FRISCO, Texas – Sustainable seems to be a very popular word these days.
Sustainable energy.
Sustainable gardens.
Sustainable food.
Well, how about we propose one more?
Sustainable offense.
That's right, offense, as in the Cowboys' top-ranked NFL offense, producing 390.6 yards per game after the first seven weeks of the season.
The No. 2 scoring team, averaging 31.7 points a game.
The No. 2 passing offense, averaging 268.4 passing yards per game.
The No. 3 rushing offense, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt.
No. 1 when it comes to average sacks allowed per pass play, right at .03 per attempt.
Yep, this is what this Cowboys offense, under the direction of head coach and play-caller Brian Schottenheimer, is doing in these first seven games of the season, and maybe most importantly, on pace to score a 17-game single-season franchise-high 539 points, nine more than the 2021 season. And when it comes to the franchise's highest single-season average, that 31.7 would be the average high if sustained, besting the 1983 season's average of 29.9 points.
So, we ask, is this just a seven-game flash in the pan, or is this what we should come to expect from this offense? One that has already produced three 40-point outings and another 37-pointer, only having turned in just one offensive clunker, that being the 14 points scored in the loss at Chicago.
Maybe we are about to find out coming this Sunday against the 5-2 Denver Broncos atEmpower Field at Mile High when they will face the NFL's third-ranked defense when it comes to total yards and one giving up just 18.1 points a game. Only twice so far have the Broncos given up more than 23 points in a game, the 32 this past Sunday scored by the Giants and the Colts' 29. In the other four, no more than 17 points.
Here is the other blinking-light statistic. The Broncos lead the NFL with 34 sacks, eight more than the Rams' next highest total of 26 and the most seven-game sack total to start a season since Kansas City's 35 in 2013. That's the main reason why defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's bunch is ranked No. 1 when coming to passing net yards yielded per play.
These guys are a load at Mile High, which these teams in Denver's 5,280-foot elevation love to remind opponents before and during any sort of competition. Have the oxygen ready. It's real, believe me, at least initially. After that, it's football.
And the Cowboys need to be offensive.
• Oh, That Smile: Not a soul during Wednesday's initial practice preparing to face the Broncos could have been happier than No. 0, DeMarvion Overshown. He was participating in his first helmets-and-pads practice since last playing in a football game on Dec. 9 when he suffered a complicated torn ACL. The Cowboys opened his 21-day practice window coming off of injured reserve/return. Now, he practiced on a limited basis, basically doing some technique exercises and individual drills. Limited means DeMo didn't do everything, though most short of participating in team periods. But tell you what, just to see that smile on his face on the practice field and in the locker room makes everyone else smile. "Not one day did I wake up without a smile on my face and enjoy the joys he has blessed me with over this, what, 317 days that I'vebeen injured. I've been blessed with a kid and blessed to be engaged, just blessed to be around people who genuinely care and love me," Overshown said, and again, with a wide smile. "I didn't lose any sleep, and I woke up every day smiling." In turn, even making little ol' me smile, too.
• Has A Chance: Also returning to practice after spending his required four games on IR is starting center Cooper Beebe, seemingly fully recovered from his high ankle sprain suffered in Game 3. Even though this was the first time in pads since then, at least Beebe has gone through a full offseason, training camp, preseason and two full games of football. Limited, of course, but he just might be ready to resume his spot on the offensive line, though if not, backup Brock Hoffman has done a commendable job in his place. Beebe tells me his toughest hurdle on Wednesday was to "trust" the ankle, but once he realized all was good, said he was able to participate on some of the team sessions.
• Many Happy Returns: This coming out of the NFL owners meeting in New York this week, that the new kickoff rules, including trying to encourage more returns by placing balls landing in the end zone on a fly for touchbacks bringing the ball out to the 40-yard line, has caused 877 kickoff returns the first seven weeks of the season, a near 40 percent increase from the 2024 season. Just the increased excitement desired.
