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- 2019-2020 Regular Season:
Will Cowboys Experience Temporary Prominence Or Sustained Dominance?
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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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September 15, 2019 At
3:47 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- Rivalries are the very basis
of competitive sport and without such historic opponents, there very
well could be nothing to comparatively report. When age-old rivals
compete, fevered fans (with narrative-supporting exceptions) only
care about who held the fort.
While the NFL’s 100th season began (arguably but not technically)
with the latest edition of its oldest rivalry – an NFC North
slugfest between the Bears and the Packers (the results of which
were not primetime best) – the league’s week-one schedule also
included a similar NFC East fan favorite between two organizations
that almost always make a game of it.
“America’s Team” hosted the New York “Football” Giants who (even
with their litany of well-documented issues) managed a deceptive
show of defiance before losing 35-17 to Dallas and fetching familiar
tissues.
“What exactly do you mean by deceptive?” you ask (with a hint of
unwillingness – in the face of such a great Dallas victory – to be
at all receptive). “The Tortured Cowboys Fan” shall quickly explain
with little strain.
While Giants’ QB Eli Manning has demonstrated multiple ways of
messing up crucial plays – during his struggle to properly steer in
the twilight of his career – he surprisingly threw for 306 yards
(albeit with but one touchdown) on 30-44 passing with a QBR of 95.5
(giving a glimmer of hope to a dwindling number of loyal supporters
that his days as a starting quarterback remain reasonably alive).
Draft-delivered improvements across New York’s offensive line helped
prevent “Marinelli’s Men” from having more on which to dine.
New York’s own stud running back Saquon Barkley overcame a
near-fatal early-game fumble to gain 120 yards on 11 carries without
another stumble. He had an explosive 59-yard run until Cowboy’s
corner Chidobe Awuzie (as if shot from a cannon) ended his fun . . .
like Darrell Green chasing down fellow Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett
or Eric Dickerson. More on Washington in a minute, as the Cowboys
will soon be in it. The “Hot Boyz” otherwise kept the multifaceted
player pretty quiet through the air.
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Giants’ tight end Evan Engram (enjoying momentary mercy from
untimely injury) returned to his recent tradition of excelling
against Dallas, gaining 115 yards on 11 of 14 receptions and one
touchdown. With the exception of a 43-yard big play blip from
receiver Cody Latimer, the rest of New York’s receivers succumbed to
the Hot Boyz’ no-fly-zone hammer. Colossally concussed Giants’
receiver Sterling Shepard would stammer onto an unpleasant flight
out of town.
While New York was not point-scoring compliant, their total
offensive output was, indeed, deceptively defiant (being but 20
yards fewer than the team they tried-and-failed to skewer). The
G-Men showed their between-the-endzone production could improve, but
they were overwhelmed by Dak's new groove.
Accuracy, Not Dakuracy
On the flipside, a delightfully Dak-driven victory allowed an
imperfect-yet-adequate defensive performance to quietly slide. While
he would mix in a few “behind-the-back” passes in the first quarter,
Prescott was all accuracy with nary a hint of further “Dakuracy.”
and his 158.3 was served to order. He threw for a whopping 405 yards
and four touchdowns on 25-32 attempts, suffered zero sacks (in the
absence of that since-traded guy named “Snacks”), sacrificed zero
turnovers (to any opportunistic secondary rovers), and his PERFECT
QBR of 158.3 was practically served to order. He would also tote the
rock four times for 12 yards more (including a timely 8-yard scamper
to help push the Giants further out the door).
Such accuracy (due to a combination of play-call misdirection with
better field vision to solve past indecision) fulfilled targets o’
plenty. Second-year thoroughbred Michael Gallup went 7/7 for 158
yards with a long of 62. New York hardly knew what to do.
Second-year Cowboy Amari Cooper went 6/9 for 106 yards, with a long
of 45, and his own score. But wait! There was more! Fabulous free
agent pickup Randall Cobb reminded everyone why he is just right for
the former role of Cole (Beasley), going 4/5 for 69 yards, with a
long of 25, and one touchdown pretty easily. Blake Jarwin (ongoing
participant in “Tight End Survivor”) went 3/3 for 39 yards, with a
long of 28 (reminiscent of his last performance against the Giants
so great), resulting in another seven. Though Jason Witten
(triumphantly returning from the booth to display his truth) went a
mere 3/4 for 15 yards, Prescott’s second scoring pass of the day
ensured “The Judge” was dealt better cards, and the AT&T Stadium
crowd roared like they had reached heaven.
Running Game Coming Into Frame?
Ezekiel Elliott (following his successful clash over cash) had 53
yards on 13 carries, including the Dallas' last touchdown of their
pass-heavy day on a punishing, leaning, stretching 10-yard run into
the end zone. Still – after having missed the entire preseason – his
touches were purposely limited (no matter his chiseled Cabo
chassis), with rookie running back sensation Tony Pollard being
thrown a 50% bone to make it temporarily even.-
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The assumption, the hope, and the (arrogant?) expectation – by
everyone with skin in the Cowboys’ running game – is that Zeke and
his understudy will soon come (more successfully) into frame.
Which Came First?
“Cowboys Nation” lost its collective mind with Dak Prescott’s week
one presentation. The myopic minority (?) has already anointed him
the best quarterback walking the planet and stand ready to tell
anyone with a reasonable rebuttal to can it.
Forget all about Dak’s pending contract extension atonement and
focus on how Dallas got here for just a moment. The Cowboys’
offensive play-calling used to be absolutely galling, the absolute
worst, but those with reasonable awareness are logically asking
“Which came first? Dak’s markedly improved ability and Kellen
Moore’s play-calling agility?”
