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- 2018-2019
Regular Season: With Texas Bragging Rights Outta' Sight, Cowboys
Must Stop Jags From Taking A Bite
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October 11, 2018 At 1:17 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- The Dallas Cowboys – having lassoed the Lions and turned back an
under-.500 blight – were seemingly ready to surpass average under
the Sunday night lights. While “America’s Team” still resembled a
team in search of an identity and a consistent performance theme,
the hosting Houston Texans were a 1-3 nightmare who claimed their
only win following an opponent’s overtime error.
Both teams showed up for their Texas Tussle with incomplete squads,
but the significantly more banged up Texans had to undergo some
makeshift mods. While advertising for the “Texas Tilt” may have been
nauseatingly overdone, fans were treated to a punishing defensive
battle until the final gun.
As with every game, there were a handful of individual and
collective performances that were near-difference makers and true
game-breakers.
When Dallas was on offense early in the first quarter and operating
from their own 41-yard line on second and five, Dak Prescott faked
to Ezekiel Elliott and side-armed a screen pass to Geoff Swaim who
(for the second consecutive game) came alive! He rumbled for serious
YAC before finally getting knocked down at the Texans' 16. Though
Dallas’ tight end situation continues to look entirely too lean, the
unassuming Swaim kept it clean. The Cowboys seemed primed to take
some creative shots at the end zone, but a mix of (wait for it)
predictable play calls and hot pursuit by Houston forced Dallas to
settle for a 27-yard field goal. And with these Cowboys, no
well-adjusted fan anoints on a mere three points.
While “Linehan’s Clan” would (once again) provide point-starved fans
too little to digest, the Dallas defense seemed prepped for a
penalty-peppered slug fest. Fans – with just 8:57 remaining in the
first quarter – got an early taste of just how physical "Marinelli's
Men" were going to be on the night. Xavier Woods applied some
splinters to Houston's Deshaun Watson just after he scrambled out of
bounds, curiously without a single knee-jerk flag in sight.
When Dallas was back on offense with 5:48 remaining in the first
quarter and operating from their own 39-yard line on first and ten,
Dak faked to Zeke and then (off his backfoot) found a wide-open Rico
Gathers downfield, with the big fella’ reaching the Texans’ 30 for a
healthy 32-yard yield. While the tight end position appeared – for
another brief moment – to be on the way towards becoming more than
just a forever-line-blocking tease . . . Jason Garrett and Scott
Linehan (to the surprise of very few) were unable to shake their
habitual play-calling fleas. The Cowboys (once again) seemed primed
to take some creative shots at the end zone, but a mix of (wait for
it) inflexible play calls and hot pursuit by Houston forced Dallas
to settle for a 33-yard field goal. And (once again) with these
clumsily-crafted Cowboys, no touchdown-trained fan anoints on a mere
three points.
After the second of many Watson whacks – and early in the second
quarter on another Texans attack – Marinelli's Men were a step too
slow (a reoccurring theme as the game would go) in recognizing an
inside toss to an in-motion slot receiver who would quickly cross
the one for some Texans' touchdown fun. DeMarcus "Tank" Lawrence
barely got any tread on the Tavon-Austin-like Keke Coutee and, by
the time Layton Vander Esch tripped him up, there was no chance to
halt Coutee's end zone dance.
Just when it appeared Marinelli's Men (early in the third quarter)
were facing yet another series of “in a bind and a step behind,”
Watson was forced out of the pocket to his right and threw short to
DeAndre Hopkins, who was surprisingly stripped by Anthony "Look Mom,
No (Interfering) Hands" Brown. Jourdan Lewis scooped up the fumble
at the Houston 30 and would careen to the Texans’ 16, seemingly
giving Dallas yet another opportunity to creatively pursue a
touchdown.
Linehan (armed with a major momentum shift) would temporarily drop
his play-call thrift. Dak (operating from the Texans’ three-yard
line) fake tossed to Zeke, went through his progressions without
transgressions, and found Deonte "Only When It Lands In My Hands"
Thompson near the back of the end zone for the more-than-three-point
score.
