Opinion
Boy oh boy, where on earth do I start here?
This is starting to feel like a bad dream. The Dallas Cowboys fell to a 2-4 record on the back of an utter embarrassment of a game, losing 38-10 to Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.
Funnily enough, the Cowboys started well on defence (yes, you read that right) by forcing a three and out and then limiting Murray on the next possession. The offence too started three and out and then on the next possession they were just starting to get going and then the customary fumble happened as they were approaching Cardinals territory.
A pass from Andy Dalton found Zeke Elliott, who turned to run into the open space only to have the ball punched out by an Arizona player.
Murray took full advantage and punched it into the end zone to take a 7-0 lead. Then on the next possession, just two plays in, Elliott fumbled the ball again and that was basically game over as the Cardinals again took advantage and scored to go up 14-0. Dalton then took his side on a ten-play, 40-yard drive only to have it end in a punt. But then the real dagger came.
As we have seen throughout the first five games, this Cowboys secondary can get torched very easily. This time it was one play: an 80-yard bomb from Kyler Murray as he found Christian Kirk for a touchdown to go up 21-0 and that was the final nail in the coffin.
I would like to park all the stats to the side and just talk about what we witnessed from Dallas. As the saying goes, trust your eyes, and what I saw today was disgraceful. I do not say that lightly about my sporting teams. I am not going to go full blast on Andy Dalton as it was his first game. It was an offensive line that is banged up and add Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin to the injury list, at least for today.
(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
It was simply soul-crushing, and I am just a fan. The biggest thing that caught my eye was on numerous plays, wide-out Michael Gallup was seen standing with his arms up in the air as if to say: “Guys, I do not know what the play is” and Dalton did not even look his way.
The defence did not look interested and at times did not know what to do on certain plays. This is a very poorly coached team on both sides of the ball. All the little screen passes on offence amounted for nothing and the defence was gashed multiple times and once again gave up another 38 points.
I am not sure exactly where they go from here. A lot of social media chat has said that Mike McCarthy has to be fired but he is only six games in and more than half of his starters are injured. Surely something must give after this, whether it be a coaching change or leaving a player out for the next match against Washington. The team needs to make a stand.
This is as low as I have seen this franchise in a long time and for those thinking that Dallas would be better without Dak Prescott going forward, you are kidding yourself. As bad as the defence played, as well as the offence, you could nearly guarantee that Prescott would have put up way more points than ten.
If you are looking for how much Prescott means to this franchise and how important he is to this team, then look no further than today’s game. He is the heart and soul of this team and it is going to take something monumental to get them out of this. The only saving grace is that they play in the worst division in the NFL and somehow still lead the NFC East. If Dallas do make it, they will be making up the numbers.
I am not hanging Andy Dalton out to dry as it was his first game. Yes, he was poor but he needs at least another week of practice and another game with this inexperienced offensive line.
However, what will happen if he stinks it up again against Washington? He was the best insurance policy in case Prescott got injured, so do you bench him? Or trade for another quarterback?
It makes me ill just thinking about it.
In any other year sitting at 2-4, your season would be done, and it nearly is for the Cowboys. With all the offensive firepower on display, the team are going to have to do something to justify paying Amari Cooper and Elliott those big contracts and that means winning games quickly. That can be said for the so-called stars on defence too in Jaylon Smith and Demarcus Lawrence, who have been awful all year.
I am by no means out on my team, but as the weeks go by it is getting harder and harder to watch this play out. I trust my eyes and they are telling me that this team is a wreck right now.
The season is still salvageable and by that I mean making the playoffs, but things must change quickly because what is happening now is unacceptable.
There is time to right the wrongs, but time is quickly fading for this once-dominant franchise. I am as optimistic as they get about the Cowboys, but that is drastically fading as the weeks go by.
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