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- 2019-2020 Regular Season: Dallas Does More Of The Same To Escape The Lions’
Maim But Against The Pats, They Face Different Cats
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November 23,
2019 At 11:57 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- “America’s Team” gave “Cowboys
Nation” something over which to gripe – in failing to deliver to
everyone’s liking against the Vikings – the conditions for victory
against the Lions were decidedly ripe.
Both teams (as has increasingly become the annual, later-season,
league-wide case) had injury concerns all over the place. Lions
starting quarterback Matt Stafford (with his Tony Romo, err,
transverse process injury) was unavailable to Motor City, but no one
was about to shower the Lions with pity. Though Dak Prescott
ultimately drove the Dallas Cowboys all over Detroit, winning 35-27
at Ford Field, the results revealed another mixed bag yield.
While Prescott (in years past) maintained an occasionally-loose grip
on the ball, it was Ezekiel Elliott who (on the second play of the
game) lost his precious cargo haul. After that, scoring – for both
teams – became entertainingly-yet-inexplicably phat.
Dak Prescott continued his personally prolific passing pace (going
29-46 for 444 yards and three more touchdowns) while sustaining but
one sack and not a single turnover trace. While Amari "Toe-Tapping
Trooper" Cooper seemed to succumb to an untimely combination of
nagging injuries and the play of Detroit's Darius Slay to slow his
normally-productive day, Michael Gallup's high wire act did the job
along with a resilient, touchdown-scoring Randall Cobb to maintain
the Cowboys' now-reliable aerial pact. "Kid Kellen" even CHOSE to do
Moore to get shifty rookie running back Tony Pollard involved with
the score. While Jason "I'm Real When It's Useful" Witten was there
to keep the chains movin' and Prescott groovin', Blake "Bargain Bin"
Jarwin nearly pulled off another "down the seam touchdown dream."
Moore – with Jason Garrett’s approval – also gets uncommon credit
for showing the guts to go for a late-game, two-point conversion
score. A failed attempt might have been paired with another Detroit
score by a Lions’ team still fighting to lift their lovely label of
being “success exempt.”
And while Matt Patricia's "Patriots Lite" approach to defense was
clearly focused on preventing Zeke from being a winning component of
the game day fight, two touchdowns (oneth by shoestring catch
followed by YAC and another by short-yardage ground-and-pound) were
a welcome counterbalance to the 45 yards on 16 carries that might
have otherwise kept Zeke outta' sight.
A much different result for the Stafford-less Lions was widely
assumed until another "Hot Boyz" exposé allowed Detroit to believe
their full offensive capabilities had been successfully exhumed.
Instead of the Lions' backup QB Jeff Driskel looking like a(n
extremely) poor man's Matt Stafford . . . the prototypical piñata –
that "Marinelli's Men" expected to punish – proactively displayed
the mobility of a Mazda Miata. Though they managed to nab the Lions'
QB for sacks numbering three, Driskel (through a respectable mix of
efficient passing and over 50 yards rushing) continued to shrug off
any starting role weight to intermittently put the Hot Boyz on
skates and (with a bit more care, on a play or two, here or there)
Detroit might have been in position to force an extra period to have
the last word.
Familiar Faces
Even the familiar-faced slot receiver Danny "Playoff 'Dola" Amendola
and running back Bo Scarbrough got in on the action to help the
Lions' gain traction.
While Cowboys Nation (those who remember when he was but an ember)
may still harbor regret over seeing the Cowboys sign Amendola to
their practice squad as an undrafted free agent in 2008 (only to see
him – a year later – suffer a cut down fate), it was not until two
teams later (with the then-St. Louis Rams) that he got the
opporunity to show he could be intermittently great (while
continuing to navigate an incredible, career-long injury spate).
Amendola is also a (productive playoff) reminder of the success that
has been enjoyed by a certain Foxboro-based team who has made Super
Bowl participation a rather predictable, yearly theme.
