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2020-2021 Regular Season:
Cowboys Exit
Philadelphia No Healthia' And The Incoming Steelers Look To Get
Wealthia'
November 6,
2020 At 11:48 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
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"The Bears are what we thought they were. That's why we took the
damn field. Now, if you wanna' crown 'em, then crown their ass! But
they are who we thought they were. And we let 'em off the hook!" –
former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green (following a 2006
Monday Night Football game against the 5-0 Chicago Bears that was
high on effort but higher on mistakes for a 1-4 Cardinals teams that
ultimately could not keep it clean).
“What on Earth does THAT have to do with America’s Team?” you ask
(while fiddling with your mask). Well, if you subtract the COVID-19
pandemic and a slew of injuries (both big ticket and depth-dashing
so wicked), the Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 path has followed a similar
theme.
After looking
cataclysmically-done in Washington, the mentally-underwhelming and physically-embattled Cowboys visited
the Philadelphia Eagles at “The Linc” and – shockingly, for at least
one half – did not expectedly or even totally stink.
Head coach Mike "Milk (The Roster) Man" McCarthy and offensive
coordinator Kellen "Less Is Not" Moore knew the Cowboys would need
to keep the productive load on rookie Ben DiNucci's shoulders as
functionally light as possible if Dallas was going to win on Sunday
night (no matter how improbable).
They saw misdirection and trick plays as a key way to ensure Dallas'
stable of receiving horses (Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee
Lamb) could consistently participate and better insure DiNucci's
eyes (in the face of fellas' like Philly's Fletcher Cox) did not
uncontrollably dilate.
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan knew – and is continuously reminded
– what his tormented troop needed to do. From his tenuous reality no
one (outside of willful GM Jerry and son Stephen) will ever allow
him to be even temporarily blinded.
Special teams coordinator John “Bones” Fassel knew what his
fill-in-the-blanks crew needed to do and – at some point in
not-at-all-funny 2020 – his impact would have to involve more than
Greg “Trick Kick” Zuerlein in order to significantly help the Dallas
Cowboys pull through.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
As with the other seven games that preceded this one, "America's
Team" had their moments before the latest of their 16 regular
season opponents finally won.
Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz - starting from his own 25 on
1st-and-10 with 10:11 remaining in the first quarter - momentarily
froze Aldon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, and Jaylon Smith, as his
wide receiver Greg Ward went in motion (heading from right left)
across his face. Wentz simultaneously handed off to running back
Boston “Miles Sanders I Am Not” Scott who made tackling dummies,
err, Cowboys defenders stumble all over the place following some
well-timed blocks. Just when "Cowboys Nation" thought "Here we go
again!" none other than DeMarcus "Tank" Lawrence became "the one who
knocks." Safety Donovan Wilson – on the very next play – had his
sack-and-strip way. While Wentz clearly held onto the ball too long,
"The Tortured Cowboys Fan" was delighted to see Cowboys defenders
come on so unexpectedly strong.
After a nice, punishing first down run by Zeke, the potential for a
touchdown-scoring opportunity would turn bleak. DiNucci would return
the fumble favor with his own (hold the ball too long) strip-sack
flavor. Though another Greg Zuerlein field goal was on the board, it
was not yet enough for fans not to pull the cord.
Wentz – with 11:38 remaining in the second quarter on 4th-and-3 from
the Cowboys' 45 – took the snap hoping to catch the Dallas secondary
taking their customary nap. Before he could find wide open receivers
Jalen Reagor or Greg Ward, a blitzing Leighton Vander Esch made sure
Wentz was floored. Carson coughed, and the ball went aloft. While it
was recovered at the Philly 46 by an Eagle, Dallas' effort was
rather regal. After another third down DiNucci overthrow, another
Zuerlein kick was the only way to go.
Wentz – with 2:22 remaining in the second quarter on 1st-and-10 from
the Cowboys' 34 – was looking for a deep touchdown score before
leaving the field for the halftime door. He rolled right and into
the end zone he fired deep. Trevon Diggs was free and clear of an
expected receiver fight, and an interception was his to keep.
The Eagles – to no one's surprise – would get the ball back for
another scoring opportunity at which to take crack. And with 32
seconds remaining on 4th-and-1 (with the reasonable belief that the
Dallas defense would still fail under the gun), "Nolan's Men" – to
EVERYONE'S surprise – would stop them again.
DiNucci – at his own 44 with 29 seconds remaining – would roll right
to find Michael Gallup for a first down but would otherwise do
nothing spectacular to keep the Cowboys' passing game from
straining. His next pass attempt to CeeDee Lamb at round the Philly
22 was nearly picked off by an Eagles' defender (of which there was
a slew). On came Greg "Old Reliable?" Zuerlein and his line drive
sinker – instead of a low stinker – was good from 59. The overlooked
and undercooked Cowboys would lead 9-7 at the half and prevent
Philly from enjoying an expected, uncompetitive laugh.
