For the first 50 minutes of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys’ offense was nearly non-existent.
A pair of very long field goals by Brandon Aubrey accounted for all six of Dallas’ points on the scoreboard. In short, it looked as dismal as the previous week’s loss to the Saints.
Down 28-6, the Cowboys’ offense suddenly discovered the endzone – three times at that – in just six minutes.
Dak Prescott finished the game 28-for-51 for 379 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored the first of the three touchdowns on a one-yard plunge.
Nearly 200 of those yards came in the final quarter.
In the end, the 19-point eruption still came up three points short as the Ravens left with a 28-25 victory.
Moments after the game ended, social media was alight with the same general statement that this loss couldn’t be pinned on Prescott. They are half-right.
It was the third-straight home game where the Cowboys were run off their own field by halftime and only started putting up points long after the game was in hand.
Green Bay and New Orleans kept their foot on the gas and never let Dallas get too close. Baltimore’s offense went to sleep up 28-6 and the Cowboys nearly made them pay for it.
Much To Worry About
The rally doesn’t change two important points that Cowboys fans should be worried about.
First, this defense would struggle to stop many college teams the way they are playing. It cannot stop the run and cannot get off the field.
The defense isn’t even forcing field goals.
Second, the offense keeps waiting until they are down by double-digits early before they finally start scoring touchdowns.
Against the Packers in January, the Cowboys went down 27-0 before they finally got on the board.
Last week they went down 21-6 early as the offense settled for two field goals while the Saints were scoring three touchdowns. On Sunday, it was more of the same, until the fourth quarter.
Here’s the question.
Has the offense finally figured it out and will now start putting touchdowns on the board early and often? Or was this fourth quarter outburst the exception rather than the rule?
We’ll find out Thursday night when Dallas travels to New York to take on the Giants in a game where the loser could take sole possession of last place in the NFC East.
Quoth The Ravens
The good news is – unless they meet in the Super Bowl – the Cowboys won’t see the Ravens again for four years.
The bad news? Baltimore is now 6-1 all-time against the Cowboys overall and 2-1 in games played in Texas.
The Ravens have won the last two meetings after dropping 27-17 decision to the Cowboys at Dallas in 2016.
Can Dallas reverse the trend with a win four years down the road? Quoth the Ravens, “Nevermore.”
The Cowboys hope to write a better ending in 2028.
Mercury Morris Death
If you’re as old as I am – only slightly younger than dirt – you had a chance to watch Mercury Morris play football live in person or on television.
If you aren’t quite that old, go find as many clips of Morris running the ball as you can find. You’re in for a treat.
Morris’ career numbers aren’t among the greats.
He rushed for just 4,133 yards and scored 31 touchdowns in 99 career games. All but one of his eight seasons was played in Miami.
Mostly he was fighting for carries with Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick.
But Morris was a huge reason why the Dolphins played in three straight Super Bowls between 1971-73.
In Miami’s two Super Bowl-winning seasons he rushed for 1,000 yards (1972) and 954 yards (1973) in 14-game seasons at that. He was a big reason why the Dolphins when undefeated in 1972.
He was a great running back.
The three-time Pro Bowler passed away on Sunday at the age of 77.
No cause of death has been released yet.
Paying For A Loss
A few weeks back the Notre Dame Irish welcomed Northern Illinois for a football game.
The Irish had paid the Huskies to come to town. Presumably, to get their butts kicked in the process.
Someone forgot to explain that fact to the visitors, who upset the then No. 5-ranked Irish, 16-14.
On Saturday, North Carolina had paid James Madison a cool $500k to play football.
The Dukes left North Carolina with a 70-50 victory.
The Tar Heels had 600 yards in offense to go along with those 50 points.
They also had five turnovers to a team that only recently moved up to college football’s highest division of football.
Getting upset is bad enough. Paying for the privilege has to suck.
