The receivers seem to be struggling to get open. Is that a talent problem or a scheme problem? – Vin Hrasky/Iowa City, IA
Mickey: Not sure there is a simple answer to that. Some might have to do with the route designs. Some might have to do with the lack of experience out there now. Remember injuries matter. No Brandin Cooks matters. Without him every guy must take one step up the ladder. Jalen Tolbert has never been a No. 2 receiver, barely a No. 3 to start the season. Tell me who is No. 3? Is it Jalen Brooks, in his second season as a seventh-round draft choice. Is it KaVontae Turpin, an undrafted basically return guy in his third season the Cowboys are converting into more of an all-purpose receiver. Or maybe Ryan Flournoy, a sixth-round pick who had played all of 10 NFL snaps before the Detroit game. These things don't happen overnight.
Tommy: I don't think talent is the issue for the receivers, CeeDee Lamb got the contract he did for a reason, and Jalen Tolbert has shown he can step up when he's needed to as well. There's some truth to what Troy Aikman said in the sense that the routes the Cowboys have been running haven't been great, but at the same time with Dallas' lack of a run game more defense are dropping back an extra defender or two to take away the passing lanes. When you mix all of that together, I think that's what gets you to the current result and issue: A lack of separation.
