DeMarco's last fumble

[KJJ]

It didn't give the Packers "momentum" (now there's an overused word), it gave them points.

The Packers' first drive after the half ended in a punt. Rodgers was 0-2 on that drive. Then the Cowboys had the Murray fumble, which the Packers could only convert into a FG (even with a 29-yard run by Lacy on their second play). Then the Cowboys drove for a TD. There was no "momentum" that carried over to the second half for the Packers.

Say what you will but that drive before the half gave the Packers some momentum heading into halftime. The Cowboys had them down 14-7 and were driving and that sequence right before the half changed the complexion of the game. Instead of the Packers being down 17-7 or even 21-7 before the half the bad play call and blocked FG attempt enabled them to crawl within 4 points at intermission. Rodgers who had been off his game started to heat up with a 31 yard completion to Cobb which led to the Packers FG with only 8 seconds left in the half and it set the tone for the second half. Had the Cowboys played it smarter before the half they probably wouldn't have needed to throw one up for Dez in the final 4 minutes to try and take the lead.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

If there is one word I find unacceptable it is unacceptable. There is nothing we can do about it and whether we accept it or not, is meaningless.

noted but the ones negotiating/paying his salary would disagree!

 

[JD_KaPow]

Say what you will but that drive before the half gave the Packers some momentum heading into halftime.

What I will say is what I said: it gave them points, not momentum.

The Cowboys had them down 14-7 and were driving and that sequence right before the half changed the complexion of the game. Instead of the Packers being down 17-7 or even 21-7 before the half the bad play call and blocked FG attempt enabled them to crawl within 4 points at intermission.

Yes, they got points and we didn't.

Rodgers who had been off his game started to heat up with a 31 yard completion to Cobb which led to the Packers FG with only 8 seconds left in the half and it set the tone for the second half.

They did nothing through the air on their first two drives in the second half. If the argument is that one completed pass represents "heating up" and "sets the tone" for something that didn't start to happen until 11 minutes into the 3rd quarter, then the definition of momentum has been stretched way beyond the breaking point.

 

[tyke1doe]

Newsflash: Even NFL players are human. They make mistakes. And the other team makes plays. If you get rid of every player who makes a mistake, there would be no NFL. Besides, no one hurts worse than Murray does because, believe you me, he will replay that fumble and relive it for the rest of his life.

 

[Doomsday101]

Newsflash: Even NFL players are human. They make mistakes. And the other team makes plays. If you get rid of every player who makes a mistake, there would be no NFL. Besides, no one hurts worse than Murray does because, believe you me, he will replay that fumble and relive it for the rest of his life.

True but he also came right back after that on the next series and ran hard put up 38 yards on the drive and a TD run to get Dallas to 21-13. He could not go back and change the fumble but what he could do is turn around and make plays to help his team and he did that.

 

[tyke1doe]

Look at the dive by peppers. Great play by him. I think and its My guess only. Is Murray did NOT except that, which is why he was looking for "more". Having said that. i agree with other ...."Two hands on ball within 5 yards." Fundamentals!

Realistically, only fullbacks and guys diving into the pile run like that. If you're a back trying to break into the clear, you would never have two hands on the ball. Your other hand is like a rudder. You're using it to shift and maneuver your body. It's almost like trying to tight rope without using your hands. Your hands allow you to balance.

A similar concept applies to running. If Murray has two hands on the ball, he's not breaking that gain for much yards anyway.

 

[tyke1doe]

True but he also came right back after that on the next series and ran hard put up 38 yards on the drive and a TD run to get Dallas to 21-13. He could not go back and change the fumble but what he could do is turn around and make plays to help his team and he did that.

I don't disagree. I'm just saying he's going to remember that fumble. You tend to be overcritical of yourself when things don't work out right. I still to this day rue our state-bound 4x200 meter relay team dropping the baton, basically eliminating any chance we had at advancing to the state where we were certain we'd take gold. That was more than 30 years ago. I went to my 20th year high school reunion and told my wife, "When I mention to Kenny about the year we could have won it all, watch his reaction." As soon as I mentioned our track team, he just dropped his head in shame.

And that's my measly moment in the sun. Imagine Murray playing a game that MILLIONS are watching and have a rooting interest in.

 

[KJJ]

What I will say is what I said: it gave them points, not momentum.

Points lead to momentum and closing the gap can lead to momentum especially right before halftime. The Cowboys had it going the final few minutes of the second quarter and blew a real opportunity to put the Packers in a sizable hole at halftime. Murray was getting it going and on a 3rd and 1 could have easily moved the chains but the Cowboys went for it all and failed. That sequence clearly changed the complexion of the game and put the Packers in a much better position at halftime than they should have been in.

They did nothing through the air on their first two drives in the second half. If the argument is that one completed pass represents "heating up" and "sets the tone" for something that didn't start to happen until 11 minutes into the 3rd quarter, then the definition of momentum has been stretched way beyond the breaking point.

