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Dallas Cowboys Far From Perfect In Win Sunday Night


Dallas Defense

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys forced six turnovers in the Sunday night win against rival New York Giants, but there were two giant red flags that should temper expectations for Cowboys fans.

The game was an absolute shootout, so the passing yards allowed isn’t a big issue, but there were some things to be concerned with in the secondary.

Morris Claiborne missed the preseason with knee trouble, and he was exposed early. In the first quarter, Victor Cruz ran a quick slant right in front of Claiborne, and wound up getting a huge gain, at it showed that Claiborne is not 100%. Cruz was able to easily gain ground running away from Claiborne, a safety had to make the tackle. Later in the game, Claiborne left for a series with a dislocated shoulder. The Cowboys need Claiborne to be healthy, especially with a schedule that includes several pass heavy teams.

Also in the secondary, the safeties looked confused and overwhelmed when the Giants went into the no huddle. This could prove to be a major issue, especially with two games against the incredibly high paced offense of Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The other red flag for the Cowboys came in the running game, or lack thereof. DeMarco Murray did get 86 yards on 20 carries, but he accounted for 20 of the 23 rushes, meanwhile, they threw the ball 49 times.

With the addition of Bill Callahan to the coaching staff, and first-round pick being used on Travis Frederick, it was expected the Cowboys would put some additional focus on the power running game, but that didn’t happen. The right guard spot was a clear Achilles heel for the Cowboys on Sunday night, and the addition of Brian Waters is expected to remedy that, the lack of balance is of some concern.

Time will tell if the troubles in the secondary will improve as the season progresses and the players get more comfortable in the new scheme, and we will see if the Cowboys can develop a running game that can control a game, but putting a one in the win column is definitely a good start for Dallas.

You can follow Shaun Kernahan on twitter @shaunkernahan, add him to your network on Google, and like Shaun on Facebook.

Related:

Nick Hayden and George Selvie Produce for the Dallas Cowboys Defense

Dwayne Harris Contributing on Special Teams for Dallas Cowboys

Brian Waters Will be a Huge Factor to the Success of the Dallas Cowboys’ Offense



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