- Overtime Not Sublime
The defensive slog would drag itself into overtime, where another
scoring stall (by either team) would definitively end it all.
Dak (operating from his own 39-yard line) would go back to pass and
throw a short strike to Blake "Locked In As A Lineman" Jarwin, who
(in his excitement over greater involvement) leapt over a tackler,
and scrambled out of bounds after reaching the first down marker.
Before Cowboys Nation could get over the shock that Jarwin caught a
pass, the situation would turn decidedly darker.
Linehan's Clan had gagged on third down once more, and Garrett knew
he had but two choices to prevent the Texans’ from shutting the
game-winning door. Garrett could disable his play-calling runt,
choose to punt, and hope Marinelli’s tired defensive dogs could
still hunt . . . or he could pray his underwhelming offense could
make the critical first down while avoiding aa
opportunity-destroying stunt.
Garrett would punt and leave his team's fate in the hands of
Marinelli's Men and – in forgoing the risk – much of Cowboys Nation
responded with a rather violent social media tsk, tsk! Dallas’
recent 18 of 19 rate of successful fourth down attempts was
apparently exempt.
Deshaun Watson (from his own 24-yard line) faked a handoff to his
running back Blue and pump-fake to Coutee out of the left side of
the backfield, which froze a few Cowboys just long enough for Watson
to connect with a leaping Hopkins, with Anthony Brown giving chase
but failing to keep pace. Hopkins would break tackles and weave his
way down to the Cowboys’ 26. Marinelli’s Men were maxed out and had
no fix. The Cowboys would then be flushed 16-13 from Houston’s joint
on the game’s final three points.
While Watson threw for 375 yards on 33 of 44 passes with one
touchdown and one interception – and though most of those passes
were highly contested – Marinelli's Men were always one or two
swarming steps behind Watson and his targets, ultimately failing to
stop Cowboys Nation from feeling severely congested. Watson did not
even have the rushing services of Lamar Miller, but he more than
made up for it as an aerial killer.
Hopkins was the one particular Texan who – all game long – proved
impossibly vexin'. The Cowboys could rarely stop DeAndre Hopkins,
and he (with his passing partner) cut Marinelli’s zone right down to
the bone. Hopkins was the difference on both sides of the ball,
while Dallas could do nothing to prevent another stall. He knocked
down Dak’s Hail Mary to end regulation, and he caught Watson’s own
long-gainer to set up the overtime-winning field goal to much fan
elation.
Marinelli’s Men played their hearts out – without a doubt – but
against the pass, Kris Richard’s secondary was always looking
capture a solid when Hopkins was an uncompliant gas. Always 1-2
steps behind or (in a few lucky and not-so-lucky cases) never
looking back for the ball as if they were blind.
While their sights are perpetually-but-not-realistically set much
higher, the Cowboys’ mediocre mix of player inability and
play-caller predictability resulted in a dumpster fire that turned
out the lights on any claim of Texas bragging rights.
More Accuracy, Less Dakuracy
Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, and the Texans' laterally-equipped
linebackers would take turns stopping Zeke from finding much
daylight between the tackles or successfully reaching the edge. Dak
was dared to deliver under the tenets of his now-weekly P3 (Proper
Passing Pledge).
Prescott threw two interceptions and nearly three on the night,
regardless of Dallas’ play-calling blight. While he may yet, one
day, in some possible far-flung future, prove more positively
consistent, “Dakuracy” is what you get when 2016 accuracy is exposed
as a long-gone fallacy . . . that is increasingly leaving Cowboys
Nation incontinent.
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- Cole Beasley – early in the first half – slipping out of the
Cowboys' backfield, Dak easily overthrew Beasley, and a
patiently-waiting Johnathan Joseph nearly plucked a pick six for
what would have been a rousing laugh.
Dak – late in the second quarter – uncorked one just a bit too high
for tiny Tavon Austin, and it became an interception served to
order. It glanced off his hands and into the awaiting arms of
Houston's Kareem Jackson. Another avoidable targeting error that –
for an offense in desperate need of consistent, positive production
– would prove too taxin'.