Prescott had previously explained – to practically anyone who would
listen – that (as 2018 turned towards the playoffs) he was finally
beginning to see the field better and targets were starting to
glisten. This was while Scott Linehan was still the play-calling
man. Thus, no matter how rigid and unforgiving the play-call, Dak
was beginning to see more targets when they were even imperfectly
open for the football. By Prescott’s acknowledgement of being able
to more clearly see, “all he had to (eventually, increasingly, and
successfully) do” was improve his sense of anticipation and
willingness to throw the ball where he expected his targets to
ultimately be. Prior to witnessing more of that personal growth, a
premature (?) stop was applied to the Cowboys’ playoff push, and
Linehan was asked to goweth.
Fast forward to week-one postgame discussions, where “everyone”
(from overcooked diehards to “show me again” curmudgeons) wants to
know who is responsible (or what the ratio of responsibility is) for
the Dallas offense’s expanded capabilities between the footballer
and the play-caller. If cooler heads prevail, no one (on either side
of the equation) will have to indulge in a tall production tale.
Jon Kitna has at least improved Dak’s footwork and (for at least one
game) positively impacted his aerial mechanics to (indirectly)
lessen the fans’ “He’s wide open!” panics. Kellen Moore (the other
half of “2K: A New Way To Play”) has clearly (for at least one game)
added significant misdirection wrinkles to what remains an old
system, yet unless Dak was able to execute those wrinkles, the
Cowboys’ offense would continue to be a vanilla victim. While
Linehan's vanilla was replaced with Moore's Neapolitan, Prescott
successfully scooped all three flavors like a Baskin Robins store
captain.
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While the league’s 16-game season may be too short for team owners
in the NFL, it remains an Arthurian medieval marathon for both
players and coaches seemingly cursed by a Morgana Le Fay attrition
spell.
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Prescott – without a doubt – was game-one-fantastic, but he
has (at least?) 15 more games this season in which to turn this
production trick. 2K (Kellen and Kitna) – without a doubt – made an
incredible offensive coaching impact, but they have (at least?) 15
more games this season in which to ensure Dak and the rest of his
aerial attack remain untracked. Collaboration is the name of the
game, Cowboys Nation. From game to game and opponent to opponent,
such teamwork between Dallas’ players and coaches will not always be
50/50, but such an alliance remains a critical necessity.
Which came first? The improved player or the improved play-calling?
For at least one game, the Cowboys can no longer be accused of
stalling.
Will They Or Won’t They?
While Cowboys Nation might occasionally be more intrigued by
uncommon, non-divisional, non-NFC opponents on Dallas’ schedule, the
anticipation for their bread-and-butter rivalries miraculously keeps
network television ratings full.
The Cowboys-Giants contest was the most-watched week-one game (with
23.9 million viewers to shew away all those “Dallas Sucks”
poo-poo’ers). Love ‘em or (venomously) hate ‘em, NFL ratings without
Dallas are simply not the same. Bears-Packers and Patriots-Steelers
came in second by almost 2 million . . . each. Now, ain’t that a
peach. But enough about ratings. Let us move onto another historical
rivalry over which (and overconfident) Dallas has often received
poor gradings.
“Dallas Week” is all over the Washington D.C. sports talk airwaves.
“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” lived there for a few years, and
passionate Redskins fans get so worked up, one might think the mere
mention of “Dallas” would put them in their graves. Washington could
(not-so-ironically) be missing significant pieces of its roster and
– as much as their fans regularly and rightfully crap on owner
Daniel Snyder – they would be fit to be tied if those players
resembled a collective imposter rather than a desperate fighter.
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The Redskins (easily as much or sometimes more than the Eagles or
the Giants) find a way to control their organizational and player
injury pains to make sure Dallas leaves “The District” covered in
brutal stains.
Will an always-scrappy Washington defense bring Dak’s dynamic
offense back down to Earth . . . or will Dak, his diva-free
receivers, and Zeke begin a two-game winning streak by demonstrating
more of 2K’s game plan girth?
While the Skins' defense is being forced to function without
defensive end Jonathan Allen, tight end Jordan "Deadly When Healthy"
Reed, and quite possibly cornerbacks Quinton Dunbar and Fabian
Moreau, do Washington’s remaining warm bodies still have enough piss
and vinegar in their veins to give Dallas a go?
Will future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson play like he
has been fired out of a gun (after he was a healthy scratch for the
first time in his career) . . . now that promising-but-injury-prone
running back Derrius “Cold As” Guice has been put on (4-6 weeks of
knee surgery recovery) ice?
Will Marinelli’s Men remember how they were taken down in D.C. last
year by a similarly-undermanned Redskins’ squad? Between what was
THEN an unreliable, one-dimensional offense and awful officiating on
a special teams penalty that never should have been, OH MY GAWD!
Will journeyman QB Case Keenum (still without terrific offensive
tackle Trent “Trade Me” Williams) be allowed to put up more gaudy
numbers, or will he and his teammates be turned into offensive
bumblers?
Will Dallas put on a point-scoring show for the second week in a row
and “beat (more of) the teams you are supposed to beat” . . . or
will Washington dig (emotionally) deep, and leave a stunned Cowboys
team mumbling “in today’s NFL, it is so hard to compete?”
Will the Cowboys continue making big plays or citing empty clichés?
Will Dallas experience temporary prominence or sustained dominance?
We shall see. We always do.
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