27 July 2020

By: Paulina Vairo

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With NFL camps opening, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot work to get done. Many questions still must be answered as to how the Cowboys can make a competitive run to the playoffs this season.

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Will the situation with Prescott’s franchise tag influence his performance this season?

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Dak Prescott loves Dallas, and Cowboys fans would like to see Dak stay for as long as possible. Prescott playing under the franchise tag this season should not affect his performance this season.

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Since joining the Cowboys in 2016, Prescott has had consistent performances, averaging 24 touchdowns, 3,900 passing yards and a 65 percent completion rate per season. Prescott has no bad blood with the Cowboys and is happy with the franchise tag he was given. Expect to see the same Prescott that this upcoming season.

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How does the addition of CeeDee Lamb influence the Cowboys offense?

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The addition of first-round draft pick wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will be a huge help for the Cowboys’ offense. Lamb, in three seasons with Oklahoma, totaled 32 touchdown catches, 3,292 receiving yards and 173 receptions.

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The Cowboys signed Lamb to a rookie four-year, $14.01-million deal, which includes a $7.7 million signing bonus last week, The Dallas Morning News reported. Lamb is tall, fast and has been rated as the most talented wide receiver from the 2020 draft. He will fit well alongside wide receiver Amari Cooper in the Cowboys’ offense this season with his talent.

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Can McCarthy bring the Cowboys to the NFC Championship game this season?

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Mike McCarthy has a pretty good resume with his time with the Packers. McCarthy spent 13 seasons with the Packers and his team managed to make the playoffs nine times. He has also managed his team to play in four conference championship games and win one Super Bowl. The Cowboys are just one of three teams who have not made the conference championship game this century, according to ESPN.

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McCarthy is also bringing to the Cowboys a full revamped coaching staff to try to change the way from Jason Garrett’s coaching methods. With McCarthy’s experience and the talented players on the roster, the Cowboys should not have a problem making it to the playoffs.

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But can the Cowboys do enough to make it into the NFC Championship game this season? That is up to the performance of both the players and the coaching staff and the work put in at the preseason camps.

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How can the Cowboys defense improve from last season?

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The Cowboys could have made the playoffs in 2019 if their defense wasn’t so awful. This season, the Cowboys will have new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan to turn their defense around. He can do this with the help of newly acquired defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe.

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Both Poe and McCoy will be a huge help for DeMarcus Lawrence, who struggled with no pass-rush help from his defensive tackles last season. Poe and McCoy can help double team teams inside and create more one on one opportunities for Lawrence, says Matthew Lenix from The Star. The Cowboys also acquired linebacker Aldon Smith, who will be extra help in the pass rush.

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How will the pandemic affect the Cowboys preparation for the season?

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The coronavirus pandemic will not only affect the Cowboys, but every team in the league. Last month many Cowboys players tested positive for coronavirus, including running back Ezekiel Elliot. The Cowboys will first have to make sure their players are practicing social distance protocols both on and off the field.

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As of right now, the NFL does not have any protocols set for the season yet, which prompted many NFL stars to take to social media using “#IWantToPlay” hashtags to express their willingness to play, only if there are safety guidelines in place.

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Since the NFL announced last week that there will be no preseasons games in 2020, the Cowboys will have to prep themselves in their training camps. This will make it very difficult for the Cowboys to improve on their defense if there will be no preseason games to prep them. The Cowboys must do a lot of work in their camps with the players they have if they want to have a successful season in 2020.

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(Article can also be seen on https://thegamehaus.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys-preseason-camp-preview/2020/07/27/ )