Scott Linehan is out. Though the Cowboys made a historic turnaround from 3-5 to finish 10-6 Ibraheim Campbell Jersey , and won their division and a playoff game, the tribe has spoken. Is it fair to attach all the blame for their struggles to one man when others have a hand in it too? Probably not, but it’s a fitting dismissal in this case after all the significant changes that were largely implemented by Linehan. After a disappointing end to last season, Linehan begged for the biggest stick in the offensive decision making and it was given to him. He turned over all but one of his position coaches, was influential in the release of Dez Bryant, and was a huge seller of the receiver-by-committee approach. Every decision he played a major role in implementing was under the microscope as Dallas sat two games below .500 at the halfway point. During the bye week, the Cowboys walked back Linehan’s hiring of Paul Alexander, a tenured, respected coach that was just a disastrous fit in Dallas. Alexander was replaced in-house with recently re-signed assistant Marc Colombo, a favorite among the lineman. That committee idea was also axed as the Cowboys struck a mid-season trade for Amari Cooper.Prior to his arrival, the passing offense had already been read its last rights. In the final two months of this season, Cooper’s addition along with elevated play by Dak Prescott had helped Dallas make a steady climb:2018Total YdsPassingRushingPPGTotal TDsRZ%3DN%Though the offense found some success, they never fully eradicated the stubbornness in their play-calling and rarely made any adjustments. All coaches have tendencies to stick with what has worked before but you have to make edits along the way and know when something doesn’t fit. Linehan’s offense does work, has worked, and might work again but it could no longer coexist with the Cowboys current personnel. The Cowboys were experiencing steady declines in an era designed for offenses to dominate. SeasonTotal YdsPassingRushingPPGTotal TDsRZ%3DN%Avg. RankThe Cowboys offense dropped from eighth to 11th in 2017 and took a nosedive to 20th in 2018. Comparing the Cowboys to the NFL’s top offenses is saddening:Minus 1,300+ in total yards, at the Cowboys’ pace, it would take four games to reach thatMinus 1,700+ passing yards Allen Hurns Color Rush Jersey , a pace of seven games to reach the markMinus nearly 600 rushing yards, a pace of five games to reachDallas scored two touchdowns less per game on average than the top offensesCowboys offense was 25% less efficient in the red zone despite having Dak Prescott (tied for seventh in RZ TD’s) and Zeke (tied for sixth in RZ TD’s)Three years into the Dak Prescott-era and Linehan was still trying to prove that he could fit him into the “Air Coryell” formula? Instead of embracing his quarterback’s athleticism with designed runs, play-action passing, or misdirection plays in the backfield, Linehan handcuffed his own offense. The playoff loss to LA was a timely reminder of an extremely dysfunctional relationship between this play-caller and his personnel. That game served as sort of a “here is what you’re missing” hint for Jason Garrett and the Cowboys’ ownership. It’s amazing that the Cowboys have had three consecutive winning seasons through all the dysfunction.The Cowboys are tied with the Saints and Eagles for the third-most franchise wins since 2016 at 33 victories, Linehan has been a part of all that. However, you have to evolve every year in this league to have lasting power, the Patriots do so with a 41-year-old pocket passer. The Cowboys roster drastically changed in the past three seasons with no revisions to fit these roster moves, it was stale and predictable but also hard to execute for guys with completely different skill sets.Too often, Dallas was stubbornly running plays without the horses for the race. The Cowboys were trying to recreate the dominating rushing attack from two years ago but there was a big difference from that team to this incarnation. That 2016 line consisted of Tyron Smith, Ronald Leary, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and Doug Free. They were among the best lines in franchise history and any that were better have the hardware to prove it. Besides, that line gave up half the sacks that this year’s group did. Nothing against a unit that overachieved in some ways but to expect that level of success in the trenches from such a compromised unit was naive on Linehan’s part. It’s even less likely to work when the league knows that you have to run the football to function. That was the reality this team lived in for half of the season without any proven threats in the passing game.Elliott was asked prior to the season opener about the lack of outside weapons and the extra attention he would receive:17% of Elliott’s attempts went for no gain or a loss of yards, the most of his career. No surprise, a whopping 53% of those runs were on first down attempts, facing a loaded box of eight or more. When everyone knows what you’re going to do, they will devise a way to stop it https://www.dallascowboysfanshop.com/Ma … ins-Jersey , no matter how good you are. When you’re Ezekiel Elliott-level good, you still manage to win the rushing title.Sure, the Cowboys went on a remarkable run but how much of the credit belongs to the players stepping up? We’ve heard rumblings of increased roles for Jason Garrett, Doug Nussmeier, and even Dak Prescott. When you look over the statistics, it certainly looks like this offense was winning with their talents in spite of an unfit playbook. We’ll never know the validity in all the rumors of “who did what” at the end to make their comeback possible. What we do know is that the Cowboys didn’t feel like it was a sustainable method to continue on and that change was necessary. Scott Linehan went ‘all-in’ that he could make these players fit him when he needed to do more to fit them. We