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Cowboys at Packers: 2 players Dallas should use more in Week 6
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- Cowboys at Packers: 2 players Dallas should use more in Week 6
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Just five weeks into the 2026 regular season, the Dallas Cowboys are at a crossroads. With a 2-3 record and matchups on the road against the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles coming in the next two weeks, we are about to learn a lot about what this Cowboys team ultimately will be over the next 12 days.
After an embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday, Dallas certainly will need to shake some things up if they want to walk out of Lambeau with a win on Sunday night. With that thought in mind, here are two players the Cowboys should use more in Week 6.
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1) CB Ameer Speed
Of all the problem areas on the abysmal Cowboys' defense, you could make a solid argument that Dallas' secondary is the biggest cause for concern. Five games into the regular season, Dallas' defense has the worst defense Dropback EPA (0.382) in the league while allowing the second-most NY/A (7.8).
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As a whole, the Cowboys' cornerbacks have been extremely disappointing. Daron Bland has been borderline unplayable, while two guys who Dallas was betting to play a significant role, Cobie Durant and Shavon Revel Jr., have battled injuries and inconsistent play. Of all the corners on Dallas' roster not named Joey Porter Jr., the guy who has arguably played the best is 27-year-old Ameer Speed.
Speed signed with the Cowboys this past summer after playing with the Houston Gamblers in the UFL. The former sixth-round pick showed enough in training camp to make the 53-man roster and, to this point, has been extremely productive in limited opportunities.
In 34 coverage snaps, Speed has allowed just two catches for a total of 28 yards. In the Cowboys' last two matchups against the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Speed has allowed just one reception for eight yards, to go with a 65 coverage grade, the best of any cornerback on Dallas' roster over that two-game span.
With how well Speed has been performing and their overall struggles at the position, the Cowboys absolutely must give him more opportunities against the Packers this week. Green Bay will test Dallas' secondary and has two receivers, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who are consistent big-play threats.
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Dallas cannot afford to have any coverage busts this week and needs their stickiest corners on the field to attempt to slow down Green Bay's passing attack. He may have been in the UFL less than a year ago, but Speed is without a doubt one of the Cowboys' best cornerbacks at this point in time. They need to realize that and get him on the field often in Green Bay on Sunday.
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2) OT Broderick Jones
After bringing in former first-round pick Broderick Jones right before the start of the regular season, it seemed like the Cowboys were giving themselves some insurance in case starting right tackle Terence Steele got off to a bad start. Five games into the season, that very scenario has played out, and it's time for Dallas to pull the trigger and make the switch.
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Steele has been bad in all facets this year. His pass-blocking (54.4) and run-blocking (51.8) grades are both below 55, and he has allowed seven pressures and five hurries in five games. Steele's lack of success in run blocking has led to Dallas virtually being unable to run the ball to the right side.
Starting running back Javonte Williams is averaging just 2.58 Y/A when running to the right side, as opposed to 5.32 Y/A when running to the left side. Steele has been the main reason for their lack of success running to the right, and his drop-off in run blocking, something he did fairly well each of the past two seasons, is a major cause for concern.
Broderick Jones has not shown much throughout the course of his brief NFL career, but Steele has played so poorly that Dallas has no choice but to make the change. It's clear Steele is the weak link on the Cowboys' offensive line, and replacing him with Jones is at least a chance to improve their overall strength on the right side.
