Michael Gallup has been back for four games now, but at this point hasn’t returned to the level the Dallas Cowboys are familiar with.
Gallup got a late start to his campaign after rehab of his torn ACL bled into the regular season. Since returning, he’s been a relatively quiet, catching eight of his 17 targets this season for 86 yards and a touchdown.
The Cowboys will be down a skill player this week against the Chicago Bears with Ezekiel Elliott out, something that could result in more reliance on the passing game and, in turn, Gallup.
"I expect to see more production, I do,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Gallup on Friday in his weekly appearance on the “K&C Masterpiece.” “And that's not in any way drawing a line. He's just that quality of receiver, and he’s that important to our offense, has been. We've seen those outstanding 20-yard-plus plays, those down the field plays.
“Then we talk about our third down (conversion rate), and talk about how we need to keep moving those chains, and that’s impacting the number of offensive plays. All of that has Gallup written all over it. And so you bet we need to have him show up with the good stats. When you do, you’ll have more third-down conversions, and when you do you’ll have more extended plays"
You expect rust from a player coming off that type of injury, but wide receiver has been a question mark for the Cowboys dating back to training camp. CeeDee Lamb largely has held up on his end of the bargain, so getting Gallup back up to his usual level could go a long way in boosting Dallas’ air attack.
That could be a tall task this weekend as the Bears, for all their faults, are third in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram