FRISCO, Texas – With the Cowboys taking a much-needed break, we decided to give the team's writers their own “bye-ology” project to take a closer look at what happened and what needs to change for the Cowboys to get back on track get on track and make a push for the playoffs.

We've given authors Patrik Walker, Tommy Yarrish and Nick Eatman a variety of topics to answer in their own way.

Patrick: DaRon Bland. While Caelen Carson was thrown into the fire, Amani Oruwariye was thrown into it due to his injury. With no pass rush, the trio of Bland, Diggs and Lewis could be a saving grace.

Tommy: Eric Kendricks. The Cowboys haven't been good at tackling overall, so getting their tackling machine back will pay off.

Nick: Micah Parsons is the only one on this team who can truly ruin a game. We saw it in Cleveland. And when he's there, everyone can feel better. And yes, the defense was struggling before his injury, but they still need him back.

Nick: Leaving the locker room – be it in the first quarter or the third quarter – was bad for this team. The Cowboys were outscored 30-9 early in the game and 31-6 early in the third. That depends on the preparation.

Tommy – Offensive redzone battles. Dak Prescott has the most redzone interceptions (2) in the league and has completed just nine of 23 passes inside the 20.

Patrick – The Cowboys allowed a total of 167 points in their last four home games, the third-most in NFL history over a four-game stretch, while allowing just 85 points during the drought itself.

Tommy – I'm going with Cooper Beebe. Center is a difficult position for rookies with all the responsibility they carry, but Beebe has held his own.

Nick – And yes, I knew he was already good. But what Brandon Aubrey continues to do is amazing. To me it's so strange that he can attack from about 55 meters away and it's not even a big deal anymore.

Patrick – Marist Liufau: I noticed he has an insanely high football IQ in OTAs and I compared his physicality to Sean Lee's. It just took him away six games to show both.

Tommy – Dak Prescott. Sure, the running game has struggled to open up the offense, but the NFL's highest-paid QB needs to make plays to counteract that.

Nick – One of my favorite players of all time is Zack Martin. And I get it, players get older and it's not the same. But with youth on this O-line, the Cowboys need to rely on Martin more than ever.

Patrick – CeeDee Lamb: In this offense, he’s him, period. The problem is that he hasn't destroyed a defense for four quarters yet. Everything will go the way he does it, offensively.

Tommy: Give Rico Dowdle more carrying options. Even Mike McCarthy says he wants it to happen. In my opinion, Dowdle was the best in the room all year

Patrick: After seeing a significant uptick in presnap movement last season, this has moderated somewhat in McCarthy's second year of offense. Please turn these levels up again.

Nick: I don't want to steal anything from the Lions, but I've always liked it when teams bring in “jumbo” packages.

Nick: We've been watching Cooper Beebe all season. And it was pretty good. But we keep saying this O-line is going to get better and a big part of that is the continued development of Beebe.

Patrick: Tyler Guyton: I've seen enough against Myles Garrett to know that Guyton can be special and his work ethic is second to none. Get on board, keep your head up, no more punishments – be a bully.

Tommy: Tyler Guyton, I'm looking at you. The Cowboys want him to be their left tackle of the future, now he has to play like that.

Patrick: It's impossible to know what will come of the bye, so I'll rely on the timeliness under McCarthy and expect them to use the humiliation against the Lions and the bye as a launching pad.

Nick: They split the first six games – strangely, they were unbeaten away and winless at home. But even if they manage another separation, they will be in good shape. While I wouldn't dare look past this next 49ers game, the Nov. 3 game in Atlanta seems like a must-have for this team.

Tommy: Find a way to win at home. The Cowboys have a 16-2 record in their last two seasons at AT&T Stadium beginning this year, and the fans haven't gone anywhere. Regaining the advantage and confidence on home soil will play a big role in the rest of the season.