The Dallas Cowboys went into Washington and took down the rival Commanders behind a nearly dominant performance from the defense. I’ll be honest, if any defense was going to thrive today, I would have put my money on Dan Quinn’s bunch facing Cooper Rush and a rash of backups.
Somehow, the Cowboys were on top when the clock hit all zeroes on Sunday afternoon, finishing off the Commanders by the score of 34-26 and moving on to a Thanksgiving date versus the New York Giants with a 4-7 record.
If you had watched only the first half, you’d be even more surprised at the end result. Dallas did not put any points on the board until the final seconds of the half when Brandon Aubrey knocked a 46-yard field goal through the uprights with three seconds left on the clock.
Despite the win, the Cowboys had several head-scratching plays and miscues that explain why this season is on the brink. In a season of evaluation, I find it important to still point out the cracks in the foundation that have been causing structural issues for the entire team.
Special Teams Weren’t So Special
Special Teams Coordinator Jon “Bones” Fassel’s bunch did not play their best game in the first half yesterday, and could have single-handedly lost the Cowboys the game with their early miscues.
The defense was playing lights out, holding rookie phenom Jayden Daniels and the Commanders to just three points in the first half, but it could have been much worse because of the special teams.
Even the offense was surprising us by moving the ball down the field early on, but right on par with the rest of the season, they had trouble closing out drives with touchdowns, instead leaning on Brandon Aubrey’s leg. The bad part is that one leg is not the only piece in the kicking process.
After driving down the field on the opening drive, Aubrey lined up for a routine field goal, but it was blocked by Washington. I wasn’t at the stadium, but my family and I were watching from home, and the air was sucked out of the room after that block. It just felt like a “here we go again” situation.
The defense held, the offense drove down the field again, and Aubrey lined up to tie the game at three. This time, the rush looked to affect his kick and the Commanders nearly got home for a second consecutive block. Aubrey’s kick hit the right upright, and they went without points once again.
After another lost possession (Dowdle’s lost fumble), the Cowboys’ next drive fell short of midfield, and P Bryan Anger trotted out for a punt. The blocking scheme again failed, and Anger’s punt was blocked.
Three opportunities, and three utter failures for the special teams unit to start the game. I will give credit for not one, but two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the second half, but the miscues can’t be overlooked.
Questionable Play Calling
I don’t have a full game’s worth of plays I did not like, especially because I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that the offense put up 332 total yards, but there were a handful of plays that made me scratch my head.
There were two play calls in the first half that made me want to take McCarthy’s tablet and slam it on the ground myself. Ever since I was a little kid, I have never forgotten my coaches telling me to run the ball downhill. I know NFL players have other-worldly speed, but I don’t believe in running parallel to the line of scrimmage in short-yardage situations.
McCarthy called two such plays in the first half that ended up costing the team points. The first play was a 2nd & 1 from the Washington 13-yard line on the first drive of the game. He called a jet sweep to WR CeeDee Lamb that former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong blew up four yards in the backfield.
WR Jalen Tolbert dropped a pass right over the middle that would have resulted in a 1st down, and then Aubrey’s kick was blocked. Why run a play with the possibility of losing four yards when you can just fall forward one yard for a first down?
The next questionable play call was on the very next drive. Down 3-0 and once again moving the ball down the field on offense, the Cowboys faced a 3rd & 2 from the Washington 21-yard line. McCarthy called a pitch sweep to the right that had Dowdle running parallel to the line of scrimmage until the Commanders’ defense caught up with him and brought him down for a three-yard loss.
Aubrey’s ensuing kick clanged off of the right upright, and another drive ended without points. The Cowboys were aided in this game by the fact that the Commanders did not perform up to their current standard either, and Dallas found the spark in the second half to pull away.
The Cowboys might be able to overcome miscues like this again on Thanksgiving versus the Giants, but with games versus the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Eagles still on schedule, they need to get it cleaned up for any chance at the playoffs.
However, McCarthy has been promising discipline for five years, so I don’t expect it to suddenly appear now.