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          NFL Nation

          Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag, Part 2

          • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterOct 11, 2014, 10:00 AM ET
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              Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
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          IRVING, Texas -- Part 2 of the Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag is ready. In it we discuss:

          • Moral victories
          • The receivers vs. the Legion of Boom
          • Defending Russell Wilson
          • The odd-man out
          • Calling up Michael Sam
          For Part 1 of the mailbag, click here. Away we go:

          @toddarcher: I hear what you're saying, but more than a few players have said there are no such things as moral victories. And they're right. Fans and media might look at it that way, but teams can't. A loss is a loss. A win is a win. You don't apologize for an ugly win. You don't look for praise for a tough loss. I believe this game will allow the Cowboys to see where they are. I'm not sure they're for real. I'm surprised the Cowboys were up to No. 6 in this week's ESPN Power Ranking. I voted them No. 12. Maybe I'm being too harsh and if so we're about to find out. I think this defense is doing it a little with smoke and mirrors right now. I want to see more out of the passing game, too. And I want to see the Cowboys against top competition. The Saints' win was their best. If the Cowboys lose this one, then we'll see what kind of fortitude they have. They come back for three straight home games before heading to London to take on Jacksonville. All of those games are winnable. Heck, this game is winnable, but I don't think they will win it. A close loss might help the fans feel a little better, but in the standings it's still a loss.

          @toddarcher: Attack them. Don't be afraid. They can give up some plays, even Richard Sherman. And if we are to believe the Cowboys, then they will do what they do. They can't let Sherman's presence shut them off from one side of the field. They didn't do it in the 2011 season opener against Darrelle Revis when he was with the New York Jets. They haven't been afraid to go at top cornerbacks. I though the receivers had a subpar game as a group last week against the Houston Texans, but Dez Bryant made an incredible catch in overtime and Terrance Williams made a nice grab for a touchdown. They need to find consistency against this secondary. They have to be where they are supposed to be because the Seahawks are disciplined in the secondary.

          @toddarcher: I'm not sure you'll see the Cowboys use a "spy" as much as we think. They didn't do it often against Colin Kaepernick in the season opener and he's a dangerous runner. I think you'll see them play more zone coverage so as to cut down on the open lanes for Russell Wilson. That's sort of what did in the Washington Redskins last week. They played a lot of man coverage and with the cornerbacks turned, Wilson was able to fill in the voids. The Cowboys will mix it up, but I think you'll see a lot of zone and have the Seahawks try to drive the field on them. If they spy, I think it'll be Justin Durant. He's not as athletic as Bruce Carter, but he is fairly smart. Honestly, the biggest loss for this defense would be Rolando McClain. If he can't go, the Cowboys lose their presence in the middle against Marshawn Lynch. That's more of a worry to me than Wilson running.

          @toddarcher: I'll start out this answer this way: Tell me the last player the Cowboys wanted to keep and didn't? Maybe Laurent Robinson, but when he got what he got from Jacksonville, there was no way they were keeping him. There is a way the Cowboys can keep Bryant, DeMarco Murray and McClain. But the key to any of these deals will be patience and the right money. They have to hold on to their limits and can't really exceed them. They have the franchise tag available for Bryant and if I had to guess right now, I'd say Bryant is destined to receive the franchise tag. Murray is an interesting case. He's having a terrific season but paying running backs has not turned out well for a lot of teams. For all of the good McClain has brought in his four games, I still think the Cowboys need to see him for a full season to have a better feel for him. But again, if he's looking for mega-money, then I think the Cowboys pass. If it is reasonable and he understands the Cowboys offer him a good spot to play, then go for it. If things continue down this path, I think all three will be back. If I had to guess -- and that's what this is, a guess -- then I'd say McClain would be the odd man out at this point.

          @toddarcher: To think any player on any practice squad anywhere will solve the issues surrounding the pass rush is folly. From all accounts Michael Sam is practicing hard and doing what the coaches ask of him. He had a decent preseason for the St. Louis Rams, but he wasn't good enough to make their 53-man roster. Could he eventually get a call-up from the Cowboys? He could. But he wouldn't be the first defensive lineman the Cowboys would call up. That would go to Kenneth Boatright, who was with the team in training camp and the preseason and was solid too.