Well, everyone, the first loss of this short season came at the hands of the lowly Arizona Cardinals.
Many of this team’s warts remained dormant until Sunday when they appeared with a vengeance. Writers much better than I will write about the negatives all week.
Chuma Edoga, for starters, has no business being an offensive tackle. Dak Prescott’s interception reminds fans of last season. The Cardinals’ offensive scheme had the Dallas defense on their toes the entire game.
Nevertheless, I’m unprepared to sweep both New York victories under the rug because of one ill-prepared contest.
If you look hard enough, fans can locate positives, albeit not many.
Tony Pollard broke the 100 yard mark for the first time this season
We can’t say that Tony Pollard didn’t hold up his end of the bargain.
Pollard carried the ball 23 times for 122 yards, posting a 5.3 yard per clip. For me, it wasn’t just the yardage. The fact that the burst and athleticism that escapes some players after a major injury is a win in itself.
He wasn’t much in the way of receptions or red zone touchdowns, but I have to contribute some of that to the play-caller.
Tony Pollard had an exceptional day against the Cardinals:
– 23 rushing attempts for 122 yards
– 5.3 yards per rushing attempt
– 68 rushing yards after contact
– 8 first downs picked up#Cowboys— Cowboys Hive (@cowboys_hive) September 25, 2023
I know that sounds like a cop-out, but there were two separate instances where the Cowboys were in the red zone but didn’t give Tony a touch.
In one of those situations, they decided to fake it to the running back and hand it to CeeDee, which didn’t go far.
The second situation included Dak forcing the ball to Lamb when four receivers and four defenders were nearby.
I believe Pollard and Rico Dowdle (4 attempts for 21 yards) ran effectively enough to get more touches in the red zone. Dowdle has done enough to continue being the backup running back.
Giving Deuce Vaughn a touch or two wouldn’t be the worst idea.
It was also refreshing to see Hunter Luepke in the lineup and getting some touches. We need more of that. The overall running game, off-set I-formation, and the twelve personnel Dallas ran out of give me hope.
A healthy Michael Gallup proved he can be effective when used right
This looked like the first time since the ACL injury that Michael Gallup played like the ole Michael.
On Sunday, he hauled in 6 catches on 7 targets for 92 yards with a 15.3 per reception clip. He certainly made up for the last two games where he totaled 2 catches for 13 yards.
He appeared to be nimble and much stronger at the point of attack.
For the record, that endzone attempt to Gallup was a pass interference but it’s spilled milk at this point.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he received "no explanation" Sunday as to why officiating crew picked up the flag on a defensive pass interference penalty on a Michael Gallup end-zone target. "I still don't have an explanation."
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 25, 2023
At one point, Michael ran a 10-yard slant that was a thing of beauty. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there were not many times in the past that Dallas receivers ran slant.
As a matter of fact, he ran it a second time and it was equally effective.
The only thing that was missing was running a ‘sluggo’, which is a slant and go when Arizona was playing so aggressive.
The Dallas Cowboys are going to need a healthy core of wide receivers against the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles or the Buffalo Bills for that matter.
When Gallup was healthy, his ability to get deep was tailor made for this offense as well as his run after catch.
Even though this game didn’t go the Cowboys’ way, it’s good to see number 13 being inserted into the offense and more importantly looking like his old self.
DaRon Bland had a shaky Start but he showed promise on the outside
In the latter part of the week leading up to the Arizona Cardinals matchup, the attention was on the injury to Trevon Diggs, and rightfully so.
Most had confidence that DaRon Bland could be that dude on the outside, but the start of the game was relatively rocky for him.
Dallas’ defensive scheme should have accounted for Arizona’s speed.
Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and Michael Wilson presented problems. Wilson is the slowest of those receivers, with a 4.58 in the forty.
The other two, Brown – 4.32 and Moore – 4.29 are burners.
Bland held his own outside with limited coverage, rotating to help him.
He did give up two receptions for 26 yards. The most damning was the penalty for pass interference.
