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It's OK that coach Jason Garrett got conservative late in Sunday's loss to the Patriots, but the Cowboys' red-zone struggles are a shame.
Tim MacMahon » N.E. 20, Dal. 16
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The Cowboys entered the game with the NFL's 30th-ranked rushing offense and got worse. They gained only 77 yards on 24 carries, and those numbers are inflated by Tony Romo's 17-yard scramble. Felix Jones ran hard before suffering a high ankle sprain, but he gained only 14 yards on eight carries. DeMarco Murray (10 carries, 32 yards) and Tashard Choice (five carries, 14 yards) weren't much more productive. Vince Wilfork and Co. whipped the Cowboys' offensive line on a consistent basis.
Tony Romo threw for 317 yards and protected the ball after throwing a pick on the first possession. But the NFL's last-ranked passing defense kept the Cowboys from going downfield. Dallas' only two completions that went for longer than 20 yards were a couple of short throws that Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson, who turned them into 33- and 32-yard gains by making defenders miss. The passing game sputtered on two of three red-zone trips, not even trying to get the ball to Bryant or Miles Austin in the end zone.
The Cowboys allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards for the first time this season. Barely. The Patriots gained 101 yards on 25 carries, but that's a price the Cowboys were willing to pay for focusing on slowing down Tom Brady and the Patriots' vaunted passing attack. It's not as if the Patriots gashed the Cowboys or ran the ball down their throat on a consistent basis. They had only one run for double-digit yardage, a 16-yarder by Stevan Ridley. They lost yardage on four carries, including a couple of tackles in the backfield by inside linebacker Sean Lee.
This was a Rob Ryan masterpiece until Tom Brady marched the Patriots 80 yards on 10 plays for the game-winning touchdown, completing eight of nine passes for 78 yards and a score on the deciding drive. But the job Dallas' defense did against Brady, who finished with 289 yards and two TDs on 27-of-41 passing, was still admirable. Orlando Scandrick returned from a high ankle sprain to hold NFL receiving leader Wes Welker in check (six catches, 45 yards, TD). The Cowboys sacked Brady three times and forced three turnovers in the passing game.
Some good things happened for the Cowboys on special teams. John Phillips forced a fumble on a kickoff return that Gerald Sensabaugh recovered. Mat McBriar averaged 51.8 yards per punt. David Bailey extended his streak of consecutive field goals made to 14, including a 48-yarder in windy conditions in the first quarter. But it's absolutely inexcusable for special teams to account for four penalties in a game. The lack of discipline displayed by Joe DeCamillis' units is disturbing.
The debate about whether Jason Garrett played it too safe with a late lead will rage for days. The bigger problem was his poor play-calling in the red zone. It's pretty bizarre that Tashard Choice is thrown three passes inside the 20 during the second half, and Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten didn't get one. No wonder the Cowboys settled for field goals. The 10 penalties committed that cost the Cowboys 77 yards doesn't reflect well on the head coach, either.
| 2013 Dallas Cowboys Preseason Schedule | ||||||
| WK | DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT/TIME (ET) | RESOURCES | ||
| 0 | Sun, Aug 4 |
| 8:00 PM NBC | Tickets | Travel | ||
| 1 | Fri, Aug 9 | 10:00 PM | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 2 | Sat, Aug 17 | 4:30 PM | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 3 | Sat, Aug 24 | 8:00 PM | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 4 | Thu, Aug 29 |
| 8:00 PM | Tickets | Travel | ||
| 2013 Dallas Cowboys Regular Season Schedule | ||||||
| WK | DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT/TIME (ET) | RESOURCES | ||
| 1 | Sun, Sep 8 |
| 8:30 PM NBC | Tickets | Travel | ||
| 2 | Sun, Sep 15 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 3 | Sun, Sep 22 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 4 | Sun, Sep 29 | 4:25 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 5 | Sun, Oct 6 |
| 4:25 PM CBS | Tickets | Travel | ||
| 6 | Sun, Oct 13 | 8:30 PM NBC | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 7 | Sun, Oct 20 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 8 | Sun, Oct 27 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 9 | Sun, Nov 3 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 10 | Sun, Nov 10 | 8:30 PM NBC | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 11 | BYE WEEK | |||||
| 12 | Sun, Nov 24 | 4:25 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 13 | Thu, Nov 28 |
| 4:30 PM CBS | Tickets | Travel | ||
| 14 | Mon, Dec 9 | 8:30 PM | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 15 | Sun, Dec 15 | 4:25 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 16 | Sun, Dec 22 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| 17 | Sun, Dec 29 | 1:00 PM FOX | Tickets | Travel | |||
| PASSING | |
|---|---|
COWBOYS | PATRIOTS |
| RUSHING | |
COWBOYS | PATRIOTS |
| RECEIVING | |
COWBOYS | PATRIOTS |
