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2021-2022 Regular Season: Tampa Keeps Dallas At
Bay But – With Familiar Defensive Deficiencies Heading To L.A. – The
Cowboys’ Offense Must Swing Away
September 17,
2021 At 11:37 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
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The usual slate of fan queries and worries were on social media
display as teams entered week one of the 2021-2022 NFL season.
Answers (from somewhat-imagined to deeply-conditioned) would come in
the form of the “familiar” and none-too-pleasin’.
“How will the seemingly, perpetually INCOMPLETE Dallas Cowboys
compete with the 2020 NFL World Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers who
were practically returning all 22 starters?” Perhaps the Cowboys
planned on being nationally-televised martyrs.
“How will Dan Quinn’s newly-installed defense be able to prevent Tom
Brady – and his own collection of formidable weapons – from making
plenty of scoring dents?” Brady – armed with a complete offseason
within Bruce Arians’ offense (unlike in 2020 from under COVID-19
tents) – was surely prepared to turn any Quinn-curated confusion
into perfect sense.
“WHAT will the Cowboys’ running game do WITHOUT right tackle Zack
Martin?!” Ezekiel Elliott would surely be ranging from bored of
blockin’ to clobbered and smartin’.
“How long will offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins hold
up before their surgically-repaired bodies give up?” A valid thing
to wonder with the increasing number of times they had come asunder.
“How will ‘America’s Team’ keep Dak Prescott upright against an
Aaron-Rodgers-smothering defense that should have been keeping Mike
McCarthy, Kellen Moore, and Doug Nussmeier up at night?” The idea of
defensive tackles Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh blasting through was
surely enough to trigger serious fright.
All legitimate questions about the Cowboys’ continued, year-to-year
imperfections but – to fan relief and competitive delight – Dak and
Co. appeared more-than-ready to fight. Dak – as maximally hoped –
threw for 403 yards on 42-58 attempts with three touchdowns, one
interception, while being exposed to only ONE sack. While McCarthy
and Moore chose to largely-shelve their Martin-less ground game
(rather than risk watching it get knocked too far out of frame), Dak
and his receivers still, STILL nearly kicked down the door, coming
up short by one “sidewinder” score.
Alas, the Dallas Cowboys – in this game – were not the only team
with too many offensive weapons to simultaneously tame. "The Mighty
Quinns" delivered not a single sack, but they almost, ALMOST made up
for it with a four-turnover stack.
While Dallas ultimately lost to Tampa 31-29, there was-and-is plenty
of promise to believe 2021 for the Cowboys may, MAY work out just
fine.
Different Question Upon Further Reflection
It turned out that both fans and prognosticators were asking the
wrong collective question upon further reflection.
The Dallas Cowboys did more than enough to win. The questions should
have been about the “self-inflicted” sin. For all the personnel
issues they were juggling right out of the gate – and how many
different ways Tom Brady might try to mercilessly seal their fate –
those paled in comparison to the internal mistakes they had piled
onto their plate.
The right question was-and-is: “What collective internal decision –
no matter the desire for absolution from rusty, week one execution –
could better provide a or the game-winning solution?”
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“Wait – WHAT? Have you fallen off your nut?! You DO know the
Cowboys’ loss is all Thanos, the Mad Titan’s, err, Commissioner
Goodell’s fault, right? The NFL office got their hooks into
America’s Team before week one even reached Sunday night!” you
angrily riff. The “imagined (?)” chance that Roger Goodell
was-and-IS secretly wielding the Infinity Gauntlet (to continue keeping the
Cowboys swirling in a near-three-decade-long postseason
accomplishment toilet) is less believable than GM Jerry making a
deal with the devil (to win Super Bowl XXX without getting himself
immediately dirty from a largely-loyal-to-Jimmy-Johnson roster
choosing to revolt against a once-mighty NCAA champion whom they
might have viewed as a walk around imposter).
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“At the start of the 1997 NFL regular season, there was the 37-7
blowout of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium by the
seemingly-resurgent Dallas Cowboys, then BOOM. The big clang – as
the rest of their season nose-dived into a horrible thang – sent the
final remains of long-departed Jimmy Johnson’s six team-building and
quality-control crystals hurtling across the pro football universe.
These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence
for all 32 NFL organizations.” – a conveniently-altered description
of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s, err, National Football League’s
Infinity Stones’ origin.