Once you get past that part, he played reasonably well for a guy getting the bulk of his work on the outside for the first time this year.
Forget this year; he lined up 507 snaps in the slot versus 126 out wide in his career.
Cowboys DC Dan Quinn said DE DeMarcus Lawrence, S Malik Hooker and CB DaRon Bland stood out as positives Sunday amid an uncharacteristic, unrecognizable day for defense. Overall, believes a number of defenders would say it wasn’t their best individual performance. pic.twitter.com/5ugFUOFuxR
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 25, 2023
Pro Football Focus issued a grade of 78.5 for tackling grade, which I will take every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
He’s a young player with inside/outside ability, which will only make this defense stronger.
Dallas Cowboys fans: Sunday was not the best showing for this team, but there are reasons to be optimistic for the rest of the season.
We will bounce back tho okay I believe in this team but we got to be better in the red zone tho okay
Jeremy Hedgemon we were #1 in red zone last year, we need to go back to those drills. We shouldn’t be in the red zone 5 times with no points
Gm cowboys
No panic , they are who’ve they always been
No panic here, we know cowboys won’t go nowhere with Dak at qb
And the one reason Cowboy fans should panic after Sunday’s disappointment!!!
Dakota Prescott is the QB
Michael Sharp you people look stupid every time you post this. Pretentious “coaches” thinking they know better than those who get paid millions to do it.
Who cares. It was going to happen at some point. Every team gets up exponentially for the boys.
The real reason to Panic is the Duk suks! #Cuttheduk NOW!
Please get us a qb and someone who has a clue bout calling offensive plays,because once again we’re in need of both
Cowboys are not good enough in most important position.. QB
I just hope our defense can hold Miami under 80 when we play them if got torched by these no names in Az
Gallup would have many more yards and TDs if he had a better QB throwing to him. Looking back, there were a ton of times when Gallup had his man beat deep and QB1 OVERTHREW/MISSED him.
Look, there has been a merry-go-round at the WR position for QB1. First All Pro Dez, who they claim couldn’t run routes good enough for QB1 anymore, GONE! Then Amari wasn’t good enough, GONE! (for not much in return). So, last year with Cleveland AND Jacoby Brissett at QB1 (for most of the season), he only had 1160yards, 9 TDs (the most in his career) and 15 YPC! Hmm.
Now they plugged in a short WR, 5′ 9″ Cooks, who has a grand total of 4 catches for 39 yards 0 TDs in 3 games. Cooks is more a deep threat, but QB1 is not very good at deep balls, ref Gallup.
They better beat the Pats, b/c they’re then looking at @49ers, @Chargers, then later Eagles twice, @Bills and @Dolphins.
May be early to say must win but…
Yep Vam I’m still mad about the departure of AC!! People forgot just how bad the offense was until AC showed up and then it came alive! With that said I realize we have to move on and just hope that CD , BC, and MG can step up and play to the super star potential that everybody has made them out to be!! But as of now I haven’t seen it!!
Hey Ed, agree, AC was the “missing piece” at that time, and he did liven up the offense. But for some reason they discarded him for not much back.
BTW, I heard earlier today, and I didn’t realize it, but NONE of their WRs have a TD pass in now three games?!?!
Cooper always tapped out against physical corners
And you’re a football moron. Dak was pressured on almost every play
I have some colorful names to call you in response, but I won’t lower myself to your pathetic level of lameness.
“Dak” certainly was not pressured on almost every play. Don’t know what game you were watching. Try coming up with an excuse that actually happened during the game for your 2 playoff wins in 7 plus year QB.
I’m in Panic mode, because the Cowboys waste easy games over and over and over.
Yeah no reason to panic just that you’re 1 game back of the eagles and niners and it came in a game they should have won championship teams don’t lose games like that
Thought for sure Dak saying he has to do better again would be on that list
Nothing has changed susceptible jimmy left. Nothing will change as long as Jerry is the GM. He is the worst GM in football. Anyone else who underperformed to this level would be fired. No need to panic they will be exactly as bad as they have been for 30 years
Jerry doesn’t run the team and we went back to back 12 win seasons. Please know facts before commenting.
