Dallas Cowboys Have 'Strong Feelings' About Practice Changes, Coach Mike McCarthy Reveals

The Dallas Cowboys have scored six touchdowns on 15 red-zone trips this season. And so naturally, inside The Star, this week's practice plan is going to look a bit different.

In 2022, when the Dallas Cowboys got down inside an opponent's 20-yard line, they scored a touchdown 71.4 percent of the time — the highest rate in the NFL. This year, that number has plummeted to 40 percent through the first three games, which is tied for 27th. 

Will the Cowboys go back and look at what they did last year to try and get over the hump that they've faced in the first three weeks of the season? No, head coach Mike McCarthy said, because they spent all of training camp looking at tape from last year's offense in the red zone.

However, Dallas will "spend more time" on red-zone offense this week, McCarthy said, starting with Wednesday and Thursday work inside The Star.

"That's just the way I've always done it," McCarthy said. "When things aren't right, just work harder at it and spend more time on it."

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) attempts to catch a pass against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Sunday / USA TODAY Sports

Dallas' problem of punching it in to the end zone when inside the 20-yard line was brought to light even more so against the Arizona Cardinals because it scored just one touchdown in five red-zone trips. However, against the New York Giants, the Cowboys scored three touchdowns on five trips, and versus the New York Jets they were 2-for-6.

Wide receiver Michael Gallup said Dallas has "too many weapons" that could potentially be clouding the Cowboys' success rate in the red zone. However, the Cowboys haven't gotten the ball to their top-three wide receivers in CeeDee Lamb, Gallup and Brandin Cooks as often as they should.

In the red zone, Lamb (who sat out Wednesday as a veteran's rest day) has gotten one target, Cooks has three targets — neither of whom have caught a pass — and Gallup has two receptions for 13 yards on three targets. Tight end Jake Ferguson has garnered eight targets in the red zone, which is the highest of any Dallas receiver.

Tony Pollard is tied with Ferguson with a team-high three receptions in the red zone this season. On the ground, Pollard has ran for 55 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, which equates to 2.29 yards per attempt.

Robert Griffin III suggested on "Get Up" Tuesday that the Cowboys miss Ezekiel Elliott's presence in the red zone before suggesting they trade for Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts to give the "mismatch" and "Jason Witten-type that they're missing."

That's "fantasy football'' stuff, though. We're dealing in reality. And whatever the cause may be, the man in charge is not worried with Dallas' red zone struggles through the first three games.

"We're not going to overreact to it," McCarthy said. "The most important thing is we're getting down there more than anybody. We lead the league in 10-plus (play) drives. We're moving the ball. That's the hard part. We have some strong feelings on things we know we can improve on."

Dallas will try and improve its red-zone efficiency against the New England Patriots, which has allowed four touchdowns in six opponent red zone trips, Sunday at 3:25 at AT&T Stadium. The game will be broadcast on FOX.