A deeper look shows Cowboys’ red zone issues might be overblown

The Cowboys are near the bottom of the league in red zone efficiency but many of their issues will likely correct themselves in coming weeks, says @ReidDHanson.

The Cowboys have a red zone problem. Filed under “well, duuuh” in the self-help section of the local library, it’s an issue that everyone seems to be aware of, but nobody knows how to fix. One thing everyone seems to agree on is given the schedule ahead, it’s an issue that needs to be corrected immediately or the Cowboys will never clear the hurdle they’ve been tripping over the past two years.

Their current red zone rate of 36.84% ranks them 30th in the league. It’s a far cry from the league-leading 71.43% they boasted under Kellen Moore in 2022 and an early indictment of Mike McCarthy’s play-calling early into his tenure.

Dallas made a concentrated effort to correct their red zone issues in Week 4 against the hapless Patriots, but instead of climbing out of the hole, they fell further in, going just 1-of-4 in the red zone.

No one will deny the red zone is an issue at this point, but there’s reasons to believe the issues are overblown when a deeper analysis is made.