No panic
There’s plenty more positives that can be mentioned about the game…. Like the refs won’t be calling all of our games, those refs screwed us out of points on more than one occasion, not to mention, they some how missed the holding that was going on when Rondale Moore ran for that 45 yard touchdown, and there was at least one more time it involved Arizona scoring there should’ve been a flag thrown, but never happened!! So not having those refs call all of our games will be good!! Another thing that will be good is we won’t be without 3 of our starting offensive linemen in every game either!! That was a big problem in this game, Dak wasn’t able to get comfortable at all the whole game cause he was being pressured so much, and if it wasn’t for Dak running, he would’ve been sacked more than twice!! There’s not much any QB can do when they’re being pressured on every snap!! One interception isn’t really that bad considering the situation!! If you look around the NFL at all these other so called elite QBs, they have more interceptions in one game than Dak does in all 3 they’ve played!! So that’s a good thing too!! And on defense, those stats don’t show everything on Bland, he was terrible, and he’s not meant to play outside corner in the NFL!! I said this before the game even started!! We need to sign somebody else or let Noah Igbinoghene get a chance to play outside!! I’m sure Bland can get better on the outside, but he’s better in the slot and that’s where he needs to stay!! So hopefully after the way things went down in that game Dan Quinn will make a change!!
Finally somebody that knows what they’re talking about. Couldn’t of said it better myself
They are who we thought they were. -Dennis Green
I’m not panicking. I never jumped on the hype train. Dak is still Dak, and McCarthy is still McCarthy. We’re headed to another 10-7 season and a 1st round bounce out of the playoffs
Bull shit, you go to win every game like a good football team would. You don’t give up to a team that everyone is beating cause now the Cowboys look weak, and Dak is going back yo his old ways. Missing throws and then an interception I have no idea why Jerry wants to keep him, Jerry wants another Supper Bowl he had best get a quarterback that can take the Boys there because Dak isn’t it.
And if he doesn’t get ride of Dake we are looking at another bad season…And the Eagles aren’t slowing down any , like the Cowboys are…
I’m not getting paid,so why worry.
Why? Haven’t seen the Niners or Eagles come out of the gate
with a lackluster performance after 3 weeks and that’s your measuring stick!
Until the Cowboys fix their Red Zone problems, I will remain in full panic mode, thank you.
On offense they did well except in the RedZone. Gallup had a good day, Pollard had a good day. Considering only one starter in the same place as the first game(Steele) Edoga started the first two games but at LG not LT like Sunday. But with Bass, the center activated from the practice squad to start the game and Edoga who couldn’t protect Prescott back, we were lucky to do as well as we did. Now defense, that a whole other ballgame, there was no reason for that breakdown other than they wasn’t playing with the same group. Wilson and Lewis added to mix and Thomas taken away from the mix. That was the problem. Wilson and Lewis had been on the sideline the first two games and Thomas who had been everywhere the first two games was in the sideline. The defense was completely out of sinc and that’s what cost us the game. Same ole same ole!!! This team is never going to win a Super Bowl, Count on that!!!
Steve Stivers no they didn’t throw out the new playbook but they had to throw out half of it. The O-line couldn’t protect Dak for the 7 step drop, he had to use only 3 step drop, so that right there did away with half of the playbook. McCarthy even said that. You only had two starters on the O-line and one it was his first start of the season. I said in a post earlier that I thought Tyler should have been LT instead of Edoga, but after thinking about it, they didn’t want 3 non starters side by side in the middle of the line. Losing 3 starters within 72 hours and also losing your top corner on top of that, I can see why the team was out of sinc. But if they play the Patriots this bad, they will lose two straight and then the following week at the Niners is a potential 3 straight. One thing that could change that, light a fire under their asses and play like we know they can but rarely do.
Yes, wait till all the teams figure out how easy it is to manipulate your “doomsday defense” and the cowboys have to rest the game on Dak’s shaky shoulders and inaccurate arm to panic