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- 2018-2019
Regular Season: Dallas Taints Unstoppable Saints And Prepare For One
More Row With Fine-Feathered Foe
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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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December 9, 2018 At 1:13 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- All but the most myopic members of Cowboys Nation believed the
chances of “America’s Team” defeating the New Orleans Saints was a
complete pipe-dream.
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- Practically no one expected Jason Garrett to outcoach or Scott
Linehan to out-scheme Sean Payton before inevitably failing to make
second half adjustments and eventually running out of steam.
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- The Cowboys, however improbable, defeated the Saints 13-10,
achieving the "impossible" while also ending New Orleans' 10-game
winning streak, and causing (most of) Cowboys Nation to joyously
freak.
“Jerry does a better job of selling hope than anyone.” – Deion
“Primetime” Sanders. And Jerry Jones (with all his well-documented
faults) looked like anything but a dope when the game was done.
Dallas borrowed from a familiar line (forcing a potent New Orleans
offense to substantially slow under a loosely-similar scenario)
while halting the Saints' 13-game winning streak in 2009.
The Cowboys had a (risk-taking and) point-scoring offense in their
own right (so many years ago) with a talented-yet-inconsistent
defensive unit to help finish many a game day fight. Dallas – years
later – flipped the script with a conservative, ball-control offense
to go with an enterprising, aggressive defense that (lately) rarely
relents.
The Cowboys may have only scored a relative handful of points
against an opponent averaging 37 per game, but in demonstrating
perfection on their one true end zone connection, they won it just
the same.
Ezekiel Elliott had an easier-than-expected scoring play on what
proved to be the Cowboys' most significant (but not most exciting)
offensive shot of the day, because critical blocks by Joe Looney and
Zack Martin helped pave the way. The play may have ended like a
simple screen, but it began with execution particularly mean. Looney
t-boned unaware defensive tackle Tyeler Davison (who was giving
menacing chase), and Martin escorted helpless linebacker Demario
Davis to a zero-impact space.
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- Elliott would finish the game with 136 total yards from scrimmage –
patiently harvesting 76 yards rushing, taking in 60 yards receiving
(on six catches), helping with pass protection, and demonstrating
skills that remain sound all the way around.
Dak Prescott had his fourth straight solid outing, going 24 of 28
for 249 yards with near-perfect efficiency to satiate his fan
constituency. After connecting early with Michael Gallup for a
40-yard toss, he would spend the rest of the game happily being the
familiar short-game boss. Gallup and Amari Cooper would each
accumulate 76 yards with plenty of YAC to pump up the Cowboys’
passing attack. Blake “Not Just A Blocker” Jarwin, "Lump Of Cole"
Beasley, and Noah Brown each worked through limited-use pains to
contribute key one-off catches to move the chains.
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- Brett Maher would endcap two more good-but-ultimately-stalled Dallas
drives to finalize the Cowboys’ score card. While Maher has not
exactly accelerated the memory of his predecessor into vague
recollection status . . . having the confidence-crushed,
Minnesota-marginalizing Dan Bailey (who used to so easily make ‘em
daily) instead of Maher might have left the Cowboys’ current 4-game
win streak significantly charred.
And as determined as “Linehan’s Clan” was to enforce their keep-away
plan, “Marinelli’s Men” spent nearly every defensive opportunity on
fire, displaying enough junkyard dog desire to throw Drew Brees and
the rest of “Payton’s Point Producers” onto an offensive funeral
pyre.
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- DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence spoke his mind before the game with a
pretty provocative claim that he and the rest of Marinelli’s Men
could punch their high-scoring opponent in the mouth to get their
confidence going south. Once their flustered opponent would begin to
pout, Tank and team would lay tremendous tread to choke them out.
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- "But it is what it is and the battle was won . . . It's football. If
you capitalize on a team early, you got to step on their throats,
like I said, and don't let them back up, which we did today." –
DeMarcus Lawrence.
During perhaps the most exciting moment of the contest – on fourth
down just outside the Cowboys’ one – the Saints’ offensive line
failed to get a deep enough push, and Lawrence stopped Saints’
righteous running back Alvin Kamara from having any end zone fun.
DeMarcus (on another series) would also strip the football from
Brees just as his arm was cocked and ready to inflict some downfield
harm. While the Saints would recover the fumble, Tank led the
defensive march to make sure Brees and Co. would crumble.
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- Tank was far from alone in wanting to just roll the bones and show
some serious defensive stones. Leighton "The Wolf Hunter" Vander
Esch and Jaylon "Smooth" Smith (the linebacking duo also known as
"Van Jaylon") were here, there, and everywhere . . . ensuring
everyone (from ballcarriers to route runners) beware. Byron Jones,
Chidobe Awuzie, Xavier Woods, Jeff Heath clearly made a promise to
stop the Saints’ array of high-flying receivers and, specifically,
Michael Thomas. Randy Gregory (with his extreme angle towards QBs he
wishes to mangle) and Anthony Brown (who – thanks to Kris Richard –
is no longer the first Cowboys' defender opposing QBs seek to drown)
each came up with a huge sack of the Saints’ quarterback.
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- Reserve cornerback Jourdan Lewis (once considered in possession of
the best pure coverage skills of any corner in the 2017 NFL draft)
took his shot from the slot on a late-game throwaway by Drew Brees
and (mere inches from the ground) his victory-sealing interception
absolutely hit the spot. Maliek Collins and Tyrone Crawford
performed a "Double Dragon Stunt" to force Brees to throw too soon
and (for the intercepting Lewis) it was a game-saving boon. The
timely turnover would also be eerily foreshadowed in the first
quarter when Brees was forced to get rid of another low-and-away
pass Lewis (in the very same manner) very nearly caught.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
The Cowboys – with the exception of one good toss-left run by Mark
Ingram – made sure the Saints’ running game was grounded and
impounded.
