Cowboys offensive line not ready for the season-opener Womens Taco Charlton Jersey , need dramatic improvement in Week 2 If the Dallas Cowboys were hoping to show the world their revamped offense would be a force, they certainly came up short in the season-opener. The Cowboys offense was non-existent through most of the game, losing to the Carolina Panthers 16-8. In a game where the defense had their own issues but held the opposition to just 16 points, the offense provided absolutely no help. The main reason for that lies with an offensive line that was far from its reputation as one of the league’s best, instead they struggled all day long. Dak Prescott was sacked six times. He was under pressure much more than that and was hit 10 times. There was plenty of blame to go around. Prescott, when not under pressure, had some opportunities to do damage, but he missed them. Most egregious was his failure to hit a wide open Blake Jarwin who had gotten behind the defense as a result of busted coverage. There were other passes that were off target on the day, it certainly wasn’t the kind of performance that was going to silence those who doubt him. He has to do better.The Cowboys receivers, both the wide receivers and the tight ends, were struggling to get open. There were times when you looked down the field and Prescott had absolutely no where to go with the ball. It wasn’t the receiver-by-committee approach we all had hoped for. Only Cole Beasley stood out as a player who made something happen. When you get down to it, though, it all starts with the offensive line. The Cowboys want to run the ball and for long stretches of the game there was just no room. Ezekiel Elliott managed to end up with somewhat respectable stats, 15 carries for 69 yards and one touchdown, but most of that came on just a couple of drives, the rest of the time he was having no real impact. With no running lanes, he was stymied at the line of scrimmage far too often. The run-blocking matched the pass-blocking in its ineffectiveness. Tyron Smith started the game off with two penalties. The Cowboys actually had a nice offensive play in their opening series, a quick screen to Tavon Austin Womens Leighton Vander Esch Jersey , but Smith’s block in the back negated it. Connor Williams struggled, especially as the game wore on. He has two major flaws that we saw in preseason, and we saw them again. One, he can be bull-rushed. He has a hard time anchoring down and holding off these NFL defensive tackles. Second, he can dip his head and reach, which is terrible technique, and then he gets beat. He’s got some learning still to do. La’el Collins also struggled, he was part of the sack parade and the penalty parade. He’s still very much a work in progress.It does need to be said that the Carolina Panthers posses a very talented front seven. Kawaan Short is a beast at defensive tackle and he had his way with the interior of the Cowboys line. The linebacker duo of Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson did a phenomenal job of filling the rushing lanes and holding Zeke in check. This is a very good front seven, among the best in the NFL. So there are some mitigating circumstances.But, the Cowboys offensive line just wasn’t good enough. Without looking at the tape it’s hard to judge everything, like how well Joe Looney did throughout. Still, you have to believe this would be a better unit if Travis Frederick were able to play. The Cowboys can’t count on that anytime soon, so they better work on improving what they have. Connor Williams is going to need to grow up fast. La’el Collins has to be better. There is blame to go around. Dak Prescott absolutely has to play better. The coaching staff, including Scott Linehan, have to figure out why their attack was so anemic. The receivers have to do a better job of presenting a target, especially when the play breaks down and the scramble drill is on. Even if that all is corrected, without better play from the offensive line, this team will need its defense to be the ‘85 Bears. Last week Youth Allen Hurns Jersey , it appeared as if the Cowboys season was already finished. The trade for Amari Cooper did not help Dallas get back on a track with a win following the bye week, the defense turned in its worst performance of the year, and the coaching staff was under more fire than ever after falling to a then 3-4 Tennessee Titans squad at home. It was anything but good vibes in Dallas.Then, the Cowboys went out there and did that — knock off their arch-nemesis in enemy territory by running the ball down their throats and enforcing their will in a must-win game. The victory shows us how good this team can be when things are clicking right.Philadelphia and their top-10 ranked total defense welcomed in a struggling Cowboys offense — that had contemplated moving on from the man that is currently calling the plays — for a Sunday Night Football showdown. As expected, all but one of the BTB front-page writers picked the Eagles to come out victorious. (Shoutout OCC)Dallas had other plans. Behind a monster performance from running back Ezekiel Elliott — 151 yards, 7.9 yards-per-carry average, and two total touchdowns against the league’s second-ranked run defense — and a bounce-back game from quarterback Dak Prescott — 270 yards passing and two total scores on a 72% completion rate — the Cowboys saved their 2018 season in a big, big way.It wasn’t just the points that the Cowboys were able to put up against a top-5 scoring defense, it was the way that they were able to do it. We have discussed that Ezekiel Elliott has struggled at times this season, as has the offensive line, but on Sunday we saw a team that showed that they can run the football on anybody. Zeke averaged just under eight yards per rush and he often made the defenders look silly, such as this instance:Zeke looked like his old self and it came at the perfect time. It helped Dak Prescott put together one of his best statistical games of the year. Prescott had some plays that he and the team will want back when watching the tape, but the third-year signal caller led some gusty touchdown drives at times when the Cowboys needed them the most — the drive just before the half certainly comes to mind.Sunday night was huge for the confidence of this offense. They showed that they are capable of winning on the road while putting up points against a well-regarded defense that possesses a very strong front. The million dollar question is this: will it carry over, or was this a one-game thing? The way this season has gone, it would not be a surprise if it is the latter; however, the victory on Sunday Night Football is certainly a huge step in a positive direction. Custom Miami Dolphins Jerseys