Dallas Cowboys need to unleash Brandon Weeden

Quarterback Brandon Weeden is more than capable of getting the job done, so the Dallas Cowboys should unleash him by opening things up offensively tonight.

The Cowboys are facing a pretty crucial game tonight on Sunday Night Football on the road against the New Orleans Saints. Despite their 39-28 loss last week to the Atlanta Falcons, Weeden played a pretty conservative game and showed hope that he’s more than capable of being under center.

More from Dallas Cowboys

ALSO ON NFL SPIN ZONE: Is Tom Landry the greatest head coach of all-time?

Weeden posted decent numbers in the Cowboys’ Week 3 loss as he totaled 232 passing yards on 22 completions for 0 touchdowns and an interception. Most of Weeden’s passes were pretty short but he had a completion percentage of 84.62% which shows his accuracy was pretty much on point.

The Saints’ defense is pretty vulnerable to a potent ground game and their defensive secondary won’t be able to keep up with the Cowboys’ receiving corps. This is the perfect game for offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to really unleash Weeden and let him air it out on offense once the ground game takes off as expected.

Considering that last week the offensive game planning was more centered towards short passes and establishing the run, the Cowboys still have one of the top offensive lines in the entire NFL. The Cowboys should focus on once again establishing the run against the Saints but also put Weeden in a position to make some attempts at big plays down the field.

When a quarterback steps into a starting role after being a backup the majority of the time, confidence is everything. Imagine the kind of boost Weeden would get if he truly had an efficient passing game that saw him throw for more than just a few yards per play?

While many fans of the Cowboys are worried that the season might be lost due to key injuries to quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant, they still have a solid depth chart with good enough talent to keep the ship afloat until they make their respective returns. Weeden can be a very good quarterback with a solid ground game behind him and the ability to build confidence by being trusted to get the job done, just like Romo did.

Sep 27, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden (3) celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

This is definitely a must-win game for the Cowboys but to achieve victory, Weeden needs to ensure he keeps up his accuracy and finish drives by putting points up on the board. Last week in his starting debut, Weeden looked good during the first half but things fizzled out towards the end of the game. Hopefully Linehan keeps the foot on the gas pedal and comes out aggressive against a defense that is known to give up big passing plays and allows over 100+ rushing yards per game.

Overall, Weeden is more than capable of keeping the Cowboys competitive but shouldn’t be restrained due to another conservative game plan against a Saints team that have yet to win a game this season. This is the perfect game to unleash Weeden and set the tone quite well until Romo is ready to return.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: Sean Lee is better than ever

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Dallas Cowboys