The Eagles would start the second half on offense. A few plays after
a pass interference penalty on Anthony "No Head Turn" Brown, there
would be another deep ball mistake by Wentz. On 2nd-and-6 from his
own 46, the Philly QB would take the shotgun snap and heave it
downfield. He overthrew his receiver and Diggs calmly collected an
over-the-shoulder yield. It was his second of the night with which –
from the end zone – he enjoyed some run-it-back fun to the Dallas
31.
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The last time the Dallas Cowboys had one defender produce two
interceptions in a single game was former (and now Las Vegas) safety
Jeff Heath in 2015 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So much for the
hen-pecked Heath being one-dimensional or unable to switch gears.
The last time Dallas had a cornerback procure two interceptions in a
single game was in 2011, when Terence Newman – against both Buffalo
and Philadelphia – achieved such comparative “heaven.”
Nonetheless, the Cowboys (with 7:40 remaining in the third quarter)
would drive to the Eagles' 26 but – from that point forward – Philly
defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz appeared to find just enough of a
performance fix. The hope that another misdirection play would hold
sway was met by Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (making a meal
of right tackle Terence “Aluminum” Steele and) telling the 'Boys
Cedrick Wilson to kick rocks. A slowly-thrown, kinda', sorta' bubble
screen prevented CeeDee Lamb from getting away clean on the next
play, and the Cowboys – through an obvious combination of play-call
stagnation and poor execution – could make no hay. From that clumsy
offensive series, a fourth Zuerlein field goal attempt was not
exempt.
The Eagles – on their next series late in the third quarter – would
finally make Trevon Diggs look like more of a rookie, with Philly
receiver Travis Fulgham reeling in a touchdown in a hurry.
“Another” strip-sack of DiNucci should have been called down, but an
inadvertently-booted ball was scooped up by the Eagles for a
rumbling touchdown haul. Then “another” stalled offensive series by
DiNucci and his hostage-crisis receiving teammates. They could
neither block for their beleaguered rookie nor throw to themselves
to better-control their own production fates. Special teams veteran
long-snapper L. P. Ladouceur would (with instruction from on high)
purposely sail the ball over Chris Jones’ head for a safety, because
there was clearly something wrong with their punting guy.
After Nolan’s squad narrowly managed to hold on when Philly tried to
convert a 4th-and-8, DiNucci would have just under two minutes for
one more shot to at least wipe his own performance tushie. He would
drive the Cowboys to within the Eagles’ 5, but expired time meant
their final scoring opportunity was no longer alive.
While the Dallas defense finally, legitimately did their reasonable
part, they eventually bent and broke without minimum viable success
by QB DiNucci (who was making his first-ever start). It was –
unfortunately and at the very least – the ongoing absence of
(perhaps) Andy Dalton or (certainly) their injury-shelved offensive
boss that caused Dallas to turn a (scrappy) 9-7 lead into a (no
surprise there) 23-9 loss.
Good Quote Or Garbage Bloat?
"I think that it was a lot for [DiNucci]. I think we, certainly, as
a team, paid the price to have him come in and under those
circumstances. And that's almost trite. It was frankly more than he
could handle. I don't know what you could have expected for somebody
to come in under those circumstances." – GM Jerry to 105.3 FM The
Fan (stating the obvious about the Cowboys’ rookie quarterback who
was obviously, ridiculously overmatched no matter the number of
chances).
No one denies that Ben DiNucci is a long-term experiment who – no
matter McCarthy’s well-documented fondness – may never make an
impactful dent. DiNucci is a clear-and-present project who (from his
murderously-slow windup to his MLB-infield sidearm sling to his
almost-Byron-Leftwich lumbering) would currently leave ANY team’s
offense and certainly the Cowboys’ (further) wrecked. Last but not
least, he needs to learn how to slide. Not to avoid getting hit but
to avoid leaving a divot like an amateur golfer.
"Just a tough ballgame. I feel for our players. We took a step in
the right direction in a number of areas." – Head coach Mike
McCarthy (finding it harder and harder to come up with productive
postgame statements so worthy).
"Whether you lose by one point or you lose by 20 points, and you
have 100 turnovers or you have no turnovers, it sucks. It's a simple
answer. Being a competitor, you don't want to lose, and I don't like
losing." – Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (sounding like a
dedicated, determined player who cannot wait to give the Cowboys’
next opponent a thorough bruising).
“My motto has always been, crazier things have happened. I believe
in this team. I believe in the way we prepare. I believe in the guys
I am in the locker room with. And I think anything is possible.” –
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (who – when armed with an adequate,
well-protected passer – is a potent performance trooper but, during
chaotic moments on-field, is far from a guiding light so vocal or
responsible).
