It's pretty amazing this is where the 2019 Cowboys season has gone. After a 3-0 start in which Dallas looked like one the elite teams in the league, the Cowboys have completely fallen off a cliff.
Now, after what can be called one of the single worst losses in the last 20 years of Dallas Cowboys football, this team is 7-8 and just about done. The Jason Garrett era is coming to a close, and what better way for him to go out than with an 8-8 season?
Let's get into my game notes from this 17-9 loss to Philadelphia before I throw up on the keyboard.
- Let's start with the quarterback. Dak Prescott has been mostly awesome this season, but against the Eagles Sunday he was not. Prescott had arguably his worst game of the year on the season's biggest stage, throwing for just 265 yards and failing to lead this offense to a single touchdown. Considering how banged up and bad the Eagles secondary is, this was an inexcusable letdown from the Cowboys passing offense. When Prescott was good, his receivers often let him down. Dallas had a few costly drops on third downs, and didn't help out their struggling quarterback whatsoever. And it was everyone. Amari Cooper failed, Jason Witten failed, and the entire offense was just not good enough. Where Carson Wentz' rag-tag bunch rose to the occasion, Prescott's arsenal of heralded weapons came up short time and time again.
- This was a weird game for the Cowboys defense. For starters, they only gave up 17 points and kept their own struggling offense in the game for all four quarters. But it's not like they were very good either. They allowed Carson Wentz to pretty much dice them up throughout the night, throwing for over 300 yards and the game's first touchdown. They did make a handful of big stops, such as their fourth and one stand when Philadelphia was threatening to go up three scores in the first half, but their slow start ultimately handcuffed the entire team. Dallas' defense was fine, but did not show up in the fashion the team ended up needing.
- On what might end up the final meaningful play of the 2019 season, the Cowboys deployed two tight ends and no Amari Cooper. According to Jason Garrett, they wanted to get both Cooper and Randall Cobb a breather after such a fast-paced two minute drive. But this was fourth and season. This was the biggest play of the game where you are trying to save your playoff lives. And instead of going to the wide receiver you traded a first round pick for last season, you left him on the bench to watch the play unfold.
- Is Chidobe Awuzie a professional starting cornerback? Awuzie has struggled mightily at times during his young career, but those struggles reached their apex on Sunday. Kris Richard ended up benching the former second round pick in favor of Jourdan Lewis, and it honestly felt like a move which should've made a while ago. We thought this Cowboys cornerback room was one of the deepest in all of football, but it's turning out to be a massive need this offseason.
- I do want to give one player a positive shoutout, and that's Byron Jones. Back in his old role as the tight end eraser, Jones did an excellent job when matched up with Zach Ertz on Sunday. Jones held Ertz in check during each of their battles, as he has tended to do during his time in Dallas. Jones is this team's best cornerback, and a player the Cowboys can ill-afford to lose this Spring. Unfortunately, I'd be shocked to see him extended.
