There’s disappointment surrounding the first half of the Dallas Cowboys’ season. The fans feel it, Jerry Jones feels it. Despite the thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles in a bye-week going away party at AT&T Stadium alleviating some concerns, the remnants of the three-game skid leading up to it still looms large. Dallas is 4-3. This time last year the Cowboys were 3-4 with an offense that was downright offensive. It may not feel like it, but this team is a world apart in performance.

There’s actually enough reason to believe the Cowboys have the best offense in the entirety of the NFL. In a league where scoring is king, this bodes well for Dallas’ future. According to Football Outsiders, there’s no better team with the ball in their hands. To highlight how stark a difference it is from years past, here’s how this version of the Cowboys stack up against their previous iterations.

For the unfamiliar, here is a much longer definition of DVOA. In short, it’s a way to compare the performance of teams while adjusting for both situation and opponents.

Since 2017, the Dak Prescott version of the Cowboys have been headed in the wrong direction. The offense which took the league by storm had passed, leading many to question everything about the team.

This year’s squad has bounced back in a big way.

They boast the No. 3 passing attack in the NFL. Combine that with the No. 2 ranked ground game and what results is a formidable group.

The season is not over. The offense could fall off a cliff, but for those wondering, the last time the Cowboys led the league in offensive DVOA was the 1995 NFL season, which ended with the team’s third Super Bowl in four years.

Fun with numbers

Last year, the Scott Linehan version of the Dallas offense seemed to be to holding the ball as long as possible without scoring any points. It never seemed to be the optimal strategy. This year’s team holds onto the ball far less, opting for bigger plays and more points. It’s truly a bold strategy.

With the downturn in time of possession, there might be concern the Cowboys are going three and out more often in their quest for explosive plays. They rank fifth-best in that metric, the best they’ve performed in four years. Dallas may only rank No. 6 in points per game, but that’s largely due to the other units on the field. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has this team moving down field nearly as well as any other team in the league.

There is some cause for concern though. That the Cowboys third-down conversion rate is nearly 10% better than it’s been at any point in the last four years is likely unsustainable. 51.85% would be the No. 2 ranked team in the last decade in the NFL, behind the 2011 New Orleans Saints and their absurd 55.79%.

Return of the Great Wall

Dallas has invested a lot of capital into their offensive line. And just when it seems as if it’s impossible to invest more, they do it again. 2018 was undoubtedly disappointing when it came to line play. There were, of course, injuries with center Travis Frederick missing the entire year. All-Pro guard Zack Martin fought a knee injury for the majority of the season and left tackle Tyron Smith again missed three games. Meanwhile, back-up center Joe Looney was struggling to hold down the fort with a rookie in guard Connor Williams was learning on the fly.

Here’s how this unit has stacked up over the last four years using the simplest view, Football Outsiders run blocking and pass blocking ranks.

Year Run Block Rank Pass Block Rank 2019 3 6 2018 8 28 2017 4 15 2016 4 13

This should go without saying, but when the offensive line plays at a high level, everything gets easier.

Individual Contributors

Anytime there’s a dynamic quarterback, running back and wide receiver on the same roster, the name “Triplets” is thrown out. In Dallas, that comparison becomes even more played out, given the success of that core group of the 90’s. But what the Cowboys have put together is three of the best at their position. Up first, quarterback Dak Prescott.

Year QBR Rank DYAR Rank DVOA Rank 2019 78.8 1 687 2 31.3% 2 2018 57.8 19 112 25 -8.1% 26 2017 69.9 5 375 17 -0.2% 17 2016 81.5 3 1302 4 31.6% 3

Prescott is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL. That includes Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It includes Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. He outstrips them all in terms of QBR, an efficiency metric that gives credit for quarterbacks in the run game as well as weighting a player’s performance in situational play.

He is not a bus driver. Any metric that can be used will show that Prescott is playing at the highest of level. The fourth season of a quarterback’s career is often when they begin to come into their own. What Prescott has been able to do in a revamped offense is nothing short of amazing.

A Twitter thread highlighting some other ways to measure how good Prescott has been.

It shouldn’t shock anybody that when the passing game is working, it becomes much easier to run. The Cowboys still rely to often on the “straw that stirs the drink”, running back Ezekiel Elliott, but he’s been as good as he’s been since his rookie campaign.

Year DYAR Rank DVOA Rank 2019 157 2 18.00% 6 2018 149 9 2.90% 20 2017 205 7 11.10% 8 2016 339 1 15.90% 6

What’s even more promising is that Elliott, a notorious slow starter who missed the entirety of training camp, may just now be rounding into form. The running back who played against the Eagles looked different than he had in any game prior.

Then, there’s the catalyst. The guy that made the offense go from moribund to tons of fun, wide receiver Amari Cooper. Not only did he rejuvenate Dallas, they’ve done the same for him, a true symbiotic relationship.

Year DYAR Rank DVOA Rank 2019 215 3 42.50% 2 2018 187 20 8.70% 27 2017 27 67 -9.10% 68 2016 231 13 8.80% 28

The 2018 campaign is a bit marred by his games with the Oakland Raiders, but the upward trend is noticeable. What he’s done this year (while missing nearly the entirety of one game) is impressive. Since his arrival, all he’s done is make the offense dynamic, making plays all over the field.

The Dallas Cowboys head into the the second half of the season with everything but a bye week in front of them, and even that isn’t totally out of reach. This offense has revealed itself to be one of the best in the league and will need to be at its best as the schedule will soon be daunting.