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But what to call those repurposed weapons of destruction or
instruction? Hmmm. The Suspension Stone? The Performance Stone? The
Coaching Stone? The Injury Stone? The Pandemic Stone? And, um, the
sixth, most powerful gem of all: the Officiating Stone (to the most
audible, collective moan and groan).
The Suspension Stone
Left tackle La’el Collins – literally ONE DAY after the season’s
very first game (for which everyone worried he was in
offseason-injury-danger of remaining out of frame) – was informed of
a five-game suspension . . . that was of his very own, mindless
invention. According to “sources” – all of whom must either be
Collins or Collins’ agent (as the CBA prevents the NFL from ever
disclosing the reason for a given player’s failed drug test) – La’el
was drug-tested approximately 180 times over the past six (?) months
and “failed” seven of those assessments. A “failure to show” – just
like in a court of law – results in a guilty verdict (even if a
player fails to show due to poor communication by the NFL office or
the organization that is supposed to view a number of their player
as crucial investments). Those sources claim legitimate excuses
exist for at least three and perhaps all seven of those
failure-to-show flops. Blaming the team for being granted early
dismissal on a given day – or on a day in association with a
much-loved former staff member of the organization – is, however,
where the buck NEVER stops.
If the Dallas Cowboys grant a player dismissal – for any reason –
from a given event on a given day, that is NOT inclusive of GM
Jerry, son Stephen, or head coach Mike McCarthy contacting the
league office to say: “Yes, Commissioner Goodell? La’el Collins has
only momentarily stepped away. If you could just tell the testing
representative that La’el will return tomorrow, that would save
everyone involved a LOT of sorrow.” It is the player and ONLY THE
PLAYER who is responsible for communicating with the testing
liaison. All the “THEY told me to go home” bologna should never
prevent the player from letting the tester know what is going on.
There is ZERO excuse in the known universe (no matter how perverse)
for a handsomely-paid player (who can afford a personal assistant
and professional schedule setter) to not know better – whether at
home (at The Star or AT&T Stadium) or on the road (at the team hotel
or in the visitor’s locker room) – to remain “test available” in
order to very easily, even laughably become unassailable.
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It does not matter whether or not La’el is “IN THE PROGRAM” or if he
is informed of his next required test by phone call, text,
handwritten love letter in his locker, or Western Union telegram. It
does not matter if he was tested 180 times within 180 days or even
360 times in a variety of invasive ways. The NFL (with CBA signoff
by the NFLPA) has made drug testing as plain and simple as
expressing a pimple. If La’el (or ANY player) cannot be available
for a test, he is simply not doing his communicative best. YES, Yes,
yes, as practically NO ONE under a certain age goes anywhere without
their cell phone (and particularly a social-media-ready smartphone),
a player should still, STILL be able to alert the testing
representative of their momentary absence even from the bathroom,
especially if he is suffering – like that fella’ from “American Pie”
– from a cataclysmic colon that will not give it a rest).
So – unless “something else” occurs to deny his feeble appeal or
ensure even more playing time is deferred – Collins should be
available to rejoin the Cowboys’ activities ONE DAY AFTER they
travel to Foxboro to face New England (just as they “ideally”
planned). But then – with the Cowboys’ luck – another key COVID-19
infection is all but assured.
The Suspension Stone is irrelevant when a given player chooses to
turn the simplest of league-mandated tasks into a routine
opportunity unnecessarily blown.
The Performance Stone
Tampa’s typically-terrifying target Antonio Brown practically ran
Cowboys’ competitively-crippled cornerback Anthony Brown out of
town. Oh, Anthony was game for a step for step race, but it was his
sometimes-assigned / sometimes-autonomous method (and amount of
support against the mercurial receiver) that prevented him from
keeping pace. Anthony often played as if since-departed Kris Richard
was still shouting from the sideline to "Trail and deflect, but
never, ever locate the football to intercept!" Even when Anthony was
not solely covering Antonio, it did not quite matter (with Brady
consistently finding his second-favorite-target within soft zones
which could not have been five-defender fatter). Though Anthony
tallied a team-leading 11 tackles, a defender only accumulates a
number that great (like a certain over-paid linebacker who routinely
struggles to triangulate) if consistently in on the play or ARRIVING
TOO LATE to prevent an opponent from having his way.
