The Tribune

By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

OKAY Cowboy Nation, breath in, breath out.......shake it off, all is not lost, we are okay, and we will be just fine. No need to panic.

Here are two problem areas that haunted the Cowboys on Sunday, and their potential remedies, in order to keep the Cowboys playoff train on track, until ‘Zeke’ returns.

1. THE KEY PIECE

Yes, the Cowboys had one key player missing during Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, and crippled their entire offence.

No, it wasn’t suspended running back Ezekiel Elliott, it was injured left tackle Tyron Smith.

No, Smith did not make the trip to Atlanta with back and groin injuries. Smith’s All Pro Pedigree was confirmed. Without him, QB Dak Prescott and the Dallas offence had not the slightest chance.

Prescott was sacked a shocking eight times.

Six came from Adrian Clayborn, the Falcons’ situational edge rusher, at the expense of Smith’s overwhelmed fill-in, Chaz Green.

(It’s official he’s a Draft Bust, absolute waste of a third round pick. Green is garbage truck juice.)

This made the Cowboys one-dimensional which they didn’t expect. When neither Prescott nor Morris nor Smith was running, the Cowboys were passing on empty.

Despite as a team rushing for 108 yards, Prescott (20-for-30 passing, 176 yards) averaged 4.6 yards per pass attempt and was unable to buy time to push the ball downfield, even with his great mobility.

Dak Prescott in the past has been unfazed in high-scoring duels against quarterbacks of Matt Ryan’s calibre, he was in a rare situation, of being completely of his comfort zone. Thanks to Green, who looked very ‘green’ on Sunday.

THE APPROACH

All things considered, the Cowboys had to be pleased with what Morris and Smith did with a limited workload (14 carries, 67 yards) because of game flow.

It took just one rough afternoon in Atlanta to remind the Cowboys that Smith is more indispensable to their offence than Elliott is.

It’s obvious it’s impossible to compensate for the absence of an elite tackle like Smith.

The drop-off from Smith to Green and Bell was glaring, in relation from Elliott to Morris and Smith.

REALITY CHECK!

BRACE YOURSELVES

The Cowboys (5-4) have a huge, almost-must-win, NFC East, division game next Sunday night, in Dallas against the Eagles’ brutal front four. They will have no chance if Smith can’t return to the lineup.

2. SEAN LEE INJURED

AGAIN!

All Pro LB Sean Lee has already missed two games this season with a hamstring injury and Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said “it might be some time” before the veteran linebacker returns from the hamstring issue that sidelined him for most of Sunday’s 27-7 loss to the Falcons.

“We’ll take it day by day,” Garrett said Monday. “Don’t anticipate him practicing certainly immediately this week. It might be some time. We’ll see.” Next man up has to be the mantra like never before, this defensive unit of the Cowboys must prove to one and all, especially the naysayers, that it can preform to a high level, without Sean Lee.

Time for LB’s Jaylon Smith and Justin Durant to step up and fill the void.Those are the worst case scenarios, now if Smith can play, even without Lee, I like the Cowboys chances.If both Smith and Lee can play, without any setbacks throughout the game, I like the Cowboys in a romp at home. Yes I said it, write it down even. Anyway until next week, play hard or go home.

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net