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2017-2018 Regular Season: A Dominating Day For Another Bird Of Prey With Dallas Looking To Remain Among The Playoff Living On Thanksgiving
 
November 21, 2017 At 5:19 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
 
The 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles – sharing perpetual ownership of “most hated division foe” with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins – came to town . . . determined to keep the Dallas Cowboys’ Falcon-forged frown from being turned upside down.

“America’s Team” – much like the division-leading Eagles they were facing – were missing enough of their own star players to leave Cowboys Nation pacing. While Philly was not missing Ezekiel Elliott . . . they had previously lost their star left tackle (Jason Peters) and star middle linebacker (Jordan Hicks) for the year. Roster juggling – contrary to the belief of some – is far from exclusive to Dallas, and there is no other way of telling it. Suggesting otherwise (by only the most myopic of fans) is simply dumb.

The Cowboys – at 5-4 – were getting dangerously close to being kicked out the playoff contending door.

The Cowboys – at 5-4 – were going to have to start being like many other (current and past) NFL teams . . . who (GASP) utilize maximize their game day 46 to begin producing the well-rounded results that support realistic resumption of their postseason dreams.

The Cowboys – at 5-4 – were attempting to stare down a must-win contest . . . with an exposed roster and a coaching staff unable to game plan for more than one half per game (as anyone with half a brain would have honestly confessed).

America’s Team – knowing and “situationally” planning for every shred of this – did (almost) all they could for the first 30 minutes before losing 37-9 and displaying an aimlessness that further accelerated Dallas’ season towards the precipice. The Cowboys are now a mediocre 5-5 with playoff hopes barely alive.

More painful than losing to the Eagles in a way that looked eerily familiar to their 44-6 loss in Philadelphia in 2012 . . . was Jason Garrett’s (in)famous “process” into which he (and his staff) seem inexplicably unable to delve.

“It’s a process” became Garrett’s generic response – following his ascension to the Dallas Cowboys’ head-coaching throne – every time he was faced with an invasive press question sure to make him groan.

Creative adjustments and mature clock management continue to be kryptonite . . . to Garrett, Scott Linehan, and – to an ever-growing degree – Rod Marinelli (historically a defensive line specialist) in a way that makes their players look an awful lot like they are going from “Finish The Fight” to “Unable To Get (Much Of) Anything Right.”

While Garrett has been an unabashed admirer of Nick Saban ever since being his quarterbacks coach with the Miami Dolphins, he has become repeatedly undone . . . by a near-zero-adjustment policy rivaled only by that of 11-time NBA Champion and former head coach, Phil Jackson. While Phil made no bones about regularly allowing his teams to play through their issues . . . Jason regularly sends Cowboys Nation in search of a surplus of tissues.

“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” has repeatedly stated that losing a game is acceptable ONLY when a team clearly does all it reasonably can to out-scheme and outhustle their opponent . . . but still comes up short without fans murderously screaming for a day of atonement.

The process is hopeless without signs of professional growth from Garrett and staff. They must dig down, deeper than ever before to make (thus far uncommon) in-game adjustments, showing proof of system flexibility towards (available) player strengths that can more-often-than-not prevent opponents and their fans from enjoying another hearty laugh.
 
The entire league is littered with imperfect rosters . . . but for the Cowboys – from coaches to players – to have any chance at reaching the tournament dance, they can no longer afford to appear as check-cashing imposters.

Short Shots And Hot Spots

Yes, as long as Jerry Jones remains THE man within the Dallas Cowboys organization – with a larger-than-life ego that still, STILL tasks him, goads him into escaping Jimmy Johnson’s shadow – it could be a while longer before Jerry gives up on adopted son Garrett (specifically, along with his three remaining years at $5M each) and sends him on a permanent vacation.

There may, indeed, be proof that “unnamed” NFL teams may have conspired to pressure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to punish the still-legally-innocent Zeke Elliott to the greatest extent of the NFL domestic violence policy rule . . . it is clear the NFL’s cease-and-desist letter (specifying “conduct detrimental to the league”) has caused Jerry to reevaluate his approach rather than be potentially made (at least) a public relations fool. He has suggested no lawsuit is in the offing . . . but he surely has more tricks up his sleeve designed to leave the likes of Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank gagging and coughing.

While Anthony Hitchens, DeMarcus Lawrence, Geoff Swaim, and the "Collins Brothers (By Other Mothers)" – La'el and Maliek – were added to the injury list following their latest battle . . . critical players (left tackle Tyron Smith, kicker Dan Bailey, and – yes – even safety Jeff Heath) appear potentially ready to get back in the game day saddle.
 
 
RIP, Terry Glenn (1974-2017) – who (incredibly, as a walk-on for the Ohio State Buckeyes and as a key player for the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys) represented so well those receivers who rarely had to high-point the football . . . and on pure talent was nearly able to outmaneuver, outrun, and out-catch them all.

Will They Or Won’t They?

Thanksgiving Day means – among other things – the Dallas Cowboys are attempting to recover from their brutal home loss . . . on a short week to show the incoming Los Angeles Orphans, err, Chargers who is boss.

All jokes aside . . . discounting veteran QB Philip Rivers' sheer force of will or overlooking the scrappy 4-6 Chargers could very well result in the 5-5 Cowboys continuing their slide.

 
Will “Garrett’s Gang” – specifically the coaches – drop their “hopes and prayers” for a return of their injured and injury-prone star players . . . and actually begin to show they know something about putting their available talent in position to succeed with that creative adjustment thang?

Will Garrett’s Gang begin regularly counting how many players they have on the field and signaling in play-calls on offense . . . early enough to save precious timeouts to avoid looking so incredibly dense?

Will Dak Prescott – the sudden-and-newly-minted turnover machine – be granted enough time (again, through ANY talent-driven play-call flexibility) to deliver results more sublime? Will Dak be able to show more successful stuff within an offensive system that teams – nowadays – seem to so easily snuff?

Will Alfred Morris get another, more evenly-paced opportunity to deliver near-100-yard-game numbers . . . or will he be forced to work around more offensive line blunders?

Will any newly-healed and returning star players be able to survive the game . . . let alone one half, one series, or one play before (GASP) potentially pulling up lame?

Will Anthony Hitchens be able to keep it together – nursing along Rod Smith’s talented-but-still-raw younger brother while Sean Lee continues to recover – with Dallas facing more and more inclement competitive weather?

Will America’s Team allow (the American sector of) Cowboys Nation . . . to successfully digest and enjoy their Thanksgiving meals with a little winning restoration?

We shall see. We always do.
 
Happy Thanksgiving to all (Cowboys fans) who celebrate it!