It has been a difficult two weeks for the Dallas Cowboys, and a lot of folks are starting to feel the heat.
After starting the season 1-2, these last two weeks have been hard to watch from top to bottom. It almost looked as if they didn’t even practice at all during the week!
Now, this team plays on a short week, although against the New York Giants, who the Cowboys have beaten up a bunch over the years, do we think Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer can get this team prepared enough on the road against a divisional rival?
Will Mike McCarthy last the entire season with the Cowboys?
— Carlin vs. Joe (@CarlinvsJoe) September 23, 2024
Mike McCarthy
Let’s start with the head coach and the man who calls the plays. I don’t understand how this team looked so bad after the Saints loss.
The Cowboys gave McCarthy a five-year contract reportedly worth $4-$7 million per season when he was hired full-time to replace Jason Garrett in 2020.
How do you look this bad at home?
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy: “What needed to be said has been said.”
What needed to be said today?
“I’m not gonna get into specifics. This isn’t show-and-tell. It’s about being accountable. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to spend on corrections. We did that at the beginning… pic.twitter.com/enxGG7Gsr7
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 23, 2024
He has won a lot of games in the regular season for this football team, and yes has come up short in the playoffs, but they don’t look anything like the last three seasons when they won 12 games.
The offense looks like they don’t know what they have. McCarthy is trying to force the run with guys who can’t get to the second level. His offense looks predictable.
They are not using the same type of motion we saw them do a season ago.
I would have loved to see Dalvin Cook be active for this game, but guess what? Jerry Jones calls the shots on who is going to play, and he shut it down very quickly yesterday.
Check out the tweet below.
Doesn't sound like it's Dalvin Cook time with the quick turnaround, according to Jerry Jones on the @1053thefan. “I don’t think this is the time that you have any real serious roster adjustments in at that particular time, so I don’t think so because of the short week for sure."
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 24, 2024
Sure, Jerry, it’s not like he hasn’t been in the offensive meetings the first three weeks.
At this point I would just stop trying to run the football, just throw it 50 times. That is the only way you are going to stand a chance.
Mike Zimmer
Now let’s touch on this side of the ball. The side that has been an absolute disaster the last two weeks.
Per ESPN Research, the Cowboys have allowed 557 rushing yards, the most through three games since 1963.
They have allowed 5.4 yards per carry, the worst average through three games since 1979. They have given up eight rushing touchdowns, the most in franchise history through three games.
I will be the first to tell you I thought the hiring of Mike Zimmer was going to at least help the run defense a bit, but man it has been way worse than I ever thought it would be.
I love Mike Zimmer. But this is starting to feel like Mike Nolan all over again.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) September 22, 2024
Let me give you the big picture of how BAD the run defense has actually been.
It’s been so poor that opposing quarterbacks have attempted just 31 passes the past two weeks. 31….. That is crazy.
After the Ravens loss, edge rusher Micah Parsons said players are trying to be “Superman.” Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said the Cowboys are playing “little league” football.
It is starting to get old that every week we hear the same things from all these players. Look, I get it, but show it to me on the field. Stop needing something else to say after you get beat down on defense every single week.
I am not a coach, and I am not trying to act like it, but maybe force teams to throw the ball against you.
Load the box, bring as many guys into the running lanes as possible. Force these teams to spread it out and drop back and pass the rock.
What do you have to lose? You can’t stop the run, and teams are averaging over FIVE yards BEFORE contact.
I understand it is the Giants, but can Zimmer and Big Mike have this team ready to go in a short week? They sure as heck didn’t have them ready after a full week.