can debate all day about the ideal quarterback, Jason Garrett’s involvement, or other variables but it was he who asked for the power. He bet on himself and he lost, there’s no other way this could have ended. The Dallas Cowboys play their first preseason game tonight against the San Francisco 49ers. With many players fighting for a roster spot, who will you be watching? Here is a list of 33 players and their numbers of people you should keep your eye on." Dallas Cowboys 2019 Preseason Games32 bubble guys to watch inthe Cowboys first preseason game against the 49ersNew,126commentsThere’s a lot to watch on Saturday.CDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:32 bubble guys to watch inthe Cowboys first preseason game against the 49ersTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty ImagesIt’s official. Our seventh-month football fast has come to an end. After a long wait, we finally get to indulge ourselves in the deliciousness that is Dallas Cowboys football for the remaining of the calendar year. Kicking things off is a trip to the bay area to face the San Francisco 49ers in the team’s first preseason game of the season. For some, preseason action may not be that exciting since the game’s outcome doesn’t count in the standings, but for us football junkies - it’s truly scrumptious.As we continue our search to figure out what players will make the 53-man roster, we are going to pay particular attention to the bubble guys fighting to make the team. Whether it’s a pet cat or just someone we’ve heard very little about over the course of training camp, there are many players we can’t wait to see on the field. So, to help out - here is a quick run down of those players and what numbers you should track as we get our first look at this 2019 Cowboys team in action.OFFENSEQUARTERBACK7 Cooper Rush - Current leader for the backup spot. Watch for accuracy and arm strength on the deep throws.3 Mike White - Good raw talent, but is he developing enough? Watch to see if he gets rid of the ball quick enough and whether or not he checks down too much.RUNNING BACK23 Alfred Morris - Reliable asset between the tackles, but it would be nice to see him show a little bit as a receiver.40 Mike Weber - Versatile player Chris Jones Jersey , should be fun to watch. Can jump-cut and create something out of nothing.26 Darius Jackson - Dangerous in space, but tends to run into traffic when the lanes aren’t there.WIDE RECEIVER85 Noah Brown- Not sure when we’ll see him in action next as he still recovers from a knee scope.16 Cedrick Wilson - Having a great camp as he’s been highly praised by receivers coach Sanjay Lal, but it’s time to see if it can translate into live game action.81 Jon’Vea Johnson - Explosive playmaker, but can he correct his tendency to drop passes?11 Reggie Davis - Another blazer who has an outside shot to make the roster. Can he make the most of his opportunities?OFFENSIVE LINE76 Xavier Su’-Filo - Has the strength, but can get out-finessed at times. Current front-runner to start at guard with Zack Martin out.61 Adam Redmond - Solid player looking to prove he’s worth keeping on an NFL roster, whether it’s in Dallas or somewhere else.65 Mitch Hyatt - Undrafted player with high upside looking to crack the 53. This will be a good test to see where exactly he’s at in his development.69 Brandon Knight - Suffered a foot injury on Thursday, unsure of his availability. He’s got G/T flex and plays with high energy, so it would really be nice to see what he can do.DEFENSEDEFENSIVE END56 Joe Jackson - Having a great camp, but can he keep that momentum going? He’s one of the more exciting young defensive players to watch on Saturday.51 Kerry Hyder - Nice free agent add who has shown he can be effective. Will need to show he’s worth keeping around over some of the youngsters.74 Jalen Jelks - Golden opportunity with so many other edge rushers unavailable, but has he developed enough to stay off that practice squad?68 Ricky Walker - Under the radar guy who plays with non-stop energy. Long-shot to make the roster, but he could be that unknown player that surprises everyone.DEFENSIVE TACKLE95 Christian Covington - Solid free agent add who’s a very effective run-stopper.93 Daniel Ross - An under the radar guy who always seems to do enough to hang around.64 Daniel Wise - One of the team’s top undrafted free agents who can play inside and out. LINEBACKER53 Justin March-Lillard - Solid backup with special teams ability. Sitting in good shape to make the team unless a youngster jumps him.59 Chris Covington - Stashed on the roster last year while he was still learning the game. Can he show enough in year two?57 Luke Gifford - Young undrafted free agent who has turned heads in camp. Sneaky sleeper that could play his way on the roster.41 Kyle Queiro - A practice squad last season looking to show he’s improved enough to keep around.CORNERBACK33 Mike Jackson - Draft price gives him a good shot to make the team, but he’s been earning it on the field as well.29 C.J. Goodwin - Solid player the team loves who can help out on special teams, but can show enough at the corner position?32 Donovan Olumba - Having a nice training camp, but tends to get a little grabby once the lights of preseason action come on.39 Chris Westry - Undrafted free agent with a long wingspan who is still raw. Needs to come up big to even stay in consideration.SAFETY23 Darian Thompson - Reliable veteran who has quietly been playing well in camp.35 Kavon Frazier - Special teams ace, but can he be counted on to fill in at safety if needed?37 Donovan Wilson - Rookie that flashes in coverage and against the run, but he’s still learning.20 George Iloka - Free agent who’s had a quiet camp. Needs to show something in these preseason games to have a shot at making the roster.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="j6oP5i">Watch players will you be watching tonight?