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- 2019-2020
Regular Season: In Philly The Cowboys Gag But Curing Sins Against
The Skins May Not Put Playoff Participation Back In The Bag
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December 28,
2019 At 6:12 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- “America’s Team” was back! Their
week 15 obliteration of the Los Angeles Rams was the stuff of dreams
(or mercifully-ended nightmares) for “Cowboys Nation!” The Dallas
Cowboys had regained critical leverage on the NFC East playoff
track, and their future was – once again – looking bright! Dallas
“merely” had to travel to Philly to face a significantly undermanned
Eagles attack for a division-deciding fight.
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was missing his TOP THREE
wide receivers, his best running back, and his best offensive
tackle. The Cowboys – who had their own, well-documented list of
walking wounded – had such a comparatively healthy squad on tap,
that (most but not all) fans could only confidently cackle.
“ALL THEY HAD TO DO” was bring (but 50% of) the same
intensity and urgency with which they pummeled L.A. . . . and with
back-to-back NFC East titles would they surely end the day. And yet
against a desperate Eagles team historically aligned with the art of
heart, the Cowboys were woefully uninspired and inconceivably
ill-prepared to do their part. Instead of Philly being physically
overmatched and overwhelmed with mistakes so silly, it was Dallas
largely suffering from mental paralysis in a 17-9 loss (that only
served to further expose their embattled game day boss).
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“B-But the Cowboys HAD victory in the bag! There was
absolutely no way they could gag!” – yelled most (but not all) fans
who could not fathom how America’s Team could ruin their own
best-laid plans. Not only was there “a” way, but there were multiple
ways in which they ultimately failed to make the critical play.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
While the Cowboys seemingly brought three fully-functional phases to
their contest at “The Linc,” two out of three exited the loss having
spread significant stink.
And what was the best phase of the bunch? Why, the one that used to
result in fans collectively losing their lunch. Kai Forbath has gone
six for six on field goals since joining his latest team but –
pending the final game of the season none-too-pleasin’ – it will
(likely) not
be his fault if the Cowboys (who no longer control their own playoff
destiny) run out of tournament entry steam.
Though Dak Prescott has (reasonably to impressively) improved
in practically every quarterbacking category of consequence in 2019,
his biggest challenge remains one of WHEN – from game to game
– those improvements are most-often seen. More-than-occasionally
inferior play-calling aside, once those plays have been called, it
is incumbent upon Prescott to make the in-play adjustments HE
sees fit to ensure that he and his offensive teammates are those who
best balled.
YES, Yes, yes, Prescott bravely CHOSE to play through
a substantial shoulder sprain on the temporary relief bought with a
cortisone shot. Yes, Dak saw a ridiculous number of his passes
dropped (primarily by receivers he HAD BEEN able to trust not
to go inexplicably bust), but those disastrous drops were
interspersed with his own scattershot and bad hops. NO,
Cooper Rush was not prepared to step in as Dak’s healthy replacement
with the division crown on the line, but had the Cowboys found
ANY way to replicate (again, even HALF of) their prior
ground game mind frame, perhaps their end result would have been
just fine. Zeke and Tony – largely impaired by absentee (or
defensively overpowered?) run-blocking – came up phony.
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“Marinelli’s Men” – from the d-line to secondary – put up “a fight”
but just barely. Outside of Robert Quinn’s single sack, the other 10
defenders (including rotational players) could not apply enough
pressure or tight enough coverage to grow a quality execution stack
(or answer fans’ division-winning prayers). Oh, sure. Xavier Woods
applied an early clobbering that nearly left Eagles’ tight end Zach
Ertz slobbering, but that was not enough of a performance cure.
Whereas “Garrett’s Gang” had won seven of its last nine contests at
The Linc, his current crew was comparatively different enough to
ensure even GM Jerry would take an earlier-than-proper swipe at his
favorite blue label drink.
Good Quote Or Garbage Bloat?
“Extremely disappointing to say the least. We all expected to leave
here as NFC East champs. We’re not (and my head coach hiring skills
are but one game away from potentially being put on the spot).’’ –
GM Jerry (in a mood that was less-than-merry).
“They did a really good job. They went out there and handled the win
and executed.’’ – Ezekiel Elliott (acknowledging that no matter how
hard he and Tony Pollard ran, Philly’s consistently-stacked box was
determined to keep the Cowboys’ ground game sufficiently polluted).
While Zeke would end the day with 84 yards of total offense, Pollard
would contribute a fraudulently-fumbled football on a crucial third
quarter third-and-one that only added to the Cowboys’ nonsense.