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On Brady's first touchdown pass – with 5:24 remaining in the first
quarter – safety Donovan Wilson was playing on the edge (to guard
against an easy pass into the flat or lob into the right corner of
the end zone to Gronk) leaving linebacker Micah Parsons to survey
the short middle of the end zone (with fellow safety Damontae Kazee
lingering towards the right). By the time Tampa wide receiver Chris
Godwin had zipped into the end zone past the in-single-coverage
Jourdan Lewis, until it was too late for Parsons or Kazee to turn on
their read-and-react light.
On Brady's second touchdown pass – with 9:48 remaining in the second
quarter – he faked the handoff left and casually (yes, CASUALLY)
rolled right, watching Gronk move right in parallel with him (more
than a few steps ahead of trailing defensive end Tarell Basham who
tried in vain to catch him). With Godwin (just in front of Gronk)
momentarily double-covered (but not enough to be smothered), Brady
waited until safety Jayron Kearse chose to rush him before hitting
Gronk for the easy score.
Dak – from the Tampa 13 with 6:49 remaining before the half – took
the shotgun snap and lofted a 50 / 50 ball to CeeDee Lamb in the
left-front corner of the end zone, but Lamb went outside while Dak
aimed inside, but an undesirable interception nearly complied.
Throwing ever-so-slightly off his back foot, perhaps the pass was
not that crisp, not quite strong. Fans may never know who was wrong,
but the wildly-missed 31-yard field goal that followed absolutely
set off a venomous throng.
Teams - from owners to GMs to head coaches to staff to star players
to role players - all know that you do not fail strong drives TWICE.
The missed aerial connection in the end zone and the sensational
shank were simply not nice.
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Defensive end DeMarcus "Tank" Lawrence may display sacking skills
that continue to soften, but he can still pull a rabbit out of his
helmet every-so-often. Just when fans thought a doubly-missed
scoring opportunity by Dak and Co. might lead to a larger deficit
courtesy of defensive futility, Tank (on the very next series)
planted a perfectly-timed "Peanut Punch" (or "ball extraction" as
Dr. Mike McCarthy, Team Urologist prefers to explain) on Tampa
running back Ronald Jones. Bookend buddy Randy "On The Spot" Gregory
eventually (with 6:28 remaining in the second quarter) pounced on
the rolling stone to ensure the Cowboys’ possession was regained.
Dak – with another chance at a red zone score – would barely keep
center Tyler Biadasz' bad snap off the grid iron floor, backpedal
calmly, wait for Amari Cooper to make his break (on the left towards
the front corner of the end zone), and fire a touchdown pass to the
team’s steadiest hands, piece o’ cake. 14-14, right? Wrong . . . as
a sufficiently-spooked Zuerlein clanked ANOTHER kick off the left
upright. Same old special teams lyrics. Same old song.
And yet, AND YET, on the very next Tampa offensive series, "Tom
Terrific" dropped back to pass after faking the handoff to both his
receiver Godwin and his running back. He rather-nicely set up a
screen pass that bounced off the hands of his re-routed target
(Leonard Fournette) and – with Cowboys' cornerback Trevon Diggs
zeroing in on the ball – the turnovers really began to stack.
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After Prescott held onto the ball too long on successive plays (and
nearly got himself sacked two different ways), Zuerlein was given
another shot 20 seconds before the half, but (the accuracy and
strength of) his 60-yard field goal was lowered to less than
half-staff.
Tom Brady – whom you never want to give an extra opp – used the
final six seconds before the half to fire a Hail Mary into the end
zone from the 50, aiming (with practically zero pocket pressure) to
see another Tampa touchdown comfortably drop by any measure. Gronk
was in position to make another scoring incision, but free safety
Jayron Kearse went up first and nearly got his hands on it before
Jourdan Lewis secured it to satiate their interception thirst.
Perhaps in previous years where Dallas’ defensive theme was more
often "get off the field," The Mighty Quinns are more about that
"procure the pick and return it quick" turnover yield. Lewis –
rather than taking a familiar, conservative knee – shot out of the
end zone like he had to pee. If not for a timely dive by Tampa
offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs – and a flattening finish by Tampa
offensive guard Ali Marpet – Lewis might very well have scored it.
