Welcome to this week’s edition of Martin’s 5!
How many times do you get something stuck in your head and can’t quite get rid of that thought? Well, that’s what this space is for and why I created Martin’s 5 to begin with.
Each week I come up with five different things I’m wondering about in regards to the Dallas Cowboys and their upcoming game. I use this space to share with you things that are rattling around in my head in hopes of getting some kind of answer, or at the very least throw them out there with hope that they won’t return.
This week the Dallas Cowboys renew an old historic rivalry when they travel to Heinz Field and take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This game could come down to which offense can score more points, but the Cowboys are firing on all cylinders right now, while the Steelers seem to be sputtering just a little bit. Regardless of each team’s record at this point, you can bet this is will be a fun game to watch.
Having said all of that, below are the five things I’m wondering about this week.
One: I don’t know about you, but I bet defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and the entire Dallas Cowboys organization couldn’t possibly be more pleased with the way the defense has played the first half of the season. Even though the defensive unit has outperformed pretty much everyone’s expectations, I still wonder when we will see DE DeMarcus Lawrence make an impact as a pass rusher? Lawrence is only played in four games after serving his four-game suspension, and only has four total tackles so far in 2016. He has come really close a number of times, but has yet to notch his first quarterback sack this year. He always seems to be a step or a halfstep too late and needs to finish when he has the QB in his grasp. Ben Roethlisberger is this week’s target, but he is one of the more difficult QB’s to bring down in the entire NFL. Maybe this is the week we see Lawrence get his first QB sack of the season.
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Two: Let’s stay with the defensive side of the ball for a little bit longer, because I’m wondering how Rod Marinelli will game plan against Antonio Brown and keep him from taking over the game? Brown is without a doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers most dangerous threat in the receiving game and if he gets going it could be a long night for the entire Dallas Cowboys defense. I think this is a game the Cowboys defense will miss not having Morris Claiborne in the lineup, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Orlando Scandrick could be the one that is asked to follow Brown all over the field. Containing Antonio Brown might be the best way to shut down the Steelers offense and could possibly be the reason why the Cowboys come away with a victory at Heinz Field. Let’s not forget that the Cowboys defense has yet to allow a 100 yard receiver or 100 yard rusher through the first half of the 2016 season. Hopefully they can keep that streak alive against the Steelers.
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Three: There has been a lot of talk about Dez Bryant since he returned to the lineup after the Dallas Cowboys bye week. At first all you heard was how many times he was targeted and that the ball was forced to him against the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, everyone’s talking about how he just had one reception for 19 yards against the Cleveland Browns. We all know that Bryant is active on social media and knows everything that’s being said about him. I wonder what his mindset is after hearing all this criticism about him? Bryant is an emotional player when on the field and is known for his sideline outburst when things are going his way. With everything going the Cowboys way so far in 2016, it would really be unfortunate if Bryant has one of his meltdowns if the offense struggles and he’s not being utilized the way he thinks he should be. This team has found success because they have bonded and have developed a chemistry with one another. Let’s hope they can remain drama free for the second half of the season.
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Four: The decision by the Dallas Cowboys not to trade Darren McFadden was a little bit surprising, especially after seeing what Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris have been able to do the first half of the 2016 season. The Cowboys must envision some kind of role for McFadden once he is added to the active roster, but I wonder what kind of role that will be? I don’t think he can beat Morris for that backup role behind Elliott, but he could possibly take Lance Dunbar’s spot since he can’t seem to stay healthy. This probably isn’t the scenario that McFadden thought he would find himself in with the Cowboys this season after finishing fourth in the NFL in rushing last year, but you have to respect the way he is handled everything like a professional.
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Five: As head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett has been known to usually side on the eer of caution when it comes to making in game decisions, but this year he has taken on a more aggressive approach and it has paid off so far. He has already converted some key fourth and short plays in game changing situations and has even allowed trick plays to be utilized with the game on the line. I wonder if this new mindset has him as the favorite to win Coach of the Year so far through the first half the season? It will be really interesting to see if he continues to be aggressive in the second half the season like he has the first eight games.
Is there anything you are wondering about this week?
Please feel free to use the comment section below to share your thoughts and opinions on this topic.
When will we see linebacker Smith in the lineup.
Brian, there is a very small chance that we see him towards the end of this year, but the more likely scenario is that he won’t be able to play until next year. He still waiting for the nerve in his knee to regenerate fully.
One thing that I noticed about Dez in the game with Cleveland is he got in his own way. There were a couple possible missed interference calls against the defender and every time he was on the sideline he was yakking about it and trying to get anybody he could to listen to him. He then had the clear TD pass that went right through his hands, possibly because he was still holding onto the negative stuff. Bottom line is that Dez maybe his own worst enemy and 21st this point in his career he should have figured out how to move past this.
Randy, I agree with you. I bet he is the one player that really wants Romo back at QB above all the others. He just hasn’t developed that chemistry with Prescott and his frustration is starting to show.