'The Biggest Losers': Where Are Cowboys In SI's Week 2 Power Rankings?
The Dallas Cowboys may not have kicked their season off as planned with a 20-17 Sunday night loss at the Los Angeles Rams ... but the Sports Illustrated staff at "The MMQB'' remains a collection of believers.
In SI's latest NFL Power Rankings, the Cowboys just missed out on the top 10, listed in the 11th slot. The highest-ranked of all the 0-1 teams, they remain above the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Football Team, and Chicago Bears, all of whom finished Week 1 with a 'W.'
Everyone came out of Sunday night’s game talking about Michael Gallup’s OPI, but even before that play I thought it was notable how frequently Dak Prescott looked to Amari Cooper, throughout the game and on their crucial drive that fell short. He got more than double the number of targets of anyone else on the team, when I would have expected a little more balance. We all know this team has plenty of talent, but the injuries in Week 1 are a real concern - Mitch Goldich, SI.
It is a statement of Goldich's faith in the depth of this Cowboys team that he still ranks them above teams like the Titans, who are fresh off of a near-Super Bowl berth in 2019.
Painful Season opener
As they enter the post-Garrett era, the Cowboys under new boss Mike McCarthy have reason to remain optimistic.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott finished Week 1 with two touchdowns and 127 total yards to his name while linebacker Aldon Smith's return to the NFL couldn't have gone much better as he recorded his first sack since 2015.
Defensive end Everson Griffen started his Cowboys career well with a defended pass, and linebacker Joe Thomas had a decent game in place of Leighton Vander Esch recording a quarterback hit.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the seriousness of the injuries. The aforementioned Vander Esch suffered yet more bad luck after missing nine games in 2019 with a neck injury, suffering a fractured collarbone against the Rams that will sideline him for around six-eight weeks.
READ MORE: BREAKING: Cowboys LB Sean Lee Surgery News
Dallas is already without veteran linebacker Sean Lee who is recovering from a sports hernia operation which should keep him out for six weeks.
Elsewhere, starting tight end Blake Jarwin has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, while backup offensive tackle Cameron Erving is set to miss between six-eight weeks after sustaining a sprained knee also in Week 1.
Jarwin's loss will be sorely felt given the departure of Jason Witten after last season, leaving Dalton Schultz as the starter this week. ... and leaving the Cowboys hoping they can power-up against the visiting Falcons on Sunday.
