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2017-2018 Regular Season:
Cowboys Rise To
The Challenge And Chop The Chiefs
- November 10, 2017 At 8:39 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
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- “America’s Team” had returned home, following a two-week
away-game roam. Optimism was starting to flow, but the final
eight-game Odyssey on which Odysseus, err, Dallas was about to embark resembled
a series of potentially mythological obstacles to where they
ultimately want to go. Their remaining regular season games – beyond
KC – would continue to test their metal or expose it as cheap
chrome.
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- Nonetheless, the Dallas Cowboys were set to face the Alex
Smith-led Kansas City Chiefs – the cream of the AFC crop – and there
was valid concern over whether Dallas had enough (in all three
phases of the game) to come out on top. Kansas City had just
polished off a struggling Denver Broncos team that – earlier in the
season – had smashed an unprepared Cowboys team flat.
While the Chiefs had the potential offensive and special teams
makings of a “KC Masterpiece” – with star tight end Travis Kelce,
promising rookie running back Kareem
Hunt, and second year wide receiver Tyreek Hill – their defensive
shortcomings might prove too hard to fill.
After much barbecued hype, one team cooked up a meaty feast and the
other worked with ingredients not nearly as ripe.
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- Dak Prescott passed for two more touchdowns and ran for a third,
while on two touchdown catches Cole Beasley was – once more –
splendidly heard. In the absence of much Dez and Witten action,
Terrance Williams exploded for over 140 yards of traction. Ezekiel
Elliott nearly reached the 100-yard mark for the fourth consecutive
game, and managed to add another touchdown run to his name.
The Cowboys defeated the Chiefs 28-17 – and while Dallas did,
indeed, project power in all three phases – the final product was
not so enviably clean.
The Chiefs should have easily been held to a mere ten points and –
in ending the first half with an embarrassing laugh – “Marinelli’s
Men” looked like they were kickin’ back and smokin’ joints.
The Chiefs were on about their own 44-yard line and – with two
seconds to go and in need of a hefty Hail Mary throw – the Cowboys
were lookin' just fine.
Tyreek Hill – speedy wide receiver and shifty special teams ace – is
known throughout the league as being exceptional in space. Rod
Marinelli – even with that fact – inexplicably chose to help Hill
become untracked. Marinelli instructed his men to display a
widely-spaced three-man defensive front, with veteran linebacker and
career role player Kyle Wilbur (all alone) within 10 yards of the
line of scrimmage, and his entire secondary (SEVEN of his most
handsy defenders) all the way back within 10-yard line of the
Cowboys’ red zone.
Hill was allowed to catch a shallow pass and – following the flow of
three blockers in the direction he would go – easily weave through
the Cowboys' largely disinterested tacklers for the score that “The
Tortured Cowboys Fan” would abhor.
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- One week after “risking it all” – after recovering a blocked field
goal ball – to get within five yards of the end zone against the
Redskins, Orlando Scandrick (in particular) made a business decision
in not even reaching out or making a dive for Hill. It was the
ultimate irony to see a Marinelli defense – which demands swarming
and terrifying triangulation towards the football – would barely
lift a finger against the Chiefs’ deadly stinger.
Marinelli's Men and their play-calling leader (on any other day and
with any other former head coach who might have made them pay) would
share a “Curvin Richards” moment, and they would spend the
entire second half offering performance atonement.
The final score should have been 28-10. While the Cowboys would go
onto dominate, such seemingly “small” mistakes can no longer be
allowed to germinate. The Cowboys those issues may (at the most
inopportune times) continue to plague, if play calls and
execution keep vacillating between crisp and vague.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
Mike Nugent’s first extra point on the day was garish-but-good, as
he made clear that his position-warming existence remained
understood. The more often he can generate points-by-default, the
better chance – following Dan Bailey’s return – he has to clear
another team’s long-term job vault.
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- Jeff Heath went 1-2 on interceptions on nearly identical plays
(where he practically ran through his prey). Cowboys Nation has
repeatedly tried to bury him for not being a prototype, and yet, he
continues to show no less the ball hawk eye of other team members
who regularly receive all the hype.
Taco Charlton finally got his first sack, and time will tell if
he is on the verge of integrating himself into Marinelli’s full
defensive meal or simply squeezing out a side dish snack.
The lone sack the Chiefs’ got on Prescott was more Dak’s doing
as he mistakenly turned into (instead of away from) the defensive
pressure a-brewing.
