-
-
- 2018-2019
Postseason: Cowboys Stymie Seahawks With The L.A. Rams Laying In
Wait For Their Next Playoff Date
-
-
 -
-
-
This edition of "The Tortured
Cowboys Fan" has also been published by the fine folks at
Sports TalkLine.
-
-
-
-
-
January 12, 2019 At 11:13 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- "America's Team" had practically all they wanted, hosting a home
playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks so vaunted to avenge a
(partially) self-inflicted loss that helped leave the Cowboys so
early-season haunted.
That being said, the Dallas Cowboys (long after losing their regular
season battle in Seattle and since week 10) had been on an 7-8
winning tear that has propelled them well beyond 3-5 dead. While
Cowboys Nation was busy balancing anxiety over Dallas’ first
potential postseason victory since 2014 against fears that a quality
win will allow Jason Garrett (and Scott Linehan?) comfortably settle
back in . . . “Garrett’s Gang” – with the exception of looking lazy
against Indy – seemed determined to stop outside agendas from being
fed.
This time around, the Seahawks were visiting AT&T Stadium
(practically covered in playoff palladium) and against the Cowboys,
Seattle’s league-leading (team) rushing attack was looking to ground
and pound. The dynamic decibels of Seattle’s “12th Man,” however,
were nowhere to be found, and it was Cowboys Nation who were pumping
out something (almost) as loud as that Puget Sound.
The Cowboys and Seahawks (through the first two quarters) would
engage in a relatively (but not mutually) conservative 10-6 slugfest
before “Linehan’s Clan” and “Marinelli’s Men” were able to pull away
for all but the final few-and-furious fourth quarter minutes, when
Dallas was able to survive Russell Wilson’s very best. The Cowboys
would sufficiently outlast Seattle 24-22 while no longer being
outclassed.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
Dallas would best Seattle in every key TEAM category (34:50 to 25:10
time of possession, 380 to 299 total yards, 23 to 11 first downs,
third down efficiency, and 164 to 73 rushing yards), while losing in
THE one (1 to 0 turnovers) that makes even the most dominant of
team’s worry.
Dak Prescott suffered a whacky fourth quarter interception when his
red zone target Noah Brown could not reel in – drum roll please –
“an underthrown pass that needed a bit more touch.” Brown (without
being able to box out Seattle’s K.J. Wright) kept the ball alive but
into Wright’s hands it chose to take an end zone dive.
 -
- While the Dak-to-Amari Cooper connection returned to form with
another 100+ yard day with one after another reliable play, Dak's
touchdown pass to Michael Gallup was a rare display of touch of
which Prescott has not traditionally displayed much. Cowboys Nation,
of course, will (greedily) take as much as Dak can deliver, as long
as he remains clutch.
Dak wonderfully took but ONE sack (late in the second quarter) due
to quality pocket time he did lack, but he will continue to be
reminded (by those from whom he draws encouragement and those who
only offer discouragement) that he can more often than not "throw it
away to avoid the minus play." While the "Big Tuna" is long gone
from the sidelines, this fan will always think of Bill Parcells when
ringing the common-sense bells.
 -
- Ezekiel Elliott had been itching to redeem his regular season
mistakes against a Seattle team he knew (for the second time in the
same season) would volunteer no breaks. He ended up telling it like
it IS and (with 137 rushing yards on 26 carries with a long of 44
and four catches for 32 more yards) he was just going about his biz.
Special teams was one of the more active game day themes. The
Cowboys' special teams had often been hanging on by a thread during
the regular season, but their postseason performance against Seattle
was none too pleasin'. Arm tackles against Seattle's shifty, speedy
Tyler Lockett made him look (even more) like a rocket. With inside
30 seconds remaining in the first half, the Cowboys nearly suffered
a huge return game gaffe. Lockett received the kickoff and would
have run it all the way back if not for Brett Maher's best
impersonation of “The PUNTisher. Speaking of whom, the Cowboys’
continue to be forever thankful for Chris Jones. Lockett would have
returned a different punt for a touchdown if not for the one (other)
special teams player who continues to show some over-sized stones.
 -
- Tavon Austin had his own golden return opportunity that was
slowed by Seattle’s punter. While some thought that obstacle alone
caused Austin to rather awkwardly alter his trajectory, it was the
mild aggravation of his gone-but-not-forgotten groin injury that
triggered the appearance of an unnatural performance blunder.
Brett Maher – the model of kicking (in)consistency – missed a
58-yard attempt and made a shorter one for a continuation of his
unpredictable efficiency. The importance of quality kicking in a
close game cannot be overlooked, nor can the efforts of the rest of
the team that can equally leave achievable opportunities overcooked.
