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- 2018-2019
Regular Season: Sins Against The Skins Leave Marinelli’s Men Hung
Out To Dry Once Again
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This edition of "The Tortured
Cowboys Fan" has also been published by the fine folks at
Sports TalkLine.
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October 21, 2018 At 11:49 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- The Dallas Cowboys headed to Washington, D.C. (confidently) high
as a kite and ready to fight with the NFC East lead in clear sight,
but they were sabotaged by an incoherent family member who has
proven only intermittently capable of getting it right.
The Cowboys lost 20-17 to the Washington Redskins largely because of
a Jekyll and Hyde offensive unit that – wait for it – chose
conservative solutions that (save two key plays) resulted in poor
executions. Perhaps if (like their defensive counterparts) their
constitution was not so regularly vague, they would not (at the most
inopportune times) have laid an egg . . . or placed blame on a bad
flag and their kicker’s leg.
“Marinelli's Men” (like most of "Cowboys Nation") hoped for a greater
partner in "Linehan's Clan" for the second straight week, but they
instead received a supportive performance particularly weak.
Marinelli's Men played with their usual zest, giving their opponent
an initial shark bite test . . . then clamping down with the right,
early in-game adjustments to (mostly) play their best.
They would, however, feel the touchdown burn on a dump pass from
Redskins’ quarterback Alex Smith to running back Kapri Bibbs for the
first quarter. The 'Skins QB went play action. Jaylon Smith and Sean
Lee took the designed bait (Jordan Reed) and sealed their fate. The
Cowboys' defensive line (the “Hot Boyz”) was preoccupied, leaving
only safety Kavon Frazier in any kind of position to force the
‘Skins to cut the crap by shooting the gap. Bibbs caught the ball,
did not fall, and took off on his scoring haul. Jaylon Smith was
able to re-engage and narrowly missed the tackle, as Bibbs would
continue scooting down the sideline with a Halloween cackle.
Cornerback Byron Jones could have made a diving attempt as Bibbs
neared the end zone, but it would have made little difference, so
Jones left him alone.
It was the first opening drive touchdown allowed by the Cowboys
defense in their last twelve contests but (again) considering their
offensive partner, there will be few to no protests.
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- Marinelli’s Men were not perfect, but they would learn from that
burn. Twice in the red zone the Redskins they would spurn, forcing
Washington to fill touchdown holes with field goals. On other key
pass plays that really counted - to Bibbs (23 yards), Jordan Reed
(27 yards), Josh Doctson (15 yards), and Michael Floyd (20 yards) -
their problems intermittently mounted.
David Irving was the only Cowboy with a sack, and while the rest of
the Hot Boyz got close to the highly-mobile Alex Smith, further
d-line snacks they were unable to stack.
Adrian “AD” Peterson – the traveling man – had a chance (with at
least 124 yards) to tie or surpass former Cowboys Hall of Fame
running back Tony Dorsett on the career rushing yardage list, but
they gave up “only” 99 yards on 24 carries, allowing Marinelli’s Men
to technically resist.
Nonetheless, if the Dallas defense had the support of just half the
offensive efficiency displayed last week by Linehan’s Clan against
the Jags, the Cowboys organization might have avoided going from
recent riches to more realistic rags or – again – the most untimely
of flags.
There were still three simple seconds remaining in the contest in
which special teams had a chance to stake a game-tying claim and
reverse some of that offensive shame. The normally reliable and
unflappable long snapper L.P. Ladouceur has always had “one job to
do,” but the in-his-sleep execution of his normal routine was
apparently not performed clean.
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- Ladouceur’s subtle pre-snap movement
of the football was purely habitual and positional, but it was
deemed more than superficial according to the lead official. The
“snap infraction” sapped the Cowboys' game-tying traction. Kicker
Brett Maher’s attempt was pushed back by five yards – from an
average 47 to a still-achievable 52 – but the long-distance
specialist could not quite pull through. It would bounce off the
left upright, making an already-irritated Cowboys Nation even more
uptight.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The Dallas Cowboys entered Fed Ex Field with a chance to capture the
NFC East lead, but they would experience another offensive bleed.
Linehan’s Clan thought Zeke they could continue to feed in
combination with further Dak adoption of the more flexible read
option.
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- Now? Dallas is 3-4 and dangerously close (with a few more
losses) to being kicked out the playoff contention door. Their faint
forecast will go positive or negative based solely on what
performances they have in store.
Will “America’s Team” use the bye week to further decipher why they
wreak? Will Marinelli’s Men use this valuable time to further heal,
keep it real, and magically help Linehan’s Clan deal?
We shall see. We always do.
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