3 players the Cowboys need to step up if they are going to win out

What will it take for the Cowboys to win out in your opinion?

The Dallas Cowboys will probably need to win out if they are to have any chance of winning the NFC East division and avoid becoming a wild card club in the postseason. Dallas may now re-enter the division battle after losing to Seattle on Monday night. Although they will require some assistance, a victory in their last three games might secure the division title.

Dallas won’t be able to win this one easily. Miami and Detroit, the Cowboys’ two playoff opponents, will be challenging games to play. If they hope to defeat them both, they will have to perform significantly better than they did last Sunday in Buffalo.

If the Cowboys want to win and finish the season with a 13-4 record, a few people will need to step up. Today, we examine three individuals that must play well for Dallas to finish the season on a three-game winning run.

1) LB Damone Clark

The performance of Dallas’ linebackers was a major factor in their defensive setback on Sunday. Leading those troubles was 23-year-old Damone Clark, who was having one of his worst days as a professional. Pro Football Focus reports that the former LSU Tiger’s defensive grade of 49.8 was his second-worst of the year..

The Lions and Dolphins, Dallas’ next two opponents, have two of the top five rushing offenses in the league. Their defense must prioritize stopping the run if they want to win those games. They’ll need much greater performance from their linebackers—more especially, from Clark—in order to do that.

In the middle of the season, the former fifth-round selection had some potential; Dallas will need him to regain that form in these next three games.

2) OT Terence Steele

Terence Steele has been the true X-factor on Dallas’ offensive line this season. When Steele plays well, the

The major triumph goes to the cowboys. The Cowboys are 6-2 and have outscored their opponents 261-126 in games where Steele has given up two or fewer pressures this season. Dallas is 8-2 in games where Steele receives a Pass Blocking Efficiency rating of more above 94 according to PFF.

Steele’s performance has a direct impact on Dallas’s collective success. The Cowboys will need Steele to perform at his peak this week against the skilled pass rush of the Dolphins.

There’s a decent probability Dallas’ offense will put on strong performances in their last three regular-season games if Steele performs well in the closing games.

 

3) RB Tony Pollard

As a whole, a running back’s success is greatly dictated by the performance of a team’s offensive line, but what a boost it would be for Dallas’ offense if they could get the old Tony Pollard back for the last three games of the regular season.

It appeared as though Pollard had somewhat recovered his explosiveness from Weeks 8 through 11. The 26-year-old averaged 4.7 yards per play and had six broken tackles in his four games. Since then, Pollard has somewhat regressed, averaging just 3.8 Y/A in the previous three games for Dallas.

Last season, Dallas won a number of crucial games because to Pollard’s offensively stimulating moves. They probably won’t be able to win these next two games until they score close to thirty points, given their previous inability to stop the run on the defensive end of the ball. That would be a lot simpler if Pollard could contribute much on offense.