I had to wait an extra day after that 19-16 OT loss to write this.
Again… Never wrong over here but I’m changing the play from last week. (Again) Cowboys Super Bowl
The Cowboys are going to be picking first in the draft. The offense showed us again Sunday night that they are completely dreadful.
Ok, let me start with two “bright spots” for my Cowboys.
The defense left it all on the field again. Yes they gave up a ton of passing yards to Watson, yes it seemed like sometimes there was no pass defense and yes they let up the big play in OT to set up the game losing field goal.
However, they were the only reason this game wasn’t a blowout. They had about 100 stops on the goal line. Did you see Jaylon Smith flying across the field to deny Watson the end zone? It was amazing.
“The defense kept us in it all game long." #DALvsHOU
Read more đź“° https://t.co/6m9ZC4m5Eg pic.twitter.com/giwUt5cOcF
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 8, 2018
Heath was playing tough at the goal line, so was Woods and the D line. I am extremely excited about LVE and Jaylon at LB together. (I think Sean Lee will be gone after this season.)
Key numbers and milestones from #DALvsHOU
→ https://t.co/F8LDUncFsS pic.twitter.com/Vjw8Vh0Mgc
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 8, 2018
LVE led the team with 14 tackles, 11 solo. Jaylon Smith added 11 tackles, 6 solo, 3 for loss and 1 sack. The linebackers balled out. Xavier Woods also showed a lot of promise with 4 tackles and the Cowboys first INT of the season. (And the unnecessary roughness penalty was BS, it was a football play.)
.@thejaylonsmith with the SACK!!!#DALvsHOU | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/Pc5oaWIJgo
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 8, 2018
The other bright spot was new kicker Brett Maher. He continued his hot streak after missing his first attempt of the season. He went 3 for 3 on FG’s (48 yards was his longest) and 1 for 1 on XP. Maybe the staff got this one right… Bailey missed two FG’s Sunday for the Vikings but did hit the game clincher against the Eagles.
.@brett_maher makes the 48 yard FG!
Game tied 16-16#DALvsHOU | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/nKzrL9XdZ4— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 8, 2018
Now, back to the bad. The awful. The inept. The Dallas Cowboys Offense.
The line was getting run through all night. I understand Houston has a tremendous DL, but Clowney was basically taking the ball off the snap before Dak got it..
…Dak. He threw for over 200 yards again, Hurray! But that’s only because a desperation heave to Tavon Austin for 44 yards, without that…
Dak went 18/29 for 208 yards, averaging 7.2 a completion. He threw one TD and two INT’s. Was sacked two times. He had a QBR of 41.1 and a rating of 66.4. Those are Pop Warner numbers.
Hold me..
I will say, he would have been sacked 20 times but got out of a ton. He did make a few nice throws including the TD to Hurns, but… His first interception was too high for Tavon and he missed a wide open Thompson late on 3rd down.
Feel the Hurn🔥@A1Hurns to the 🏡#DALvsHOU https://t.co/rhHBeOKa8n
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 8, 2018
It just seems as soon as there is an ounce of pressure, he forgets how to throw a football, and it makes me sad.
Ready for these stellar WR numbers.. Swaim led in yards with 3 catches for 55. Zeke had 7 for 30, Austin had 1 for 44, Rico had 1 for 32, Thompson had 2 for 15, Jarwin had 1 for 11, Cole had 1 for 8, Gallup had 1 for 6 and Hurns had 1 for 3.
He really… Spread the ball around!
After 5 games the Cowboys leading receiver is Cole Beasley with 17 catches for 193 yards. They don’t have a WR with over 200 yards in 5 games. I’ll just leave that there.
The running game also struggled, but no way am I jumping on Zeke. He is doing everything he can for this offense, because he is this offense. He still leads the league in rushing with 480 yards.
Oh yeah, and the coach. Jason “.500” Garrett. On a 4th and 1 on the Houston 42 in overtime he decided to punt the ball, which led to the loss. Jason… Grow a pair.
Going for it on 4th and 1 is the norm now in the NFL. Take a page out of the SB Champs book from last season. You play to win. You play with intensity, and when you are being outplayed you play with risk.
And I almost forgot…
YOU HAVE ZEKE ELLIOTT.
In the “Dak and Zeke Era” the Cowboys are 18 for 19 on 4th and 1 conversions. But this was a “long one yard.” Ya know Zeke if it was 6 less inches we trust you but not here. Give me a damn break.
After reviewing the film, see what Jason Garrett had to say about the fourth-down call in OT vs Houston:
đź“° https://t.co/XcnfQ6lgVr pic.twitter.com/0xeuQcQ9Fp
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 8, 2018
When a coach always uses the phrases “we fight, we claw, we scratch” that’s just talk for “I can’t coach.”
It’s time to “clap off” for Mr. Clappy Garrett.
Jerry do the right thing and if this train continues to fall of the track, fire Garrett during the bye. It’s been 9 years of this and nothing is going to change. I look at other teams like the Rams, Chiefs and hell, even the Browns offense’s and am just so freakin jealous.
It’s insane that the Cowboys with this offense, sitting at 2-3 still have a chance to win this god awful division. Of course I want them to…
…But I also want them picking in the top 5 with a new head coach and a new identity.
Kevin “That Sad Cowboys Guy”
Follow me on Twitter @kmess22
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Feature Image – Dallas Morning News