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Dallas received the football to start the second half (with Dak &
Co. quickly plotting and moving down the field as if on a dot-to-dot
graph). A series of efficient passes to Cooper set Dallas up near
Tampa's 5-yard line, missing all but a finishing design. Then, on
2nd-and-goal, Dak faked a short toss to Zeke and followed him out of
the pocket, rolling right. Prescott scanned and scanned with no
desirable targets in sight (only to sloppily settle for Zeke towards
the sideline with no particular concern for his height). If Elliott
had not been momentarily forced off his feet by Dak's throw, he
would have quickly turned and crossed the goal line, ya' know?
On the very next (read option, toss left) play, if tight end Blake
Jarwin had not made a terrible "Tebow Time" block with a key
defender to sway, Zeke would have easily had his touchdown-scoring
way. Elliott was knocked down at the (2-yard) line of scrimmage, and
(while trading touchdowns for field goals only encourages bigger
scoring holes), Zuerlein (luckily) delivered more "Greg The Leg"
vintage.
After The Mighty Quinns forced Brady and the Bucs into a
three-and-out, Dak fired a 22-yard strike over the middle to CeeDee
Lamb (with almost nine minutes left in the third quarter). The ball,
however, went right through the (often-but-not-always-reliable)
receiver's hands for an interception (and a 23-yard return) just as
Dallas was looking to potentially reset the order.
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Brady would quickly find Gronk twice en route to an easy touchdown
(increasing the Cowboys' deficit from just two to nine down). While
Bruce Arians is fond of saying “No risk it, no biscuit,” but he also
appreciates a good old-fashioned, efficient, “waste not want not”
mow down.
Dak would bring the Cowboys right back – with a lil' bit o' run and
a lot more pass – hitting Amari Cooper for (his 10th catch and)
another touchdown to get back on track.
Just when it appeared the Bucs were perhaps nearing a
nail-in-the-coffin scoring opportunity, Tampa receiver Godwin took a
bubble screen pass from Brady, utilized two key blocks from fellow
receivers Antonio Brown and Mike Evans, and seemed destined to
navigate his way across or close to the goal line when – POP – a
tackle by safety Damontae Kazee knocked the ball free. Fellow free
safety
Jourdan "On The Spot" Lewis scooped up Godwin's "confession" and ran
it back to his own 11, granting Dak and Co. at least one more chance
at a victory-sealing (or stealing?) possession.
Dak and Co. – with two minutes to strive on 3rd-and-11 from their
own 35 – took the shotgun snap, and it was CeeDee Lamb whom Prescott
would tap. The second-year sensation spun away from a tackle and
began to bolt down the left sideline until being pushed out of
bounds at the Tampa 30-yard line. After trying to drain some clock
and absorbing a nearly-self-destructive holding penalty, the Cowboys
called upon their (t)rusty kicker and (with a 48-yard attempt to
possibly make them loss-exempt) pleaded with him to demonstrate NO
further originality. Zuerlein – with the potential for more special
teams madness – sidestepped his previous messiness, and triggered
fan happiness. The winning (?) field goal was right down the middle
but – with almost 1.5 minutes remaining – Brady would play The
Mighty Quinns, once more, like a fiddle (with a certain set of
striped shirts comfortably abstaining).
The Performance Stone is (at least) subjective and (at most)
irrelevant if a player is performing with anything other than
maximum physical health, intense playbook knowledge, reasonable film
room study of the opposition, and a coaching staff’s adjustable,
situational (game plan AND clock management) manipulation.
The Officiating Stone
After narrowly missing on a third touchdown pass via a mistimed
Gallup toe-tap, Dak (on 3rd-and-6 with 3:31 remaining in the second
quarter) would nearly covert a Leonard Fournette fumble into his own
turnover crap. Dak was aiming for CeeDee Lamb in the end zone but
did not see Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (who – after
dropping the near-interception – was actions-speak-louder-than-words
livid). David took his helmet off and angrily slammed it onto the
field . . . with not a single official throwing a flag for an
unsportsmanlike conduct penalty yield.
The officiating crew – on the final drive of the game – suddenly had
a conscience and "let 'em play" (regardless of how their familiar
lack of consistency might help take a Dallas victory away). Brady –
with 24 seconds to go on 2nd-and-10 from the Cowboys' 42 – would
find Godwin down the left sideline after taking the shotgun snap.
