Cowboys at Packers: 2 players to buy, and 2 to sell
The Dallas Cowboys are heading to Green Bay for a Week 6 matchup with plenty of questions to answer after their disappointing 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The offense has shown it can put up points, but turnovers and missed opportunities continue to get in the way, while the defense is still struggling to make the plays that can change a game.
Here are two players to buy and two to sell heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Packers.
Buy: WR George Pickens
George Pickens finally delivered the kind of performance Cowboys fans have been waiting for, and Dallas needs to keep him involved as it heads into a difficult road matchup.
Against Tampa Bay, Pickens caught nine of 13 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown, giving him his best receiving performance of the season. His 18-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter also gave Dallas a chance to make things interesting late in the game. It was a strong response after a solid outing against Houston, when he caught two passes for 75 yards.
Through five games, Pickens has recorded 27 receptions for 355 yards and a touchdown, averaging 13.2 yards per catch. Those numbers leave a little to be desired, but his most recent performance showed what he can provide when Dak Prescott consistently looks his way. On top of that, all the defensive penalties he’s drawn have helped the Cowboys move the chains.
The key is making sure last week’s performance becomes a trend rather than a one-game spike. Pickens has shown he can be a difference-maker, and the Cowboys should continue giving him the targets to prove it.
Sell: DaRon Bland (and the defensive secondary)
Before last week’s disaster, the thinking was that the Cowboys’ secondary would eventually start making plays. That point, however, may continue to elude this secondary. Through five games, Dallas has zero interceptions, the worst possible number in a category that can change the direction of an entire game.
The lack of takeaways is especially frustrating because this defense has had opportunities. Against Tampa Bay, DaRon Bland nearly redeemed a difficult night when he got his hands on a pass from rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, only to drop a potential pick-six interception. Bland also committed costly penalties and even slipped in coverage at one point, allowing a huge play.
Bland’s struggles are becoming increasingly difficult to overlook. He has built a reputation as a playmaker, but the Cowboys need more than reputation right now. They need sound coverage, fewer costly penalties and, most importantly, interceptions. Bland and the secondary have not delivered consistently enough in any of those areas.
Joey Porter Jr.’s return gives Dallas another experienced cornerback option, but adding talent to the back end will only go so far if the pass rush cannot make quarterbacks uncomfortable. The Cowboys have recorded just five sacks through five games. When quarterbacks have time to survey the field, even capable defensive backs can be left covering receivers for too long.
That is the larger issue: the secondary has not created turnovers, but it is also being asked to hold up while the pass rush struggles to generate consistent pressure against an explosive passing game. Dallas needs both units to improve.
Until the defensive backs start turning opportunities into takeaways and the front creates more disruption, it is hard to trust this group against a Green Bay offense led by Jordan Love and featuring big-play receivers like Christian Watson.
Buy: Javonte Williams
Javonte Williams has been productive enough this season to deserve more opportunities, especially when Dallas gets inside the red zone. The Cowboys have leaned on him at times, but his workload should be a bigger part of the offensive plan against Green Bay.
Williams has carried the ball 74 times for 276 yards and six rushing touchdowns through five games, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. He has also contributed 17 receptions for 94 yards and a receiving touchdown. The rushing average is hardly eye-popping, but the touchdown production is difficult to overlook: Williams has consistently been a useful option when Dallas needs to finish a drive.
He scored Dallas’ opening touchdown against Tampa Bay, punching in a one-yard run to cap the Cowboys’ first possession. He also broke off a 21-yard gain earlier in the drive, showing he can contribute beyond short-yardage situations.
The opportunity here is about balance. Dallas has relied heavily on Prescott and the passing game, and while that can produce plenty of yardage, the offense becomes more predictable when the run game is an afterthought. Giving Williams more carries would help the Cowboys stay ahead of the chains, keep the defense honest and potentially create better play-action opportunities for Prescott and his receivers.
Green Bay’s defense has been more effective at creating turnovers than Dallas’, but the Cowboys should still look for ways to test the Packers on the ground rather than asking Prescott to carry the offense on every important possession. Williams’ six rushing touchdowns demonstrate that he can be trusted in scoring situations. Dallas needs to give him a bigger role and see whether that production can translate into more consistent success between the 20s.
Sell: Jake Ferguson
Jake Ferguson keeps landing on this list for all the wrong reasons. Ferguson’s performance against Tampa Bay was the kind that can change how a team evaluates a player’s role. The tight end finished with three catches for 19 yards on six targets, and two of his drops included the night’s most damaging play: a late-game mistake that turned a potential comeback drive into a game-sealing interception.
Ferguson also dropped a pass during Dallas’ two-minute drive before halftime, costing the offense an opportunity. The mistakes weren’t limited to one moment; a growing supply of film shows how much of a liability he has become in the blocking game.
The concerns go beyond one game. Ferguson has not eclipsed 43 receiving yards in any of his first five games, and he has not provided the consistent production Dallas needs from a starting tight end. His value is not measured only by catches and yards; he also needs to be a dependable target in the middle of the field and help the offense convert important downs. Instead, his recent drops have become a major source of frustration.
Ferguson has earned the opportunity to bounce back, but that does not mean the Cowboys should ignore what happened in Tampa Bay. Dallas needs dependable execution, particularly in high-leverage situations. After another costly performance, Ferguson has to prove he can regain the trust Prescott and the offense need from him.
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