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Observations from the Cowboys game against the Seahawks.
Right out of the gate the Cowboys saw their worst fear happen when Tony Romo got hurt against the Seahawks He immediately grabs his back and I can hear the cry of Cowboys Nation of yelling "why!" It was puzzling why he decided to take off running. Clearly, he didn’t get the memo about the single most important objective of this preseason game - don’t get hurt!
But he can’t help it. He’s a competitor and that is just how he is put together.
Are Cowboys fans going to be on pins and needles all year every time Romo takes a hit? Is this the new normal?
While that question remains to be answered, there are some comforting things about the Romo-less Cowboys that are better than previously seen. First off, Dak Prescott is alright. I mean, technically he’s more than alright as he’s been playing extremely well. Even against a tough Seattle defense, the kid did great. He finished 17/23 for 116 yards and one touchdown. He’s making every pass count, completing them at a high rate and getting something when there doesn’t seem like there’s anything to get. This is going to be very helpful in keeping him in manageable third-downs. And he almost had Terrance Williams for a huge touchdown strike, but Williams just couldn’t hold on.
It’s the other rookie that should soothe Cowboys fans. The real star of this draft - Ezekiel Elliott.
Zeke looked great on his runs. He ran with power and was able to find good running lanes. He finished with 48 yards on 7 carries for a 6.9 yards/carry total. That’s not too shabby for one quarter of work. If he kept that pace, that would be good for about 192 yards a game, putting his 16 game total over 3,000 yards. That would probably be some kind of record.
While his production was nice to see, what really impressed was his physical play. His toughness showed as he was met with fierce Seahawks defenders and just kept coming at them.
Here is a look at the kid’s debut...
So how'd he do?
Every run from @EzekielElliott's NFL debut! #DALvsSEA https://t.co/34vLA0RJvP
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2016
I want the smart and savvy veteran Romo out there, but I have been very pleased with these two additions.
When @adamrank tries to convince me he's not a hipster pic.twitter.com/iFqwNCyfvC
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) August 26, 2016
The Cowboys held their own against the Seahawks first-teamers as they were tied 10-10 at halftime.
The defense was hit and miss in the first half. They had some good plays, but then they gave up several splash plays. It was their worst showing of the preseason and really exposed what a lack of pass rush will do. But even withall that, they still only gave up 10 points.
But on a positive note, Byron Jones was making plays.
The Seahawks starters would really lay into the Cowboys second stream defense.
The Cowboys have decided to rest all their DTs for the remainder of the game.
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) August 26, 2016
After the Cowboys did a great job stopping the run in the first half, they just opened up the running lanes in the second half. The Seahawks RBs had several big holes to run through.
Jack Crawford was still playing though.
J Crawford slows the RB for the Calvary to arrive. https://t.co/I5J5vbDpcF
— Patrick Conn (@DraftCowboys) August 26, 2016
J.J. Wilcox had another one of his games were he wasn’t making plays. He just looks lost out there and his body doesn’t seem to move like a regular defensive player.
While it’s fun to see more reps from the starters, the Cowboys coaches are still sifting through their depth players looking for guys who can make plays. It’s not looking very promising.
And while the sixth WR dilemma has been put to rest, the love for Andy Jones appears to be fading as he had a chance to make a big play, but it just slipped through his fingers.
What were some things about this game that stuck out to you?
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