The Dallas Cowboys slipped to 2-4 on the season, as they look less and less like the team most envisioned coming into the season. After their loss to the Green Bay Packers, we learned some things.
Everything is difficult for the Cowboys
Nothing has come easy for this team in the last two weeks. There is little-to-no room for error, and the Cowboys simply cannot stop making mistakes. Whether it’s dropped balls, missed blocks, or just plain slipping – Dallas cannot get out their own way.
In the first half, the defense performed extremely well on first and second down. They could not get off the field on third, however, regardless of the distance. It didn’t matter if the defense sent the heat on a blitz or if they dropped their guys back in coverage – the Packers and Jordan Love had their number.
In a way that wasn’t supposed to happen this season, the offense mirrored the defense’s inadequacies throughout the first half. Zero points scored paired with two turnovers on the plus side of the field is not the ideal situation.
Put it all together and you end the first half down by 17 points.
The defense did clamp down after half time, allowing just six points after the break. The offense never truly found their way, scoring just two touchdowns on the night.
The offense remains lost
Zero points in the first half, with 13 points on the board at the final whistle is not good enough, and will never be good enough with the way this Cowboys team is constructed. The team will win zero games if that’s the offensive result each week.
This is a unit featuring some of the best playmakers in the NFL, yet for the second week in a row, they cannot adjust to the blitzing onslaught from their opponent. Dak Prescott was under assault the entire game, taking hit after hit, sometimes even resulting in personal fouls.
Everything is out of rhythm and very little is working. They need to figure out how to beat the blitz if they’re going to have a chance on offense. This is a blueprint other teams will attempt to duplicate until Dallas can figure out how to stop it.
Where’s the rushing attack?
This team still refuses to run the ball, even when it’s working. Balance does not seem to be something that Brian Schottenheimer is too interested in through six weeks, and especially the last two. Regardless of what the head coach says to the media, sticking with the run is clearly not in the forefront of the mind of the head coach and play caller.
Ten carries on the night for Javonte Williams until nearly two minutes left in the fourth quarter is inexcusable considering the game was well within reach for the entire second half. Dallas ran the ball five-out-of-nine plays on their opening drive of the second half, resulting in a touchdown. After that, there was not another run play called until nearly two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The play-caller felt the pressure to put up points. It’s possible he didn’t trust his defense to get stops in the second half, which is reasonable. But the rushing attack was working, and it was completely abandoned when it wasn’t necessary to do so. This offense needs balance if it’s going to survive. Dak Prescott cannot throw the ball 50 plus times each week, or this could be the result.