• Picture Perfect: This might have flown under the radar when the NFL altered replay reviews. First, the replay assistant instead of located up in a stadium booth now works at a central review location in New York monitoring each game. Also installed in each stadium are 12 boundary cameras to cover more angles on replays, and the control tower now has the ability to almost instantly give team coaches a replay review without waiting on TV. And this clear view has increased successful challenges by 20 percent, going from last year's 40-percent success rate to this year's seven-game 60 percent. Teams have succeeded on 36 of 60 challenges so far, muchbetter than the 21 of 53 at the same point in 2024. Hey, sometimes technology really does helps.
• Fourth Quarter Man: Maybe mostly thanks to Sunday's 33-32 come-from-way-behind victory over the Giants, but the Cowboys best beware of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix reaching the fourth quarter, when Denver put all 33 points on the Giants. Over the past three games, Nix in the fourth quarter has completed 45 of 66 passes (68 percent) for 494 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 104 QB rating. Nix threw two of those touchdown passes in the fourth quarter against New York and ran for two more to help wipe out 19-0 and 26-8 Giants leads.
• Streaking Of Another Kind: Sure, everyone seems familiar with Dak Prescott having thrown three touchdown passes in each of the past four games, but don't forget this: Tight endJake Ferguson has a four-game touchdown reception streak going, totaling six scores, and running back Javonte Williams has run for touchdowns in three of the past four games and in five of the seven. His six rushing touchdowns already match last year's team total of six and his seven overall (one reception) equals last year's team touchdown leader Jalen Tolbert's seven.
• In Other Words: Now, the Giants couldn't fire the entire defense for the fourth quarter meltdown, but they did release the backup kicker Jude McAtamney, responsible for missing two extra points, the second with 37 seconds remaining after quarterback Jaxson Dart ran for a touchdown, giving the Giants a 32-30 lead but leaving the door open for Will Lutz's game-winning walk-off field goal as time expired … Dallas moving veteran receiver Jonathan Mingo off IR as his 21-day practice window was expiring leaves the Cowboys six receivers on the 53-man roster, and since someone had to go, backup offensive lineman Trevor Keegan (neck) was placed on injured reserve … When Schottenheimer was asked if he might give kicker Brandon Aubrey an opportunity to attempt a 70-yard field goal in the thin air of Denver, he very coyly said, "I'll have to see how he practices," though he darn well knows before Sunday's game at AT&T with the roof closed but the end zone doors wide open, Aubrey during pregame warmups hit from 60 and easily would have been good from 70 … While cornerback Trevon Diggs still is in concussion protocol following his home accident a week ago Thursday, at least he was at The Star on Wednesday. But he's running out of time to emerge by Sunday's 3:25 p.m. kickoff.
Speaking of sustainability and streaks, let's go to Schottenheimer understanding this hot and cold, up and down seven-game start to the Cowboys' 2025 season, resulting in a 3-3-1 record, needs to end by getting on a roll these final two games against Denver and Arizona before hitting the bye in Week 10.
"We've got to sustain success, putting together streaks, just like we've done with ball security, taking care of the football four straight games without giving it away, and four straight games with creating a takeaway. You know, we have to do that with wins," he told the team. "You've got to put together streaks of wins. You can't win, lose, win lose, win lose because what you get when you look at that is 8-9, 9-8, whatever – 17 games, it's a little harder to do the math for me.
"But it starts with today, the prep for today, and I'm not surprised, this is a tough place to go and play. This is a good football team, well-coached, talented, Sean (Payton) is obviously a championship coach. I've played a number of games there, and shoot, Denver haunts the Schottenheimers in some regards. I don't want to go back to whenever it was, whatever year it was, it was bad. The ol' fumble and Jeramiah Castille, tough place to play," referencing his dad Marty's Cleveland team in position to win the 1987 AFC Championship Game at Denver when an unblocked Castille forced an Ernest Byrner lost fumble at the 3-yard line, enabling the Broncos to secure a 38-33 victory to reach Super Bowl XXII.
"But I told the guys, I love going there to play. It's going to be loud and crazy, and that's what you want."
See there, a shot at maintaining some "sustainability."
