The Cowboys were dealt a humbling loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in week 15, in a game that wasn't even as close as the 31-10 final score indicates.
The game served as a wake-up call in many ways for a Cowboys team that is trying to reach an NFC title game for the first time in 28 years.
As the Cowboys look to iron out their flaws over the final three games, here are three players who the Cowboys need to play better as they head into the postseason:
OT Terence Steele
Steele has been inconsistent for much of the 2023 season. Coming off of a season-ending knee injury in 2022, Steele struggled for much of the first half of this season, and he's been up and down in the second half, looking like his old self in some games, and struggling to play even average football in other games.
If the Cowboys want to have success in the playoffs, they need Steele to tap into the flashes they've seen in the second half, and make it the standard. He's capable of being a big time piece for their playoff run, but he must find the consistency that became such a large part of his game the last two seasons.
LB Damone Clark
The Cowboys have asked a lot more of Clark than they probably anticipated when the season began. Season-ending injuries to Leighton Vander Esch and DeMarvion Overshown have necessitated a more prominent role for Clark.
While Clark has played good football at times, and has improved from where he began the season, he's still got a long way to go in terms of his ability to read and react in the run game.
It may not be totally fair, but the lack of bodies in the linebacker group means Damone Clark has to rapidly progress if the Cowboys want to have postseason success.
DT Mazi Smith
It can be tough for fans to grade Mazi Smith, because the position he plays doesn't frequently show up in the box score.
Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan this week that he's been pleased with Smith. Dan Quinn told reporters on Monday that he thinks Smith played with good technique and position against Buffalo.
The comments from Jones and Quinn feel like a bit of public confidence building for Smith. He's been slow off the snap and moved off the ball far too often this season. While he made steady progress early in the year, it feels like he has stalled out recently.
With so much attention on the Cowboys’ run game struggles, a better version of Mazi Smith would be a big boost for Dallas.
