Dallas Cowboys need a quick spark to save the season. Could this be the missing piece?
The Dallas Cowboys (6-7) are in a slump.
They have lost three straight, four of their last five and seven of their last 10 since starting the season 3-0.
They are in must-win mode heading into the final three games, starting Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams (8-5). But the previous three games were crucial and didn’t make a difference in the Cowboys’ quest to win the NFC East.
No one knows why they can’t shake it.
The fact that defensive end Michael Bennett was the one screaming and shouting at the team following the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Buffalo Bills and then seen giving a pregame speech before the ensuing loss to the Chicago Bears has raised questions about leadership in the locker room.
Though a former Super Bowl champion and respected veteran, Bennett has been with the team less than two months, acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots on Oct. 26.
What about the captains and longtime veterans, such as quarterback Dak Prescott, center Travis Frederick, linebacker Jaylon Smith and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence?
What role have they played during this process and is leadership an issue for the Cowboys?
“I think they’ve done an excellent job,” coach Jason Garrett said when asked about leadership. “I think the leaders across our team do a great job of providing an example for what you need to do each and every day to go play your best football.
“At times leaders need to speak up and talk but most importantly they need to show by what they do. And our guys have certainly done an outstanding job of that. They have a great spirit about them. They are mentally tough guys. Again, they’ve provided a really good example for the rest of our football team.”
According to an NFL Network report, there is a disconnect between the new leadership and the young players on the Cowboys that’s exacerbated by 16-year veteran tight end Jason Witten taking a step back in his return to the team after a year away in retirement.
Witten was seen yelling on the sidelines seemingly to no one in particular during the 31-21 loss to the Chicago Bears last week.
But he said that was born more out of frustration and urgency than a lack of leadership.
“You get in these games and there is a handful of things that happen and have to happen in order for you to have success,” Witten said. “And that’s the communication of different points in these games. These four or five plays, they can make or break games.
“The leadership is strong. This is the time you have to step up as leaders. You have to be able to show it in how you play and how you go about your everyday job. That is what people are watching. That needs to continue to show up.”
Smith was asked what more the captains can do. Will fiery speeches make the difference?
“It’s a combination,” Smith replied. “Being able to balance the talk vs. play, lead by example vs. the vocal leadership. It comes over time. It’s growth.
“For us, we’re understanding and accepting our reality, but it’s about making a change.”
Smith said he still has faith.
And so does Prescott. They just have to play better at the same time. But it’s not an issue of lack of leadership, fight or quit in the Cowboys’ locker room, he said.
“For sure. For sure 100 percent we can get better,” Prescott said. “We can fight harder. We can be a little bit more urgent in our fight but I never question these guys in here, their fight and their desire to win.
“We just got to get better and we have to improve in every which way and everybody has that message from the oldest guy to the youngest guy, the most experienced to the inexperienced guy in this locker room so. It’s not that. We have to execute and do better once we get in between the lines.”
Witten agreed.
“You can’t confuse losing with fight. You can’t confuse losing with not good leadership. You can’t confuse those things,” Witten said. “When you win, there’s great chemistry. When you lose, it’s in disarray. You have to play better. There’s critical moments in the game that you have to play better.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
