Cowboys’ $80 Million Mistake? The Gamble That’s Haunting Dallas
Cowboys Struggle as $80 Million Gamble Begins to Backfire
The Dallas Cowboys find themselves at a crossroads. After a blowout loss in Denver, a game meant to serve as a measuring stick, it’s become painfully clear: this team isn’t built, at least yet, for a serious January run.
Offense Under Pressure
On the offensive side, quarterback Dak Prescott and his unit look like they’re playing survival mode—pressured to score on every possession just to stay competitive. That kind of mindset isn’t sustainable.
Meanwhile, the defense is leaking too much, placing even more burden on the offense to keep up.
Defensive Line: The Big Question Mark
The trenches were meant to be a strength. But now, glaring issues have emerged. There are players logging significant snaps who, in truth, might not crack the two-deep rotation of a contender.
Even with flashes from stars like Trevon Diggs, consistency has been elusive.
Osa Odighizuwa: Big Contract, Little Impact
This offseason the Cowboys committed to Odighizuwa with a four-year, $80 million extension—$50 million of it guaranteed. On paper, it looked smart: he had a breakout contract year and ranked among the league’s best interior defenders across pass-rush metrics.
But midway through the season, the returns aren’t there. His pass-rush grade sits at 66.6 (36th among interior defenders), he’s logged just one sack, and his run-defense grade is an underwhelming 51.1 (87th).
The question now looms: how much of his 2024 success was thanks to playing alongside Micah Parsons? With Parsons gone, Odighizuwa is no longer benefiting from double-teams being drawn away or opposing schemes focused elsewhere. And his impact has dropped significantly.
What Comes Next?
This isn’t about singling out one player. The issues run deeper: defensive depth problems, a pass-rush that has lost its bite, and an offense that’s doing more heavy lifting than it should.
But when you hand out a contract like Odighizuwa’s, you expect leadership, impact, game-changing plays. Right now? None of those are showing up. The Cowboys still have time to correct course—but their margin for error is razor-thin. If the front line doesn’t improve, this core could find itself far earlier than expected questioning everything it has built.
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