Dak – midway through the third quarter – attempted to hit Deonte
Thompson at the Cowboys' 34, but Dak aimed for Thompson’s wrong
shoulder, inviting Johnathan Joseph to beat Thompson to the
play-designed spot, and ensured the result was quite poor. Texan’s
safety Justin Reid (with a change in momentum on the line) recovered
the deflection and advanced it to the Dallas 29. The play involved
another highly-subjective NFL rule change or (depending upon your
perspective) an officiating hole . . . that allows a player to catch
a football that hits the ground as long as they maintain unflinching
control.
While the Texans’ defense deserves credit for making Dak (be the
player to) deliver, Prescott’s accuracy (regardless of the call
play) continues to generate a shiver . . . down the spine of his own
teammates, and that is anything but fine.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
Yes – J.J. Watt should have been called for a helmet-to-helmet
penalty on the play where he managed not to body-smash Dak Prescott
into a puddle of grid iron grease. Yes – Xavier Woods should have
been called for a paper-thin helmet-to-helmet penalty earlier in the
game. Yes – while it appears these “horrifyingly overprotective”
penalties will not cease, improved technique can always, ALWAYS
increase. If you cannot make a tackle without first applying some
helmet-down spackle, then, you will pile up free yardage at which
opponents will cackle.
Travis “Fredbeard” Frederick and Terence “Total Waste” Williams were
placed on (designated to return) injured reserve, with his
still-slow-to-recover nerves potentially causing the Cowboys’ 2019
NFL draft plans to significantly swerve. Frederick may never again
reach the field and that is a possible fact to which Cowboys Nation
should mentally prepare themselves to yield. With the return of
Brice “Make Me A One Or I Am Done” Butler, Williams was already
moving farther away from any kind of productivity on game day.
David Irving (despite being made an active member of the 53-man
roster) was ruled out for the Houston game, as he deals with a
continuation of offseason family matters. The combination of “Hot
Boyz” near-misses against Watson and Linehan’s stalled offensive
plan has made Irving’s overdue debut even more critical towards for
a defensive unit charged with preventing Dallas’ season from (very
shortly) being left in complete tatters.
It turns out Tank Lawrence has been playing with a torn tread, err,
labrum since 2016. An excruciating reminder occurred during a hit
Lawrence had on Deshaun Watson and (if this big-time boo-boo cannot
be reasonably managed) Irving’s imminent return would keep the Hot
Boyz from becoming entirely too lean.
Chidobe Awuzie has a bad ankle and – for a Cowboys’ secondary whose
levels of aggression and tight coverage tend to vary – that may only
further rankle.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The Dallas Cowboys have endured another brutal week of angry,
desperate, and familiar calls for change . . . in the face of
Garrett-era mange. Jerry Jones (historically and typically) is the
only person (besides perhaps son Stephen) who publicly continues to
see this as strange.
Jerry’s Texas-sized ego and his dust-covered version of Frank
Sinatra’s “I (Finally) Did It My Way” continue combining to prevent
him from outwardly hinting that his ginger-haired golden boy must do
any more than take risks when the Dallas offense is looking
particularly dense.
“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” knows as well as any fan . . . that Jerry
will only announce a change when HE is damn good and ready. Until he
demonstrates he is physically unsteady, that remains the unwavering
plan.
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- Will a stack of nagging injuries to Marinelli’s Men make it seem
like they are playing each series with just ten?
Will the success of Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith continue to
make the (temporary?) loss of Sean Lee more and more of a "without
him, the defense suffers an epic fail" myth?
Will Dak and Co. REALLY start to still sling it around if
Zeke is stopped from bringing it on the ground . . . or, OR
will Dallas still expect to go far on (eventually) exhausted
defenders and the foot of Matt Baher?
Will the definitive remarks from Cole Beasley and Allen Hurns fade
away with an offensive awakening or leave lasting-and-significant
burns?
Will America’s Team allow the incoming-and-angry Jaguars to take a
ferocious bite or Linehan’s Clan reach deep down for some repeated,
unpredictable, and successful offensive delight?
We shall see. We always do.
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