4 reasons the Dallas Cowboys will disappoint in 2022

The Dallas Cowboys have high hopes for the 2022 season but these four factors could lead to them feeling disappointed by years end

Sadly, Dallas Cowboys fans are used to disappointment. Since their 1995 Super Bowl season, they’ve been held out of the NFC Championship Game while 13 of the other 15 teams in the conference have been there twice since that span.

Even with that being the case, this fan base continues to show up and cheer for their club — and they will do so again in 2022. But should they find themselves upset at the end of the year once again, it will be due to one of these four issues.

Reasons the Dallas Cowboys will disappoint in 2022

4. Health of the offensive line

The Cowboys did add to their offensive line in the 2021 NFL Draft by taking Tyler Smith out of Tulsa in the first round.

It’s a risky move for them since Smith was known for drawing penalties throughout his collegiate career and Dallas already has major issues with penalties, but they’re betting on their ability to clean this up.

That feels like a high-risk bet since this was an issue well before Mike McCarthy took over as head coach. It’s also not the only bet they’re taking.

By releasing La’el Collins and not re-signing Connor Williams, the Cowboys are now going to be using Terence Steele at right tackle and Smith at left guard. That leaves veteran Tyron Smith at left tackle without an experienced option behind him.

This could be a major issue since the blindside protector for Dak Prescott has not played a full season in the league since Prescott was in his final season at Mississippi State. And over the past two years, Smith has missed a total of 20 games.

Smith is an absolute stud when he plays but betting on him staying healthy for another season might not be wise.

3. Regression to the mean

For years, the Cowboys were one of the worst teams in the NFL in creating turnovers. For whatever reason, they just could never get the ball back for their offense and it was a major reason for the struggles of their defense overall.

Then in 2021, something changed. Dallas recorded 26 interceptions and recovered nine fumbles on the season and scored six touchdowns on defense. They even did something the franchise hadn’t accomplished since 2010, forcing at least four takeaways in three separate games.

Some of that is due to the style of play Dan Quinn brought over, but some of that fortune was simply luck. There were times when a fortunate bounce that wouldn’t have gone their way in years past just happened to go in their favor in 2021.

Unfortunately, that’s not likely to be the case in 2022. This isn’t to say it’s going to go back to the days of cornerbacks being allergic to the ball, but there’s a good chance the defense forces a lot fewer takeaways this season.

If that does happen to be the case, they could be in trouble. Last year, Dallas didn’t surrender many points on defense but they were 19th in the NFL in yardage surrendered. Take those turnovers away, and that could lead to Quinn’s unit struggling.

2. Defensive line has too many holes

This offseason much has been made about the Cowboys losing Randy Gregory to the Denver Broncos. Even with it generating so much attention, this loss might not sting so bad after all.

Dallas did well in replacing Gregory since they signed Dante Fowler, added Sam Williams in the draft, and re-signed Dorance Armstrong.

This doesn’t mean they will be elite on the edge, but they should be able to replace Gregory’s production with these three while also relying on DeMarcus Lawrence to continue being DeMarcus Lawrence.

But while so much has been made of the status of the right defensive end, it seems many are looking past another problem which is the interior of the line. Right now, Dallas is slated to start Neville Gallimore and Osa Odighizuwa.

They do also have veteran Carlos Watkins and rookie John Ridgeway, but overall, this is a group that has yet to prove themselves.

Odighizuwa had a quick start to his first season but then seemed to hit a rookie wall. Gallimore continues to show flashes but has issues staying healthy. Watkins did well last season but he’s not threatening to be an All-Pro any day.

Ridgeway might have the most upside right now — and they like second-year man Quinton Bohanna — but there’s not much-proven depth on the interior of the D-line. The players they do have are being asked to step up, and if they don’t, it could lead to some rough outings against high-powered rushing attacks.

1. Overpaying the RB comes back to haunt

There’s no way to spin the contract Dallas gave to Ezekiel Elliott in a good way. Most teams know by now that if you do pay a running back, you pay them for a very short period of time — preferably three-to-four years, with an out after two.

The Cowboys, however, allowed a holdout from Zeke to lead to an extension — on a contract that already had two more years on it. Jerry Jones and his front office elected to sign Elliott through the 2026 season while adding $90 million to his deal.

This albatross of a contract has already started to make things tough on the franchise as they had to trade Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick this offseason simply to make room in the salary cap. They were also unable to retain Cedrick Wilson who had a career year in 2021.

So in a passing league where the best aerial attacks make it to the title games, Dallas is all-in on a running back who isn’t even as effective as his backup, Tony Pollard. Even with Pollard being a more explosive player, they will continue to roll with Elliott because, well, that’s what they do in Big D.

When the owner is as involved in day-to-day operations as Jones is, the coaches will keep playing the guy who has the biggest salary. And that’s hurt them on the field, and now is hurting them on the depth chart.

If things do go wrong in 2022, a major portion of the blame can be pinned on what might be the worst contract in all of football.