While Cowboys Nation – including “The Tortured Cowboys Fan” – would
roll their eyes at the ease with which “DangeRuss” Russell Wilson
and his wide receivers would pile up (but a handful of) chunk plays,
the “Hot Boyz” continued to apply enough pocket pressure (and crush
Seattle’s Chris Carson by any measure) to ensure “Kris’s Kids” were
able to avoid an untimely blaze. Cornerback Byron Jones (in
particular) was chasing most of the evening, putting a (hopefully
temporary) dent in fans’ Pro Bowl believing.
 -
- Marinelli's Men would spend all of the first quarter keeping
DangeRuss in order. As the first 15 minutes of the game were almost
completely unwound, Maelik Collins (for the Cowboys' only sack on
the day) sniffed out Wilson like a hound. Jeff Heath (on a third
quarter delayed safety blitz) might also have sacked DangeRuss at
the Seattle one, but he came up with an arm tackle none. While
Russell Wilson deserves credit for a well-rehearsed side step, Heath
gave some (temporary?) new life to his on-again, off-again
arm-tackling rep.
While Marinelli's Men held the little-used Ed Dickson to limited
production, he still managed a timely 26-yard catch on par with his
sneaky-good predecessor, the departed-for-Detroit Luke Willson. The
Dallas defense must be ready for their future opponent to (attempt
to) multiply that tight end mission.
These short shots and hot spots are mere learning and teaching
moments when compared to the physical impact on the game’s human
components.-
-
 -
- While the Seahawks secondary were clearly well-coached
to aim for the legs in deploying a boa constrictor-like tackling
technique which led to a legal-yet-gruesome broken ankle for Allen Hurns, it may be the new-and-aggravated ankle injuries to Cole
Beasley and Blake Jarwin that really leaves some personnel burns.
-
-
 -
- Time will quickly tell if the pain from their own loosely-related
injuries is something their collective game day will power can
quell.
Will They Or Won’t They?
America’s Team made the most of their cherished chance to be a
playoff host, but they cannot stick around for their next game in
the divisional round. “One down, THREE to go, another town and (at
least) one more show.”
If the Bears had beaten the Eagles, Dallas would have had a rematch
with the Saints, but it was not to be. The possibility of a rematch
with New Orleans – for at least one more week – Cowboys Nation will
not see. The Cowboys instead packed their bags for sunny SoCal and a
rendezvous with the Los Angeles Rams at 7:15 PM, CST in Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum, tonight. They will, once again, have to muster
their best to continue their postseason fight.
Speaking of the Bears, their referee-ruined “catch, fumble,
somebody, ANYBODY come get it” play should remind every NFL player
that at the forefront of your mind should always be situational
awareness, or at the worst possible time, you may look incredibly
careless.
Will the Cowboys nonetheless be able to smother the Rams’ potent
offense like they did (weeks ago) against the all-powerful Saints .
. . or will Marinelli’s Men simply allow Sean “Van Gogh” McVay to
break out the paints? Will the Hot Boyz reliably “get home” fast
enough to prevent Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff from showing his
aerial stuff? Will Jaylon “Smooth” Smith, Leighton “Wolf Hunter”
Vander Esch, and Sean “The General” Lee do their swarming part and
reasonably stop the multifaceted Todd Gurley? If Byron Jones is
(once again) made to more-often chase, will the rest of Kris’s Kids
be able to pick up the pace?
 -
- Will Dak, Zeke, Amari, and few key (wounded-but-willing)
brothers among others continue controlling the pace, leading
Linehan’s Clan over, around, and through the Rams’ collection of
high-investment, low-return defenders . . . or will potent
pass-rusher Aaron Donald suddenly receive enough support from
Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers, and “LockAngeles” (particularly
Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters) to reward owner Stan Kroenke, the
Rams’ big spender?
Will Wade Phillips (one of the kindest human beings on Earth)
suddenly implore his 3-4 to dramatically settle the score for that
(still sore) moment when Jerry Jones turned the Cowboys over to
Jason Garrett and shoved “Son of Bum” out the door . . . or will
Scott Linehan (at the very least) continue allowing Prescott and Co.
to overcome an occasional (?) play call so dumb (and, in turn,
prevent Cowboys Nation from going absolutely numb)?
Will Garrett’s Gang continue to (successfully) use plenty of Zeke
mixed with play action and crisp receiver routes to ensure Dak’s
passing opportunities gain more move-the-chains traction? Will those
still-surviving-and-striving members of “The Great Wall Of Dallas”
be ready to do that much more against a potential 9-man defensive
stack that will surely dare Dak to aerially attack?
Will the Cowboys allow themselves to believe that just because the
Eagles beat the hell out of the Rams a few weeks ago . . . they can
simply walk on in with a different name and deliver the same
lights-out show
Will America’s Team emerge victorious tonight with an NFC
championship opportunity to continue their playoff fight?
We shall see. We always do.
|