While it sure looked like Godwin pushed off safety Jourdan Lewis to
"create the separation" necessary to make that (24-yard) catch,
referee inaction caused Cowboys Nation to indulge a resounding "Ohhhh
[CRAP]!" Though Godwin did, indeed, start the act of pushing off but
without fully extending his arm (just, JUST like a hitter in Major
League Baseball “checking his swing”), no matter how much Dallas
would plead, the sideline judge apparently did not see a thing. And
– unlike the struggles displayed by Zuerlein – the Bucs' kicker Ryan
Succop (with his game-winning 36-yard chip shot) was conveniently
online.
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The Officiating Stone – as much as it may, MAY have partly impacted
the Cowboys’ fate – has never intentionally been the final dictate.
Quality (of timely coaching and performance) has always provided an
influence comparatively great. Reasonably prepared coaches and
players know it is careless, pro sports treason to give a ref a
reason, unless that ref is not looking (at an offensive interference
call that kept your final drive cooking).
The Coaching Stone
The "Too Soon In Tampa" ending should easily remind of past,
unintended opportunities which granted Green Bay Packers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers too much time against Dallas, resulting in
more-than-one game-winning crime. The Cowboys then against the
Packers – and now against Tampa – were within a fingertip’s reach of
refreshing lemonade only to be handed an unripe lime. Jason Garrett
and Mike McCarthy share a similar clock management “skill” (which
they were and are infrequently able to hide behind star player
performances that thrill).
“What about using the Coaching Stone to do something the
still-breathing GM Jerry would never condone?” you say. Hold the
phone! No way! Perhaps you want the Dallas Cowboys to do well yet
(in safe parallel) further diminishing or – GASP – removing a head
coach who increasingly resembles a walk around “shell?” Could the
Coaching Stone, in fact, be merciful by making a mediocre McCarthy
worse, encouraging GM “I Ain’t Got Time For A Bad Time” Jones to
call in an early-to-mid-season hearse? YES, Yes, yes, offensive
coordinator Kellen “Wunderkind” Moore is not ready to balance the
additional responsibility (that WILL only distract from his focus
and specialty). “AND, And, and” Dan Quinn previously started hot (in
Atlanta) yet melted like ice cream (due to a similar inability to
stop multi-focus burns) when granted (the first or only opportunity
to fulfill?) his head-coaching dream.
While the 2021 Cowboys are just one game in, and it should never be
too early to correct a window-dressing sin, The Tortured Cowboys Fan
fully realizes Moore and Quinn will have to succeed in spite of
McCarthy’s “attaboy value” towards the Cowboys’ ability to win.
The Injury Stone
“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” often speaks of how misery loves injury
but – THIS year – that fact has arisen far too early (to be
painfully clear).
Veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup will be unavailable for at
least four weeks following an MRI that revealed a calf strain. Fans
should be grateful that reserve wide receiver Cedrick Wilson (who
started to find his pace before Dallas’ 2020 season went all over
the place) is around to dampen the sting of the Cowboys’ lengthening
injury train.
Veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence – after a promising
performance against the Bucs – broke his foot during this week's
practice which has “only” further pressed the Cowboys' luck. 6-8
weeks being out of commission has already triggered "They're
CURSED!" fan superstition.
Veteran offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe ended up in the hospital –
earlier this week – due to symptoms of extreme heat exhaustion. Out
of equally-extreme caution, he has been (obviously) ruled out, and
it is up to third-year right tackle Terence Steele to be reasonably
(or impossibly?) stout.
Veteran strong safety Donovan Wilson remains out with a groin strain
through which – from training camp into week one – he had played in
pain. Attempting to continue toughing it out would simply not be
enough of a secondary gain.
Until promising, aggressive, rookie cornerback Kelvin “Bossman Fat”
Joseph completely recovers from an always-dreaded groin injury (from
which he pulled up lame during the Cowboys’ final preseason game),
“Dr. Quinn Medicine Man” must continue instilling in his available
secondary personnel a sense of schematic and technical urgency (to
help players like Anthony Brown from so often resembling an
emergency).
Rookie defensive end Chauncey Golston may, MAY finally see his first
action of the year after practicing all week (with his hamstring
seemingly receiving the all-clear).
Rookie cornerback Nahshon Wright appears to have sufficiently
addressed a personal issue and would seem cleared to help Joe Whitt,
Jr.'s secondary from reaching for one too many a tissue.
The game day participation of veteran safety Damontae Kazee – with a
thigh injury – appears potentially hazy.