Bo Scarbrough – on the other hand – is a Derrick Henry-styled back
whom Dallas made their seventh-round selection in the 2018 draft
(with the hope that he might – as a project – help the Cowboys'
expand their already thumping running game craft). Another player
familiar with "The Process" – or Garrett's inconsistent attempt to
mimic the approach of mentor Nick (Saban) – was seemingly worth
investigatin'. Scarbrough – like Amendola – would be transitioned to
the practice squad to play the part of crash-test dummy and grab a
cola. And it would appear that Scarbrough, too, has taken a good 1-2
years to get his NFL career into (some kind of) gear.
Big Picture Is THE Fixture
Much has been made of Ezekiel Elliott’s running game struggles this
year. Rather than (publicly) succumb to frustration and fear, Zeke
has taken the high road (to ensure that – below WINNING – concern
over personal goals is conveniently stowed).
"Dak's playing the best football I've ever seen him play. Something
is clicking there, and he's throwing the sh-t out of the ball. We
got a bunch of weapons on the outside he can throw it to, and it's
hard for defenses to stop him, so keep that thing rolling." –
Elliott (regarding the clear transition the team has undergone, from
a run-first squad to a bombs-away mod).
Speaking of the sassing Zeke has been receiving over the Cowboys’
powerfully-productive passing, Dak Prescott has taken a very
similar, professional approach to talk of his candidacy for league
MVP (when he clearly understands the ultimate success he seeks is
far more about WE than ME).
“One, it’s crazy early, right? And, two . . . it’s winning. The only
thing I care about is wins. So, if that means I’m the most
winningest quarterback in the league, sure, I want it. But until it
means that, I don’t care. It’s something cool, right? But I want to
win games and that’s the most important thing.” – Prescott
(regarding ANYTHING he might achieve along the way towards the
Cowboys enjoying their thus-far elusive, sixth Super Bowl-winning
day).
Whether the focus is on Dak or Zeke, it remains high time that their
other game day team members get on board with the concept that big
picture is THE fixture that will routinely help them deploy the best
victory mixture.
Will They Or Won’t They?
America’s Team heads to Foxborough where the weather reports suggest
it may be tougher to throw.
The discerning fans among Cowboys Nation certainly know it will not
just be the potentially cold-and-rainy weather that could stop “Air
Prescott” from enjoying his now “normal” servings of goal-to-go.
“The Dallas Cowboys still have yet to beat a team with a winning
record. Anything less than perfect play calls and execution –
against the Patriots – is something Dallas simply cannot afford.” –
say prognosticators (who are practically daring the Cowboys to
sidestep their current image of ill-repute to finally obliterate
that low-hanging fruit).
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“B-But (Tom) Brady has a boo-boo on his right elbow! That’s gotta’
smart every time he attempts to throw!” – you say (hoping to wish
the Patriots’ been-there, done-that reality away).
“B-But Michael Bennett surely is angry as all get out at Bill
Belichick for not allowing his still-capable talent to stick!” – you
pray (hoping big, bad Bennett really will bring dominating play
Brady’s way).
Will Dallas be able to maintain the scoring capacity of their
explosive offense and awaken their inconsistent, underwhelming
defense?
Will Garrett allow Kid Kellen to make (those dreaded) personnel and
play-call adjustments that are less clever than they are productive
. . . rather than unimpressively cute and horribly destructive?
Will “In Rod We Trust” be able to coax magic from Sean Lee and
Jaylon Smith to ensure that (in the absence of Leighton Vander Esch
and the presence of so many screen plays with which the Patriots so
easily mesh) the intermediate middle of the Hot Boyz does not
violently combust?
Will Kris Richard have his suspect secondary ready to play
(extremely) hard . . . or will his “look at the ball, not the QB”
defenders simply give more chase and allow Tom “Age Is But A Number”
Brady to ensure they are charred?
Will the Dallas Cowboys finally demonstrate their true potential for
at least ONE hour . . . or will the well-coached, well-schemed,
mistake-exploiting Patriots once again display their home field
power?
We shall see. We always do.
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