More than ever before, there is no understating the "inconsistent"
impact of NFL officiating. The surplus of fan anxiety is
ever-present . . . waiting for critical player mistakes to forever
resent (from the penalties players accidentally cause to those lazy
or purposeful that give head coaches and GM's
roster-spot-relinquishing pause).
While referees are only hoomin, err, human, their regulatory flaws
(sometimes compounded by instant-replay-neutering rule book laws),
gridiron occurrences beyond their visual acuity can result in
horrifying game day impurity.
Saints' receiver Keith Kirkwood (in order to collect Drew Brees'
only touchdown pass of the game) conveniently pushed the
perfectly-positioned Anthony Brown out of frame. The final score
could have been at least 13-3, but the Saints' were allowed to have
more.
Cole Beasley (on the flipside of where desire and reality collide)
had one catch all day . . . that was allowed by the officials to
artificially extend the Cowboys’ offensive play. He was clearly
short of the first down marker, but the Saints’ Sean Payton had
already exhausted his opportunities as a challenge barker. While
Beasley indirectly paid the price with (what turned out to be) a
temporary but painful injury that, at first, looked not at all nice.
“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” was perfectly happy with the result and
does not mean to dwell, but the same “blind mice” officiating (and
lack of any way to trigger instant replay) could happen to Dallas in
the future, as well.
Cowboys’ defensive end Randy “Savage Life To Seabiscuit” Gregory
lined up offside on a key third down, leaving fans to angrily mumble
about a lost strip-sack-fumble. Gregory also got penalized for
unintentionally careening into the legs of the Saints’ punter on
fourth down . . . wasting yet another opportunity to more completely
and quickly usher New Orleans out of town.
What also cannot be ignored are the SEVEN sacks the Saints’ defense
collected. While the Cowboys were still relying on an ankle-sprained
Xavier Su’a-Filo (in place of the confidence-cooked Connor Williams)
and Cameron Fleming (in place of Tyron “Spine Not Fine” Smith) to
deliver starting-quality offensive line depth, Dak Prescott’s
hold-it-too-long habit (in part) further diminishes the goal of that
depth, no matter who attempts to ensure he is properly protected.
Turnovers (if not kept in check and as anyone in NFL circles will
explain) can-and-will cause great game day pain. Amari Cooper has
shown an affinity towards carrying the football like a loaf of
bread, but (regardless of his positive impact on the Cowboys’
offense) multiple fumbles as a result of that approach (against the
wrong opponent) could cause Dallas to wind up dead. Dak Prescott
deserves the same scrutiny (if not more), because while the offense
may run through Zeke, it starts with Dak. His HUGE-for-a-QB 10
7/8-inch hands should maintain reliable, initial command of the
football regardless of the goal of the Cowboys’ offensive attack.
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- “They won for the fourth consecutive game! Why are you so damn
critical?!” you exasperatedly ask. If the Cowboys do not begin to
clean these issues up, and they encounter an opposing defense that
can (even for five minutes) force the Cowboys’ offense to go from
multidimensional to, say, a Dak-dared deep pass invitational, then
Dallas (assuming they win the NFC East) will not be up to their
postseason task. Remember that (just like Dallas and their
transformation over the past four games) concern does not stem from
which teams remain on the Cowboys’ regular season schedule or whom
they may face in “The Tournament.” The concern is over one of those
teams going through their own conversion that can magically overcome
Marinelli’s Men and reduce Zeke to a shiny hood ornament.
Speaking of sparkling, Gil Brandt (former Cowboys’ director of
player personnel) being inducted into Dallas’ ring of honor at
halftime brought back so many happy memories for so many fans of the
requisite age. His 29-year partnership with timeless Tom Landry and
shrewd Tex Schramm generated incredible success and an international
– no, intergalactic – cash cow brand that (love ‘em or hate ‘em)
remains all the rage.
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- Brandt has also been nominated as a contributor finalist for next
year's induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gil
(decades after his Cowboys’ career ended) continues to be a
knowledgeable draft resource and trusted NFL consultant, and to see
him not be (easily) voted into the Hall would be a shame.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to host the very same team against
which they started their current, remarkable four-game win streak.
They face the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who are on
their own two-game run and (in order to retake possession of the NFC
East lead or at least remain in contention for a playoff berth) are
willing to do practically anything that is (barely) legal.
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- Surely both teams learned something from their first confrontation
of the year . . . from the pregame shoving match to
injury-diminished rosters to differences in execution so crystal
clear. Regardless of win streak, “Backs Against The Wall” remains
the collective theme for the team that continues to peak.
Will Jim Schwartz’s “Wide Nine” crew find a way to stifle Zeke and
pressure Prescott to (accurately) pass his way through a secondary
held together with pipe cleaners and glue, or will Dallas finish
what it started in Philly by feeding Zeke (behind an o-line no
longer weak), delivering decent down and distances for Dak, and
slapping the Eagles silly?
Will Marinelli’s Men (once again) allow Carson Wentz to make an
out-of-position Jeff Heath look like a deep pass fool, or will Heath
and the much-improved “Hot Boyz” take Wentz and Co. to school?
Will Marinelli's Men allow Eagles’ tight end Zack Ertz another 14
pass-catching spurts, or will they redouble their efforts to ensure
his efficiency hurts? Will they overlook the
diminutive-yet-dangerous Darren Sproles who only recently returned,
or will they take key sideline to sideline steps to avoid getting
screen-burned?
Will Dallas, as Jerry insists, be “different cats now” . . . or will
they succumb to a desperate division rival’s prideful plow?
We shall see. We always do.
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