Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
The Dallas Cowboys are facing questions after Week 5, and now head coach Mike McCarthy is being urged to bench a veteran receiver. McCarthy is urging calm after the loss. But a change, specifically one involving Michael Gallup, may be needed in order for the Cowboys to get back on track.
It’s not easy to be an NFL offense, especially when playing the San Francisco 49ers. But the Cowboys have given back all the credit they earned in the first month of the season by losing 42-10 to the NFC West franchise last Sunday.
Now, Bleacher Report analyst David Kenyon is calling for Gallup to hit the bench. Gallup is one of the most experienced WRs on the roster. But Kenyon believes it’s time for Jalen Tolbert to hit the field.
“I can already feel the anger,” Kenyon’s article reads. “And the contract situation makes it a complex issue. Through five weeks, though, Michael Gallup is 75th out of 88 receivers in separation percentage against single coverage, per John Owning of Pro Football Focus. That’s simply not good enough, especially when 2022 third-rounder Jalen Tolbert is a bench option.”
Tolbert is an exciting talent, but is still unproven. Meanwhile, Gallup brings experience but has yet to move the needle this season.
Mike McCarthy Has Choice Between Gallup and Tolbert
There’s no doubt that the Cowboys have talented receivers. The question is who best complements the No. 1 and No. 2 pass-catchers in CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
So far, Gallup has produced at a steady but uninspiring rate. PFR states that Gallup has caught 15 of 22 targets for 180 yards. He’s averaging decent yards per catch, and his catch rate is actually the highest it’s ever been in seven seasons in Dallas.
However, Kenyon’s mention of his issue getting separation is a problem, especially when the team struggles to score points. Tolbert is a more enticing option in that sense, as he is a bit younger and quicker.
But Tolbert isn’t on the field often for a reason, although it’s not clear why. He has played 39% of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps so far, but only notched catches in two games. Tolbert has seven catches for 71 yards on the season.
It’s fair to think Gallup is the weak link, but it’s not necessarily true that Tolbert would be better. It may be time for the 2022 third-rounder to get a starting chance, but Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys staff clearly think he is still a work-in-progress.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Responds to CeeDee Lamb
Frustrations were aired out after the Cowboys’ recent loss to the 49ers, including from CeeDee Lamb. Dallas’ star receiver questioned the team’s offensive identity, which Mike McCarthy then downplayed as Heavy recently covered.
Now, Dak Prescott is responding. Jonathan Adams recently wrote up how the Cowboys QB answered his receiver’s words and what Prescott thinks the team can do to get back on the same page.
“A frustrated player/person that feels like we all could’ve done better and feels like he can change the game, I understand it. I really do,” Prescott said on October 13. “I really do. So it’s in the sense of just communicating with him. Asking him ways that he thinks [we can improve], targets I guess, that he thinks he can get it more [and] where we can get [those targets].”
That will be easier said than done, but Prescott and Lamb have extensive success together. The first chance to rebound will be against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 16.