The Dallas Cowboys are always an interesting team that everyone across the nation watches. This year they were even more interesting as they let go their biggest personality and current touchdown reception leader Dez Bryant. With him gone, it was a wonder if the Cowboys were going to win any games without a No. 1 wide receiver. This would place huge stress and draw attention to their quarterback Dak Prescott. Right now, his future as a franchise quarterback for many is in the air; there are many debates wondering if it is or is not a good idea to place the franchise in his hands.
Dallas did not start the season the way they wanted to with a 16-8 loss against the Carolina Panthers. Little did the world know this was the start of the switch of identity for the team. For a team that was so offensively dominate with a poor defense, they now have a lackluster offense with an elite defense. This loss had Prescott throwing for under 200 yards with zero touchdown passes. Ezekiel Elliot also had a quiet game where he only rushed for 69 yards. The main reason the running game could not get started was that of the lack of a deep threat which kept the box stacked to stop the run.
At first it was too early to tell; however, this had early signs that they needed a legit number one wide receiver was important. The second game was played against the New York Giants; although the Cowboys won 20-13, this win was all on the defense as the offense struggled to score 20 points. Prescott again threw for less than 200 yards, and Elliot had less than 100 yards rushing.
The next couple of games are the same, outside of the Jacksonville Jaguars game where the Cowboys’ offense was seen struggling to score more than 20 points, Elliott can’t get going, and Prescott isn’t throwing well. This is mainly because the defenses are sending blitzes and taking Elliot away to force Prescott and the receivers to beat them.
The offense was struggling and was in need of a spark to get them going. This caused Jerry Jones to pull the trigger and trade for the former Oakland Raiders Pro Bowl receiver, Amari Cooper. While some people felt that trading a first-round pick was too high for this player, the Cowboys can argue that it was the best move they have made all season. They felt with the edition of Cooper the defenses would have to respect the passing game, giving Elliot a chance to run and get the offense going. The Cowboys were not wrong about that because since adding Cooper they have gone 3-1 and their offense looks completely revamped. Through the first seven games without Cooper, Prescott has thrown for 202 yards per game with an average QBR of 88 on a scale of 156. Now with the addition of Cooper, Prescott throws 252 yards a game with a QBR of 102.55 on a scale of 156.
It is no secret that Cooper helps Prescott out greatly in the passing game. The Cooper effect can also be seen with Elliot’s production as well. Before the addition of Cooper, Elliot was averaging 88 rushing yards per game. However, after Cooper’s arrival, Elliot now has 113 rushing yards per game. The final great stat is since Cooper’s arrival the Cowboys are now the best in the NFL on third down conversions as they lead the league with 26, with most of them coming from Cooper; this is because Cooper gets the safety out of the box because they need to make sure he stays in check.
Many people thought Cooper was a bust and only had two good seasons, however, it is clear that he just wanted out of Oakland. His happiness and love of football can be seen not only in his new-found production but with his attitude. In six games with the Raiders this year Cooper had 22 catches for 280 yards and one touchdown. In his four games with the Cowboys Cooper has 22 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper has never been a guy to celebrate; now viewers can see him signaling for first downs and doing choreographed touchdown celebrations. It is safe to say that Cooper is back and the Cowboys may have found what they were missing all along, a talented, young team player at wide receiver.
