Above photo: Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle (21) runs against New England Patriots free safety Devin McCourty (32) in the first half of NFL football action at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas Sunday, Oct. 11 2015. Brad Loper
Three straight defeats after a two game winning streak yet the Dallas Cowboys are still sitting in first place in the NFC’s East, abet a tie with the other three teams in the division. Could it be that the injury suffered by Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo in game 2 is the direct cause for the losing in Dallas or might there be other underlying causes that have the Cowboys sunk in a depressive three game slide? And is current Cowboy backup quarterback Brandon Weeden the major cause of discourse?
New England’s 30-6 win in Jerry’s World yesterday was typical when a team lacks offensive firepower to keep up with the best team in the NFL. The previous loses to Atlanta and New Orleans also showed the offensive problems without Romo, Dez Bryant, and a traded un-named running back to the Eagles. Dallas is running the ball 80 percent of the time on first down. With long 2nd and 3rd down situations they tend to go underneath the coverage with a Weeden pass as they cannot go downfield for bigger gains with the lack of quarterback competence and below average wide receivers. Add the fact the New England placed emphasis on Weeden’s favorite pass catchers in Mark Beasley and Jason Whitten made Dallas impotent yesterday. Yes, Weeden is part of the problem. Part, not all.
If you want to place a major part of the blame, the first stop would be the lack of offensive ingenuity by the Cowboy coaching staff. Yes, continue to run the ball on first down. Get your two yards and put Weeden and the team in a 2nd down and long. Maybe try another run on 2nd down and we have a 3rd and long. Do this all day long. It will get you a couple of field goals if lucky. Coaching is killing this team. Want to go 2 up and 4 down next week? Keep it up. Change quarterbacks and you won’t see any improvement. Weeden can make the short pass as his 26 of 39 demonstrated against the Pats. Without some different play calling it really won’t matter to change. Put the new guy in (Matt Cassel). Test him out with the same play calling and rack up another loss.
As mentioned by me in the past, this team is poorly coached. Add the fact that the players are not the same ones they won with last year, both on offense and defense. Put Dez and Demaro with Weeden and I think they might be better. Marketly better? Maybe not. Today, with the lack of going down field, the coaches have no confidence in Weeden. Next game maybe Weeden throws downfield on first down and maybe they don’t. As for Joseph Randall or the other Dallas runners, they are not in the class as Murray. Not even close. Running on 1st down is a mistake. Jerry, you should have resigned that man in Philly.
Dallas is looking at a long season, even when Romo gets back. Put the star back with Dez and how long will it be before he suffers another injury? I would say maybe the next play. Dallas, in my opinion, is toast for the near future.
One Cowboy has it right.
WE’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IT TAKES ALL 11. ANYTIME YOU LOSE THREE IN A ROW, THE FOCUS GOES ON THE QUARTERBACK. BUT WE NEVER WOULD DO THAT. IT TAKES EVERYBODY.
Cowboys tight end Jason Witten
Brandon Weeden’s feelings after the game:
“It sucks to be honest, but you can’t control that. I can only control going out there and executing. I don’t know. It’s frustrating. I feel like I came in against Philly, and I was prepared; I was ready. I thought I played well against Atlanta. We just couldn’t get it done offensively in the second half. New Orleans, I made a drive at the end of the game to give us a chance to win. We never got the ball back.
Norv Turner told me a long time ago when we were sitting in the [Cleveland Browns] quarterback meeting, and he said, ‘Brandon, I don’t know what you have done to whoever, but you’ve got the worst luck of any player I have been around.’ I have, ever since I was a little kid. I don’t know what I did. But it is what it is.
I’m never going to lose confidence in my ability. I wouldn’t be here and put in this position if I couldn’t play this position. You’ve just got to clean it up — the little things that maybe I missed today.”
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