DALLAS COWBOYS FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! Yes, I type that in all caps and I'm not ashamed in the least. That's exactly how pumped up I am right now after the Cowboys thoroughly manhandled the New York Giants in the 2019 season opener.
The Dallas Cowboys 35-17 trouncing of their division foe was an impressive sight to witness. Like in true Cowboys fashion though they had to give us a little scare to start the game and let the Giants to get out to the early lead. I think I'll just chalk that up to early-season jitters though.That was the only real hiccup in what can only be described as complete domination.
With the regular season now back in play I thought I would bring back The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in regards to the Dallas Cowboys 2019 season opener against the New York Giants. It's been a hit in the past and I hope it continues to be so. Continue to read below to see what I have chosen to go into each category.
The Good
Sean McVay who!? The Los Angeles Rams head coach has been one of the hottest things to hit the NFL these last couple years, but Dallas Cowboys new Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore might just give him a run for his money. To me, Moore's game plan and playcalling is the good from the Cowboys season opener against the Giants.
Pre-snap motion. Misdirection. Mixing and matching of personnel. You name it, and Kellen Moore used it Sunday afternoon against New York. It was an impressive debut as the OC for Dallas and one that will likely raise the bar, whether fair or not, for the rest of the season. But, I believe he's up to the challenge. The way he got everybody involved makes an already talented offense that much more dangerous.
The Bad
I really had to get a little nitpicky to find anything to put in this category because of the butt whipping the Dallas Cowboys gave the New York Giants in the season opener. They actually came out and played a lot better than I was expecting considering how many key players didn't play in preseason. But because I have to choose something, I think the bad has to go to Right Guard Zack Martin.
I think it's unfair to single out Zack Martin, but his two penalties were uncommon enough to stand out in my mind. Yes, they were borderline calls by the officials, but still penalties nevertheless. I don't know if it was because he's been out nursing an injury or if it's just a little rust, possibly both, but these are the kind of things that can really hurt the offense moving forward. In his defense, I do expect him to bounce back and play the way he typically does.
The Ugly
There a number different ways I could've gone here in this section. I started to go with how ugly the Dallas Cowboys made the New York Giants look Sunday afternoon, but I thought that was kind of a copout. Instead, I think the ugly might have been the Cowboys defense, particularly their secondary. Unfortunately, the Cowboys defense didn't get off to the best start, allowing New York to drive the field and score a touchdown.
Again, like with Zack Martin above, I think this has more to do with early-season jitters. I believe we will see corrections from Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard, and the defense will be better for it. Personally though, I was expecting more. They just simply allowed the Giants WRs to create too much space, which could have a lot to do with the key members of Dallas' pass rush missing so much of the offseason. I still have extremely high expectations for this unit though.
