Are the Cowboys back on schedule at the midpoint of the season?

The final eight games are up in the air for the Dallas Cowboys following star running back Ezekiel Elliott’s loss in federal court that reinstated his six-game suspension.

This team is built around Elliott and the running game.

That they didn’t get going on the ground early is one reason for their 2-3 start. But the Cowboys finished the first half of the season on a three-game winning streak and again looking like one of the top teams in the NFC, and the league.

There are some who believe they ended the first half as the NFL’s best team.

“I think that's the best team in the league,” said Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali following the Cowboys’ 28-17 victory last Sunday.

Of course, that was before the Elliott suspension took effect.

The Cowboys (5-3) play at Atlanta (4-4) on Sunday.

Here’s a look at the Cowboys’ midseason report:

Run offense

A: Elliott was back producing like one of the top running backs in the league over the past four games. It has everything to do with the offensive line finally solidifying and developing some continuity after opening the season with two new starters, including a two-man rotation at left guard. La’el Collins is now comfortable at right tackle and Jonathan Cooper has taken the controls at left guard. Elliott has 783 yards to rank second in the league, just 17 yards behind Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt. Elliott had three consecutive 100-yard games before being limited to 93 yards on 27 carries against the Chiefs. He was still effective and dominant, and the running game remains key to everything the Cowboys do on offense and is the basis of their three-game winning streak.

Pass offense

A: Dak Prescott is not experiencing a sophomore slump. He is having an amazing encore season. He has 16 touchdown passes, four interceptions and is on pace for more than 3,600 yards passing and 32 touchdowns. He has spread the ball around to 13 receivers. Dez Bryant leads the way with 38 receptions for 439 yards and four touchdowns. But the Cowboys have four other players with at least 19 catches: Jason Witten (35), Terrance Williams (30), Cole Beasley (22) and Ezekiel Elliott (19). Prescott has only been sacked 10 times on 261 dropbacks.

Run defense

C: The Cowboys are 13th in the league in rush defense, giving up 101.2 yards per game. But this is really about their failures against the run in the losses to the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. They allowed 100-yard rushers in all three outings after not allowing one in 16 games last season. It is important to note that Sean Lee missed the Rams and Packers games. The Cowboys are a much better defense with Lee on the field. The Cowboys give up 164 rush yards per game without Lee and 80.3 when he plays.

Pass defense

B: The Cowboys have the 15-best pass defense in the league, but are third in the league with 27 sacks. That’s huge for a defense that has struggled in recent years to get to the quarterback and came into the season wondering who was going rush the passer. DeMarcus Lawrence has been a war daddy with 10.5 sacks, second in the league. David Irving has six sacks in four games. There is arguably no more formidable tandem in the league right now outside of Jacksonville. The secondary has held its own, but remains a question mark.

Special teams

B: Chris Jones is averaging 43.6 yards on 31 punts. He has had 18 punts downed inside the 20. Mike Nugent and Dan Bailey have combined to make 11 of 12 field goals on the season. Even safety Jeff Heath has kicked two of three extra points. The coverage teams have been excellent, led by Kavon Frazier. However, the Cowboys have been disappointing on returns with rookie Ryan Switzer, who has been plagued by a fumble and poor decision-making at times.

Coaching

A: Give coach Jason Garrett credit for keeping the Cowboys focused and poised through the distractions of Elliott’s legal battles and the 2-3 start. The Cowboys have rebounded with three consecutive wins. More important, they are coming off their most complete game of the season, against a dangerous Chiefs team, and are looking like the playoff contender they were supposed to be. At least before the Elliott suspension.

This story was originally published November 11, 2017 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Are the Cowboys back on schedule at the midpoint of the season?."