The Injury Stone is having an aggressive, early-and-often impact
across the league (even though it has been increasingly argued that
the most-recent two CBA’s – with rules against too many
body-hardening, padded practices – has contributed mightily to
devastating bone-and-joint fatigue).
The Pandemic Stone
Defensive end Randy Gregory – hailed as a wonderful story of mental
health recovery – could not escape the viral buggery.
The Tortured
Cowboys Fan has been saying and typing the same thing since
preseason last year and said it again last week. Every single member
of an NFL team must stick to the mask-wearing and social-distancing
plan, even with the belief their vaccinations may be collectively
performing at their peak.
"It's all about holdin' ourselves accountable, right? Don't cheat
the man next to you. DAMN SURE DON'T CHEAT THIS TEAM. Let's put in
the work." – Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (during HBO’s 2021
training camp “Hard Knocks” show, hoping that – among his teammates
– there would be few to none a selfish, unmasked, unvaccinated
jerk).
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YES, Yes, yes, Gregory was vaccinated and IS asymptomatic, which
means he allowed himself (however briefly) to go unmasked (to which
The Tortured Cowboys Fan cannot be doe-eyed sympathetic). He can
return to the (practice or game day) field as soon as he produces a
two-negative-test yield (separated by 24 hours but not accelerated
by Pandemic Stone powers). Your best ability is your availability,
and any other perspective is just plain silly.
Good Quote Or Garbage Bloat?
“We'll see y'all again. Trust me.” – Quarterback Dak Prescott (in a
postgame exchange with Tom Brady that – depending, of course, on how
2021 eventually unfolds, could end up as more than just food for
thought).
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"You turn on the tape, and we're not in the game if Zeke doesn't
make a lot of those blocks. [There are] not many backs that can do
that time and time again. He means a lot to this offense." –
Quarterback Dak Prescott (acknowledging that without Zeke remaining
near to protect his rear, he would have found himself in a really
tough spot).
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"If you know football, if you're in this building, you can tell
someone had a solid game without having the best statistics. If you
don't understand that, you should probably study football a little
more. My job is to do my job to the best of its ability. I take a
lot of pride to being well-rounded. Blitz pickup is big for a
running back. You have to have keep that quarterback safe and
untouched." – Running back Ezekiel Elliott (on just how critical it
was – with pass protection “blood in the water” – that he did his
non-fantasy-football best to keep hungry defenders from smelling it
and prevent the temperature in Dak’s pocket from getting any
hotter).
“I think it’s fair to say I thought Anthony did an excellent job
tackling. The one deep ball that went for a touchdown was actually a
coverage . . . we were playing a trail technique. He was playing
underneath with some help over the top. Another player fell down . .
. the safety tried to help that one [player] instead of Anthony. So,
it looked like he was in a bad spot, but he was actually doing the
technique that he should, knowing that he should’ve had help. One
problem caused another problem.” – Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn
(reasonably describing a collective secondary failing to – in part –
did the Cowboys in). Though Jourdan Lewis (the safety help) tripped,
that does not entirely make up for the fact that Anthony Brown
fooled himself, biting on a clearly-imagined phantom out that never
developed (as Antonio Brown continued merrily on his go route,
ensuring the nearest Cowboys were helplessly enveloped).
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“I felt like we really paid the price of not having our kicker in
training camp. I look back and – when you don’t have a kicker that’s
real active in training camp [due to recovery from back surgery
followed by a quad injury] – you may be kidding yourself in early
ball games [thinking he IS] really ready to go. I believe in him
long term and believe he’ll play better as we get into this season.”
– GM Jerry (acknowledging the unhealthy kicking risk "Bones" Fassel
was allowed to choose to carry).
"I’m originally a defensive end. I’m sitting at 250 pounds right
now. I can put on more weight to be a defensive end or I can drop
the weight to be a linebacker, but I think that’s just part of my
value. I am a true defensive end. I just have enough athletic
ability and enough intellectual ability to play linebacker at a high
level. So, I think, whether it’s a 3-4 or a 4-3, if you want me at
outside D-end, I can really do it all. I’m willing to do it all, I
just need an opportunity." – Then-Penn-State linebacker Micah
Parsons to Jordan Reid, Senior NFL Draft Analyst back on October 30,
2020. Fast forward to just days before week two of his rookie year,
Dan Quinn is hoping the absence of BOTH defensive ends Tank Lawrence
and Randy Gregory will merely make Parsons’ flexibility positively,
extraordinarily clear.