"I think we're basically in a mode that if something came to us that
made a lot of sense, then we'd certainly look at it. I don't know
that we're aggressively out here right now either trying to get
somebody or move somebody. What we want to do right now is play some
of these young guys that we have, give them the reps that they need,
see what we have as we move through the season here. I think we're
only going to get better as a football team, and see some of these
young guys step up and play is important." – Chief Operating Officer
Stephen Jones to 105.3 FM The Fan (knowingly signaling a
non-participation NFL trade deadline plan).
"I think, defensively, we just continue to play the right way. To
run, to hit, to hustle, to make [wrap-up tackle] plays. I thought we
started to do that [against Philly]. The next step is to continue to
build on that and continue to grow as a group. The effort was good
tonight, and that's what we need week in and week out." – Linebacker
Sean Lee (indirectly acknowledging that – in the absence of a scheme
not entirely built upon available player strengths – consistent,
maximum EFFORT remains THE baseline key).
Misery Loves Injury
While backup running back Tony Pollard continues to perform a
“scatback tiptoe” almost every time the tremendous twitcher touches
the football, starting running back Ezekiel Elliott – behind the
very same miserable line (formerly referred to as “The Great Wall”
but currently made of twine?) – continues coming up intermittently
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Aside from both players bringing completely different styles (and
strengths) to the offensive table, a currently-mild hamstring issue
(rather than “just” an o-line unable to consistently and
successfully come online) may impact – in one or more remaining
games – how much Zeke is able.
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No nagging injuries in the NFL
are more despised than high ankle sprains and hamstring strains.
Both (seemingly innocent) – if not treated with the utmost respect –
can cause teams tremendous competitive pains (as instant
detriments).
Will They Or Won’t They?
The Eagles represented the first leg of the Cowboys’ “Pennsylvania
Punishment” (for which depleted Dallas was unable to deliver enough
admonishment). The second leg involves an undefeated Pittsburgh
Steelers team visiting AT&T Stadium with their well-traveled fans
(who – no matter the virus – are always among us). If America’s Team
can do no better than (an immeasurably, understandably green) Ben
DiNucci, it would appear they will have less than no answer for
“that OTHER Ben (Roethlisberger)” and the Steelers’ dominating
plans.
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“B-But Andy Dalton is ready to return from his concussion burn!” –
you nervously state (perhaps unaware of the next untimely obstacle
on the ginger’s plate). Dallas placed Dalton on the team’s reserve /
COVID-19 list earlier in the week. While Dalton never did enjoy even
consistently-good production against the incoming Steelers, DiNucci’s “next
[victim] up” presence and Dalton’s continued absence
reinforces the expectation of Sunday’s offensive performance being
pretty weak.
While quarterback Cooper Rush was added to the practice squad,
confidence in the former Cowboys backup clearly remains more like
mush, as Dallas has opted for a fourth-string mod. Former Cleveland
practice squad member and former AAF (Alliance of American Football)
star quarterback Garrett Gilbert is “the one” who Dallas will
surprisingly insert (to potentially get severely hurt?). Yes,
Gilbert enjoyed solid success within an aggressive system “spurred”
by an aggressive Steve Spurrier, but on THAT kind of 60-minute,
break-neck swiftness, Kellen Moore has routinely closed the door.
And with Gilbert’s start, it will be the first time the Cowboys have
had four different starting quarterbacks since 2015. Tony Romo,
Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and Kellen Moore started for Dallas
that year. They collectively finished with a 4-12 record,
demonstrating for all the sports world to see how unable they were
to keep their jerseys clean or (from disaster) to steer clear. And
if not for the division-leading but success-bleeding 3-5-1 Eagles, a
similar 2020 conclusion discerning fans might morbidly fear.
Will Pittsburgh suffer a sudden, talent-trapping, COVID-19 outbreak?
Will an infrequently-opportunistic Cowboys team welcome (and
actually use) any edge they can take?
Will Pittsburgh suffer a sudden rash of injuries to key players?
Will Dallas – even then – have a competitive prayer?
Will Pittsburgh suffer a sudden coaching malfunction? Will that make
any difference at the Cowboys’ 2-6 junction?
Will Cowboys Nation be treated to an unexpected – perhaps
unimaginable – surprise . . . or will McCarthy’s latest game day
strategy become another tragedy and fail to materialize?
Will Gilbert Antone Garrett “GAG” and be a DiNucci-like drag . . .
or will his AAF-displayed tendencies help the offense (and encourage
Kellen Moore) to raise a more competitive flag?-
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Will fans simply watch with tears in their eyes as Steelers’ stellar
linebacker T.J. “Nearly A Cowboy” Watt performs in a way never
delivered by former Cowboys’ 2017 first round draft pick Vidauntae
"Taco" Charlton (aka “Taco Salad,” err, “Soft Taco,” err, “Defensive
Charlatan” . . . you know, one of those “right kind” of guys)?
We shall see. We Always do.
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