The Cowboys are simply at a point where they cannot trust their defense at all.
Sunday night’s 40-40 tie between the Cowboys and Packers is almost as hard to process today as it was to predict going in. Most of us have never seen a Dallas tie, given that it hasn’t happened since 1969. It will certainly add a big wrinkle to the standings and projections of either playoff seeding or draft order going forward. But as wild as it was and the uncertainty to follow, one thing is for sure: this Cowboys defense is sabotaging the season in almost unprecedented fashion.
On the other side of the ball, Dak Prescott is playing as well as we’ve ever seen him. He’ll be in the MVP conversation again, provided his team can maintain a somewhat respectable record. And last night, he got lots of help from offensive teammates like George Pickens, Javonte Williams, and several backup offensive linemen, all stepping up and doing enough to keep the team in the game and answer every shot the Packers gave them.
However, it was the defense that consistently put them in that position. A 46-yard bomb on the Packers’ opening drive, on which two receivers had a clean chance at the ball, set the tone for the night. In the second half and overtime, every Green Bay possession ended in points. The Cowboys couldn’t get them off the field when it mattered, allowing 10 out of 14 3rd-down conversions.
A tie is an appropriate outcome when a team is equal parts Superman and kryptonite.
There is still hope for things to change, at least enough to get to a point of solvency. When Trevon Diggs got benched last night, it was a positive sign that the team isn’t going to just let veteran status dictate starts and playing time. That’s good news for the likes of James Houston, Shemar James, Juanyeh Thomas, and other backups who are seemingly more deserving of snaps right now than those above them on the depth chart. At the very least, it hopefully indicates that Matt Eberflus will continue to try new combinations until he finds what works best.
We also have better days coming on the injury front, at least in the secondary. That was only DaRon Bland’s first game back after missing the last two with a bad foot. Caelen Carson, Shavon Revel Jr., and Josh Butler are all still waiting to debut. And of course, at linebacker, there’s DeMarvion Overshown. If Dallas is still in the hunt come November, Overshown may be able to provide a huge boost to the speed and playmaking ability in the front seven, which would naturally help the corners and safeties.
Even if the defense remains a handicap, the offense also has room for improvement. CeeDee Lamb, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Booker were all out last night. Jaydon Blue still hasn’t debuted, but may have to now that Miles Sanders picked up an injury. If the Cowboys are going to have to win shootouts all year, at least they’ve got more weapons and assets at their disposal than we even saw in last night’s forty-burger.
It’s an uncomfortable position to be in, for sure. But the next two games against the Jets and Panthers, at a combined 1-6, offer some cushion for continuing to work through injuries and schematic adjustments. If the Cowboys can figure out how to better maximize their strengths and mitigate weaknesses, some of which won’t be fixed until at least another offseason, they can start pumping up that win column.
This offense, and particularly Dak Prescott right now, is good enough to carry the load. But the defense has to stop cutting the legs out from under them. If Eberflus can’t figure it out soon, then it may be up to the front office to make the next adjustment.
Category: General Sports
