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2016-2017 Regular Season: Failed To Do Against Big
Blue And Seeking Victory In D.C.
- September 13, 2016 At 8:37 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
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- Never Forget
September 11, 2001 is a vivid memory in every way for all but the
youngest of youngsters on that day.
Fast forward to 2016 . . . and such an incredibly tragic loss of
thousands of lives – from many points around the globe – remains an
event that cannot be unseen.
Some – on the anniversary of this day – would mourn for those family
and friends from which they were forever torn.
“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” remembers watching the sudden breaking
news report – and being confused as to whether it was a feature film
trailer . . . or a more real than real aircraft failure.
As Americans – and so many around the world – learned . . .
society’s worm had violently turned.
“Time heals all wounds (for some . . . but merely dulls the pain for
others).”
While society should “Never Forget,” the ultimate goal should
(continue to) be “Never Again.”
Never Again
The NFL season began anew – for all football fans . . . especially
those of “America’s Team” wearing white, silver, and blue.
“Never Again” is an appropriate theme of a Dallas Cowboys team
determined to immediately gain steam towards the recapture of its
2014 postseason dream.
Better results were sure to arrive with the first game. Fans were so
ready to forget the 2015 season but – without the services of a
rehabilitating Romo – would they merely see more of the same?
Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel were so incredibly lame . . . but
someone fresh and new had finally entered the QB frame.
Fans were excited to see if the Cowboys’ match set of rookie running
back and QB were all they appeared (in preseason) to be. Fans –
however – were understandably pensive . . . as the pressure was –
once again – on the offense to control the time possession and
offset expected struggles on the defensive.
The hated New York Giants and eternal rivals within the NFC East . .
. arrived at AT&T Stadium looking to become the newest division
beast. The G-Men brought with them a newly-upgraded defense and a
big nose tackle named “Snacks” ready to make dents.
While it is unfair to expect veteran play out of a suddenly starting
fourth round draft pick at QB, Cowboys Nation was itching to see . .
. if-and-when America’s Team would regain their footing on the path
to “Never Again.”
Missed It By That Much
Cowboys Nation would quickly find out whether Dallas’ shiny new “Dak
Attack” would perform like an inexperienced shrink-wrapped rookie in
need of a pat on the head and a cookie . . . or successfully emulate
the veteran QB presence everyone believed America’s Team would lack.
Prescott continued where he left off in the preseason game against
the Seattle Seahawks. He demonstrated excellent poise in the pocket,
played within the system, suffered zero sacks . . . even when
pursued by the Giants’ rebuilt defensive line and that big fella’,
Snacks.
Even Jason “Devastated Digits / Executed Ends / Funky Fingers /
Garish Grip” Pierre-Paul got involved in the act – making his way up
stream well enough – but “Fred And The Blockheads” spent most of the
day keeping Prescott’s passing pocket pretty-well intact.
The Cowboys’ rookie-replenished running game was another story with
little glory.
While Ezekiel “Zeke” Elliott scored the first rushing touchdown of
his promising career, he otherwise struggled to crack 50 yards
through running lanes into which he seemingly could barely steer.
Zeke was stoned at the line (no pun intended) for most of the game .
. . by a rebuilt Giants defensive front looking to clear its
tarnished name.
Alfred “A-Train” Morris achieved more than half that total on less
than half the number of carries . . . helping to shore up the
difference and unintentionally lighting a fire under any fans with
Zeke-readiness worries.
Jason Witten led the Cowboys' aerial assault with Cole Beasley close
behind. Both of them ironically share a perplexing penchant for
receptions of the backward kind . . . as they tend to catch a
reasonably well-placed ball yet on the opposite direction they begin
to curve, then swerve, and a yard short they manage to fall.
While Gavin Escobar was dressed like the rest, he was noticeably
absent from all but special teams - giving him a chance to
participate and avoid screams . . . from fans who think it is a
miserable crock that – unlike Witten – he cannot finally find a way
to catch AND block.
Geoff Swaim (a bulkier Eric Bjornson), Lance Dunbar, Brice Butler,
and Zeke all pitched in with one catch a piece – but (a healthy and
ready) Dez Bryant was the last player fans figured would be on such
a list . . . against (expected) double coverage that (until game's
end) predictably did not cease.
Dez – save for a measly eight yard pass play – was taken completely
out of the game all day. Among the missed opportunities was another
“He Caught It / He Did Not Catch It” scenario . . . but the ball was
still moving as his body slid out of bounds and – once again – there
you go.
On the flipside, Cowboys Nation feared there would be no place for
yet another undermanned Dallas defense to hide. Marinelli’s Men
surprised everyone – from fans to prognosticators to one-dimensional
fantasy fools – by hanging tough through a 13-point Giants’ second
quarter . . . and showing they had the tools – from Sean Lee to a
resurgent Morris Claiborne to Terrell "The Other" McClain – to
possibly maintain a winning order.
Brandon Carr – Terence Newman’s high-priced, cap-crushing
replacement – has spent almost his entire time with the Dallas
Cowboys in the cornerback basement. He showed up in 2012 with such
promise, a decent 40 time (of 4.44 seconds), seemingly sticky hands,
and good height (at 6') . . . but - with a 36-game interception
drought - he simply stalled too often to get much right.