Defenders – around the league – must (start to) do a better job of
stopping their historically bad "tackle forward" approach, and
such an (admittedly) unreasonable technical change starts with the
coach. Defenders continue to unnecessarily give up extra yardage
with seemingly closed-eye fall / tackle forward garbage.
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- Byron Jones continued his up-and-down performance – with a couple
completely avoidable penalty flags that could have been major drags
– and if he can get his mind 60-minutes-right, his performances
will be critical towards the Cowboys’ (potential) return to the
postseason fight.
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- Tony Romo – in his truly unbiased coverage of the game – tried
to delicately state how important it is to be able to regularly
allow Dez to go up and "high point" deep passes, or risk Dez
continuing to look one-trick lame. As The Tortured Cowboys Fan has
repeatedly commented, the two-fold issue is one of Dez's
route-running range and Dak's deep passing touch. If either or both
cannot become better, the success between them will continue to
amount to not much. This problem – among others – will be
increasingly lamented, as the on-field production between Dak (who
can-and-will continue to improve) and Dez (who may never rediscover
his complete groove) potentially becomes more demented. Tony had the
drop-in "touch" from the moment he replaced Drew Bledsoe and since
his departure, the Cowboys' deep passing game has naturally not been
the same.
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- The Cowboys promoted rookie defensive end Lewis Neal to the game
day 46 from the practice squad, in Rod Marinelli's latest
attempt at an injured player mod. Neal may be undersized, but he
might just have the motor Marinelli has always prized.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The Dallas Cowboys must be at their very best (to stymie a frustrated,
Matt Ryan-led Atlanta Falcons team failing to enjoy their beautiful new Mercedes
Benz stadium nest).
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- When last the Cowboys faced the former “Dirty Birds” in 2015, Dallas built a 28-14 lead, but the play-execution by their own
available personnel was the sole reason they coughed up such
a winnable game and
inconceivably fell. A "deceptively efficient" Brandon Weeden performance was a sad
subset of a miserable season-long careen.
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- Circumstances have changed greatly since that time, and the Cowboys
appear somewhat better equipped to make lemonade from sudden roster
challenges instead of fumbling with blatantly bitter lime.
“Injuries are part of the game,” but they are routinely despised
just the same. Dez “Possession Receiver” Bryant and Terrance “Deep
Slant” Williams both appeared to suffer high ankle sprains, and
anyone paying attention knows that playing through those “receiver
restrictions” equates to a dangerous game of chicken and can cause
great pains. Dez and Terrance seem ready-and-willing to play, but it
could be touch-and-go all game day.
If Dez and T-Will prove unable to provide enough receiving thrill, will Brice Butler be able to step up enough to counteract that
potentially bitter pill?
Veteran left tackle Tyron Smith – who has been progressively
battling one particular back issue (bulging disc) for years – has a groin injury to
unintentionally encourage one of
Cowboys Nation’s greatest lingering fears. He is out for the next
game. The oft-injured Chaz Green will get the call and – for better
or worse – he will be
charged with helping insure neither Dak nor “The Great Wall Of
Dallas” sustain an unrecoverable fall.
Adding insult to injury was Ezekiel Elliott’s latest loss – in the
second circuit court of appeals – where he and the NFLPA (National
Football League Players Association) had been valiantly trying to
fend off his six-game suspension.
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- Cowboys Nation knew the
possibility (strongly) existed that Zeke from the Dallas Cowboys
stock might suddenly become delisted. While there is yet another
appeal hearing – on December 1st – potentially resulting in Zeke
sacrificing two fewer contests, no one realistically expects an
earlier quenching of Zeke’s ground game thirst.
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- While the alleged domestic violence events that sent Zeke up the
creek occurred prior to his entry into the NFL, perhaps the NFLPA's
latest, widely publicized player experience will serve as a FLASHING
NEON SIGN for all future NFL stars who wish to avoid their own
professional brands adopting such a horrific smell.
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- Just like in 2015, the Dallas Cowboys have a tough-yet-terrific
chance to show, they still have the available-and-ready roster
talent to get back up and go. This season has seen the loss of an
incredible amount of star starting talent across the NFL, exposing –
for so many teams – some serious roster hell.
Will America’s Team be able to overcome their own strained personnel
. . . and remain strong enough (against a struggling-but-stubborn
Falcons squad) to ring their fourth consecutive winning bell?
We shall see. We always do.
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