“They loaded up against the run. They did a good job. They came in
with the idea that we weren’t going to be able to run the football.
I thought we tried (and failed miserably) to be persistent with the
running game. It wasn’t effective enough.’’ – Jason Garrett (with
perhaps a momentary mental lapse regarding one of what would
eventually become several play-call transgressions, resulting in his
team running Zeke but once while allowing the AC-joint-inhibited
Prescott to throw the football five times during their first two
possessions). The Cowboys went three-and-out on both series, found
themselves down 10 to nothing, and quickly discovered their
(suddenly) overachieving opponent was not bluffing.
“When you can’t run, especially with this offense, the way we want
to run and dictate how the game is going to be played, it’s
frustrating. You have to throw the (accurate) ball a lot. Any time
you make any team(‘s offense) in the league one-dimensional
(something with which we are quite familiar), you’re giving yourself
a better chance (at eventually reaching the cherished tournament
dance). They did that. They had a good plan and we weren’t able to
capitalize on the opportunities we had.’’ – Dak Prescott (on a day
in which – true to his mature, hold-teammates-blameless nature – he
denied his shoulder injury had any impact on how poorly he threw,
the ridiculous number of drops his targets sustained, or how hard he
tried).
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“Nah, I wasn’t winded. Some of the routes, a deep post or a go ball,
we usually rotate to keep our legs fresh and things like that.’’ –
Amari Cooper (the injury-absorbing trooper spouting some
don’t-rock-the-boat bologna regarding why he and Randall Cobb were
not in the game during THE key fourth down job).
Misery Loves (More And MORE) Injury
Yes, indeed, while the Cowboys – prior to facing Philly – placed
linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on season-ending injured reserve
(confirming a spinal stenosis diagnosis and the possible playoff
forfeiture of his potent ability), there has been a steady loss of
some (but not all) players who might have given Dallas a bit more
competitive nerve.
Offensive guard Xavier Su’a-Filo (the journeyman who may always – at
least or at most – be remembered for successfully replacing
then-struggling-rookie Connor Williams to help spark the Cowboys to
a 2018 playoff run) unfortunately followed the ACL-torn Williams to
the same season-ending “fun.” A fractured fibula AND high-ankle
sprain (courtesy of an accidental leg whip from La'el Collins) were
actually preceded just a few minutes earlier by a knee sprain. What
an incredible PAIN.
LVE and Su’a-Filo join the afore-mentioned “Forever Skittish”
Williams, linebacker Luke “Promise Postponed” Gifford, wide receiver
Cedrick “Rarely Healthy” Wilson, cornerback Anthony “Fast Train
Outta’ Town” Brown, defensive tackle Tyrone “Degenerative Hips”
Crawford, and free safety Kavon “Special Teams Maven” Frazier on the
list of “See You Next Year Or (Perhaps) Never Again I Fear.”
Linebacker Joe Thomas (the one reserve – besides Sean Lee – capable
of startin’) sustained a knee injury that will keep him out of the
season finale and leave the Cowboys (at one of their thinnest
positions on the roster) painfully smartin’.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The final game of the regular season has arrived for America’s Team.
The 7-8 Cowboys host the Washington Redskins (another squad even
more injury-stricken than Philadelphia with no possible chance of
gettin’ any healthia’).
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IF, If, if the Dallas Cowboys do their jobs against the Skins, and
the Giants CHOOSE to host AND roast 8-7 Philly
(forcing Eagles fans to cry themselves silly) . . . then, America’s
Team will have backed their way into the postseason (for a most
hollow, unearned reason). They will have won the NFC East division
crown (for the second consecutive year) and temporarily-yet-horribly
halted Jason Garrett’s exodus from town (with even the remote
likelihood of another contract extension for Cowboys Nation to
fear).
Will the Cowboys show up against the Skins, or will they let an even
more damaged division rival ensure Dallas’ 2019 season officially
becomes archival? It would be just Garrett’s speed to allow “such a
talented Cowboys team” to suffer yet another mental bleed.
Will the Giants use their spoiler-powered hatred to fend off their
foul-feathered frenemies, thus, permitting another team they both
despise even more to qualify for a postseason sendoff?
Will Jason Garrett – loyal protector and projector of GM Jerry’s ego
– be given more life, or will Jerry “Life Is (Finally) Too Short”
Jones be forced to mercifully let him go and (momentarily?) end fan
strife?
We shall see. We always do.
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