Carr – to Cowboys Nation’s delight – early in the third quarter
emerged from his multi-year stall at full throttle . . . to pick off
Giants’ QB Eli Manning and give fans reason to put down the bottle.
Fans were (and remain) used to Carr playing tight and getting beat,
playing off and raising the white flag of defeat, and it was a
breath of fresh air to see Brandon win the triangulation fight.
While Carr was the only Dallas defender able to unstick his clutch
and show the turnover touch, it is worth noting Marinelli’s Men were
potentially holding their own against the next coming of a
particularly dangerous wide receiver trio from the late 80’s and
early 90’s . . . better known as the Redskins’ “Posse” (of Art Monk,
Ricky Sanders, and Gary Clark). The “Smurfs” – as they were also
known – had plenty of bite to go with their bark and while the
Giants’ own blue trio of Odell Beckham, Jr., Victor Cruz, and rookie
Sterling Shepard still have plenty of room to grow – assuming they
do, in fact, improve – defenses better be ready to move. But I
digress from a game-ending mess.
Dak – for a rookie QB and fourth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft –
was playing like someone with years of experience honing his
professional craft. While the Dallas offense was forced into field
goals on all but one touchdown-scoring series all afternoon . . .
the Cowboys still had a game-winning opportunity into which they all
had to be in-tune. The last thing Dallas needed was someone – with
no timeouts remaining – to ruin what was looking to be some late
game fun.
All the Cowboys had to do was get into field goal range – for deadly
Dan Bailey to help them win it 22-20 – but Terrance Williams did
something inconceivably strange . . . with Vegas wishing they had
just put away their money.
“Would you believe” . . . Terrance Williams (who already had two
short catches on the day) went from reasonably trusty second
receiver to embattled wide out whom fans wanted to viciously cleave?
Prescott tossed it to Terrance (with some 12 seconds left) on what
appeared to be a drag route towards the right (at a spot on the
field where three points was an achievable yield) . . . and Williams
unbelievably decided not to run out of bounds, leaving his perplexed
team with too little time to line up and spike the ball, and nothing
left to do but call it a night.
While the imperfect Cowboys had a chance, it is impossibly bad when
one of your players seems locked into an attention deficit trance.
Their 20-19 loss to the Giants was irritating enough . . . until the
player most responsible for the failure refused to cop to any of
that ownership stuff.
Williams – after the contest – denied any wrong doing and reminded
everyone how much he was used to hearing about his failures from
fans and reporters alike . . . that it just comes with the territory
and is part of the game. Dak quickly came to his defense – in team
spirit – but Terrance had already defiantly dropped the mic. He
simply did not want to hear it. He suffered from a brain fart and
was too proud – at the time – to "Get Smart."
Williams is in a contract year but – from the sound of what he said
– fans would think he just wants to put the whole matter to bed and
play out the year with free agency so (potentially) near. While he
eventually came around to admitting he should have bolted to the
sideline rather than going to the grid iron ground . . . Cowboys
Nation may spend the rest of the year wondering when next Terrance
will play like he is on vacation.
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- The Cowboys had victory within their
grasp but missed it by THAT much. They have 15 more games to ensure
no one else – at a critical moment – is out of touch.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The last time the Dallas Cowboys played the Washington Redskins,
Kirk Cousins was in the process of helping deliver the Skins’ latest
NFC East division crown (since 2012) . . . and was telling America’s
Team “You Like This!” as he and his teammates headed back out of
town.
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- Fast forward to 2016 and the
Redskins are just coming off a brutal road loss to the Pittsburgh
Steelers . . . are still squeezing the remaining blood from
Washington’s spleen.
The Cowboys head to the nation’s capital hoping to face a team
equally as laughable . . . but they know better and should expect
the Redskins to come out swinging, looking to be the pace setter.
The Redskins’ pricy new cornerback – Josh Norman – is taking grief
for his coordinator’s decision not to maximize his
newest-and-greatest football thief. Norman may be champing at the
bit to deliver a production-suppressing hit . . . but will he have
to worry about Dez Bryant’s reception rage if Dez and Dak fail to
get on the same page?
Cowboys Nation wants desperately to see Zeke quickly reach his
running game peak . . . but will he be able to eventually show the
veteran patience of A-Train by allowing blocks to develop,
so-to-speak?
Tyron Smith experienced a resurgence of his preseason stinger . . .
and Cole Beasley received one as well after landing hard on the
field. Tyron may “fight through it” – as expected by Jason Garrett –
but stingers rarely simply yield. A repeat stinger likes to linger
as a precursor to eventual (long-term) issues of the neck and upper
spine. Tyron will do his best to tow the company line but – in doing
so – will he be fine?
Marinelli’s Men made it a game against the Giants’ three-pronged
aerial attack . . . but will a determined Redskins’ own trio (of
DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jordan Reed) successfully fill in
even more where New York still seems to lack? Will Rod continue to
divine more from less . . . until at least DeMarcus Lawrence can
return from his suspension mess?
Will Dak continue on his marvelous maturity mission . . . applying
increasingly more precise incisions and making more
wise-beyond-his-years decisions?
Will Dak maintain his professional poise and help Dallas defeat the
Redskins with the full range of the Cowboys’ offensive toys?
We shall see. We always do.
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