacks that give Dallas a chance (one more time) to compete for that low-hanging top spot in the NFC East.
It starts with Lamar Jackson. Or at least the Cowboys assume it does. He missed Wednesday's game with Pittsburgh due to COVID-19 and is likely to be ready for Tuesday's game with Dallas (I just wanted to type those days of the week in an NFL story because I've never done it before). But this isn't 2019 league MVP Lamar Jackson.
This is 2020 Jackson, whose passer rating has dipped 20 points from a year ago. Even with that, he ranks 18th and is the only quarterback ranked higher than 25th the Cowboys are scheduled to face in the final five games. Jackson lit up the NFL with 36 touchdown passes, just six interceptions and more than 1,200 yards rushing a year ago. He's on pace for fewer than 850 yards rushing this season and owns a more pedestrian 15-6 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio.
The availability of Jackson's favorite target, tight end Mark Andrews, and the Ravens' No. 3 receiver, Willie Snead, are in question. Baltimore's offense started the season in fine form as the team rolled to a 5-1 record. The club has lost four of five since and hasn't scored more than 24 points in any of those games.
Joe Burrow was supposed to be up next in Cincinnati. Last year's Heisman winner passed for 300 or more yards in five of his first seven pro starts before he began taking too many hits and was finally lost for the season with a serious knee injury in Washington. Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen is his less than scary replacement unless the team switches to Ryan Finley, which is really just more of the same.
Instead of Jimmy Garoppolo, the Cowboys get Nick Mullens when the 49ers fly into town from their temporary home of Glendale, Ariz. San Francisco's season was derailed by massive injuries early and now they can't even live and practice in Santa Clara.
The real wild card follows on Dec. 27 when Carson Wentz and the Eagles come to AT&T Stadium. You probably have seen the stories regarding his rapid decline and how it parallels what has happened to other quarterbacks in their late 30s. Philly's problem is that Wentz is 27 and signed a $128 million extension last year.
It all wraps up in New Jersey where Daniel Jones presumably will be back from the hamstring injury that brought Colt McCoy into the mix Sunday although, being an NFC East team, who knows what else might befall the Giants offense between now and Jan. 3?
So it's all right there on a platter for the Dallas defense. Yes, the team misses rookie corner Trevon Diggs and would like to have seen what Gerald McCoy could have done at tackle this season. But the defense hasn't suffered nearly the dramatic injuries the Cowboys offense has sustained. DeMarcus Lawrence, Aldon Smith, Jaylon Smith, Tyrone Crawford, Antwaun Woods, Xavier Woods and Jourdan Lewis have been available every week.
And yet the Cowboys are the NFL's only team allowing more than 30 points per game. The team closest to Dallas in points allowed, Detroit, just fired head coach Matt Patricia. If you want to split hairs and say the Cowboys offense has put the defense in some treacherous positions including Montez Sweat's pick-six in Dallas' last defeat, then fine.
The Cowboys rank 22nd in yards allowed. They rank 31st in takeaways. No matter what excuses you entertain, this is a defense that has played poorly given the availability of most of their top players week after week.
So that's it. Just upgrade a bit. Be average.
If they can't step up against Jackson, if he is perhaps motivated after missing the Steelers' game that dropped Baltimore to 6-5, well, the Cowboys don't face another team with a winning record. And those final four quarterbacks I mentioned have a combined 31 TD passes to go with 32 interceptions.
The NFC East title is sitting there waiting to be grabbed — taken away, if you will. We will see if a defensive group that claims it deserves more respect than it receives is up to the task.
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