"The hardest choices require the strongest wills (especially when
circumstances result in bitter, unplanned pills)." – Thanos, the Mad
Titan, err, Roger, the Commissioner (knowing, Infinity Stones or
not, a team like the Cowboys must be adaptably, situationally
prepared for more game day fightin’).
Will They Or Won’t They?
America’s Team – for the first time since week one of 2020 – heads
back to the sensational SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles
Chargers to battle over week two money. YES, Yes, yes, AT&T Stadium
remains one of the top 10 wonders of the sports world, but it was
only a matter of time before the next vibrant venue (after the
Atlanta Falcons’ Mercedes Benz Stadium) was unfurled.
Once you get past the gorgeous grounds (and the Infinity Screen that
surrounds), it is all down to game day business . . . to which a
Cowboys-fan-heavy crowd is anticipated to bear witness.
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Dak Prescott and Co. – with another incomplete offensive line (in
the absence of La’el Collins and in the presence of backup tackle
Terence Steele) – will be attempting, once again, to deliver. If
Steele “legendarily” receives as much blocking support (from running
backs and tight ends) as did one Chaz Green (against the Atlanta
Falcons in 2017), then Chargers defensive-end-turned-3-4-linebacker
Joey Bosa and the rest of L.A.’s defensive front will be eager to
dine, perhaps giving the Cowboys’ aerial assault a game-long shiver.
Will Ezekiel Elliott be allowed – by available personnel
circumstance – to get back to his ground game dance? Or will he have
to (more-often-than-not) help make sure jailbreaks are blocked,
ensuring a downfield-focused Dak is never rocked? Offensive
coordinator Kellen Moore can call as many running plays as he wants
but – as long as opposing personnel “looks” do not reasonably jive –
Dak will (and should) audible to more-potent passing possibilities
to keep a given drive alive (and for even more patented punishing
blocks Zeke will be asked to strive).
Will tight ends Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin also have to give up
potential opportunities down the seam to significantly assist with
the blocking scheme? YES, Yes, yes, is even counting on (a perhaps
still-rusty) Jarwin to PRODUCTIVELY help block simply a morbid
dream?
Second-year starting quarterback Justin Herbert is an “electric”
star in the making, with the career expectation (by at least one and
practically all) that in plenty of passes, yards, and points he will
eventually and consistently be raking. But – as with Prescott –
expectancy occasionally collides with reality depending upon which
teammates (in all three phases) are available when the team is in a
spot.
Much has been made (over at least the past decade) and continues to
be made of layers upon layers of the Cowboys’ unavailable players.
2021 has quickly and cruelly shown, injury issues alone are already
eating many of the league’s other 31 teams down to the
(depth-defying) bone.
Will the Los Angeles Chargers’ own set of injury absentees – in
right tackle Bryan Bulaga, cornerback Chris Harris, defensive end
Justin Jones, and perhaps even safety Nasir Adderley – help the
Cowboys do a bit more as they please?
Will Micah Parsons – assuming an unpromised pledge to attack from
the “Elephant position” edge – demonstrate a Lawrence-Taylor-like
flash? Or will the STILL-soft middle of the Cowboys’ defensive front
and no-greater-than-role-player-results from their reserve defensive
ends (Bradley Anae, Tarell Basham, Chauncey Golston, Azur Kamara,
and Dorance Armstrong) simply go all wrong, encouraging Herbert to
liberally take out the trash?
Will that “3M” – Momentary (?) Micah Makeover – allow another
promising rookie linebacker Jabril (Cox) a chance to show his
triangulating skill and provide an earlier-than-expected thrill?
Will the game day introduction of a ball-hawking looker in free
safety Malik Hooker – and the potential-yet-temporary (?) shift of
hybrid linebacker Keanu Neal back to strong safety – make for a
Cowboys’ secondary particularly crafty?
Will the Cowboys’ defensive deficiencies allow the Chargers to
elegantly electrocute, or will Dallas’ limited depth wear a
thick-enough rubber suit to successfully execute?
Will “Bones” Fassel and his special teams unit repeat the results
that (in part) left Dallas undone in week one? Or will a (better
kicking AND tackling) comeback so colossal prove not so
next-to-impossible?
Will America’s Team pull through or end this Sunday 0-2?
We shall see. We always do.
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