That completed pass to Cobb for 31 yards came after a 10 yard sack. The Cowboys secondary that was holding up for the first quarter and a half was starting to show cracks at that point. Although the Packers didn't do much through the air on their first 2 drives of the second half they still came away with another 3 points which closed the gap even more. The Cowboys proceeded to score a TD on their next possession but could never stop the Packers after that. Rodgers only had 2 incompletions on the Packers final 3 drives.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't disagree. I'm just saying he's going to remember that fumble. You tend to be overcritical of yourself when things don't work out right. I still to this day rue our state-bound 4x200 meter relay team dropping the baton, basically eliminating any chance we had at advancing to the state where we were certain we'd take gold. That was more than 30 years ago. I went to my 20th year high school reunion and told my wife, "When I mention to Kenny about the year we could have won it all, watch his reaction." As soon as I mentioned our track team, he just dropped his head in shame.

And that's my measly moment in the sun. Imagine Murray playing a game that MILLIONS are watching and have a rooting interest in.

Of course he will, a lot of things contribute to a loss and that was one of them. As a player you will make mistakes how you bounce back says a lot about the player. Dallas lost the game and I'm sure Murray now looks back at the what if. As a fan all I can say is what I expect a player to do after he makes a mistake and that is shake it off, get your head right back in the game and go make the plays to help your team win. That is all any player can do

 

[tyke1doe]

Of course he will, a lot of things contribute to a loss and that was one of them. As a player you will make mistakes how you bounce back says a lot about the player. Dallas lost the game and I'm sure Murray now looks back at the what if. As a fan all I can say is what I expect a player to do after he makes a mistake and that is shake it off, get your head right back in the game and go make the plays to help your team win. That is all any player can do

I'm not at odds with you. I agree.

 

[Doomsday101]

I'm not at odds with you. I agree.

I know just explaining myself better.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Points lead to momentum and closing the gap can lead to momentum especially right before halftime. The Cowboys had it going the final few minutes of the second quarter and blew a real opportunity to put the Packers in a sizable hole at halftime. Murray was getting it going and on a 3rd and 1 could have easily moved the chains but the Cowboys went for it all and failed. That sequence clearly changed the complexion of the game and put the Packers in a much better position at halftime than they should have been in.

Sure. That's what happened. None of that requires or even invites the invocation of "momentum", though. They were in a much better position at the half because they were fewer points behind us. Eleven minutes later, they were more points behind us again and in a less good position.

That completed pass to Cobb for 31 yards came after a 10 yard sack. The Cowboys secondary that was holding up for the first quarter and a half was starting to show cracks at that point. Although the Packers didn't do much through the air on their first 2 drives of the second half they still came away with another 3 points which closed the gap even more. The Cowboys proceeded to score a TD on their next possession but could never stop the Packers after that. Rodgers only had 2 incompletions on the Packers final 3 drives.

No argument with any of this, but none of it suggests that there was any "momentum" in the pre-half sequence that carried over to the second half.

Over the first 11 minutes of the 3rd quarter, the Cowboys outscored the Packers 7-3, and the Packers only scored the FG when a fumble gave them the ball in Dallas territory: they couldn't even punch it in on that drive. The Cowboys defense that was hanging in there in the first half was still hanging in there, at least as well, through those first two drives of the second half. Eventually, the Packers and Rodgers got the better of our defense, but not because of any momentum swing at the end of the first half.

 

[CowboyGil]

We failed in all 3 phases, not just offense. Fumbles, missed FG, missed fumble recovery, and not enough defensive stops.

 

[KJJ]

No argument with any of this, but none of it suggests that there was any "momentum" in the pre-half sequence that carried over to the second half.

The Cowboys were about to take control in the second quarter and it all changed with that sequence. Instead of creating a cushion the Packers closed the gap and the second half went their way. With the Cowboys up 14-7 with just over 5 minutes in the second quarter they drove from their own 19 to the Packers 27 and had a 3rd and 1. They were in position to blow the game wide open with a TD but instead of running Murray like they had been doing all season in short yardage situations they went for it all and failed. Romo fumbled the snap which threw his timing off and it led to an incompletion. That failed play on 3rd and 1 and the block of Bailey's FG attempt gave the Packers new life. Everything started going their way after that series. It was highly unlikely that Rodgers who was playing on one leg would complete a 31 yard pass after just being sacked with only 16 seconds left but he managed to do just that. The Packers were stuck at their own 42 yard line and covered just enough yards on that completion to give them a realistic FG opportunity in those weather conditions and they converted.

Their next break came on the fumble recovery in the 3rd quarter on a play that Murray broke and would have likely gotten at least a 20 yard gain. That led to another 3 points for the Packers. The next break the Packers got was on a 3rd and 15 play where Wilcox whiffed on what should have been a tackle of Adams which led to more Packers points. An incompletion or a short completion would have led to a punt in that situation. The next break the Packers got was the reversal of Dez's catch that would have given the Cowboys at least a first and goal situation. The final break the Packers got that sealed the Cowboys fate was the tipped completion to Cobb on a 3rd and 11 enabling the Packers to run out the clock. Rarely do you see a pass tipped by a defender and completed but that's how it started going for the Cowboys after the tide started turning in the final 5 minutes of the first half.

 

[KJJ]

Sure. That's what happened. None of that requires or even invites the invocation of "momentum", though. They were in a much better position at the half because they were fewer points behind us. Eleven minutes later, they were more points behind us again and in a less good position.

Your definition of "momentum" is obviously different than mine. Momentum can swing back and forth between 2 teams throughout a game. There was clearly a shift in momentum during the final 5 plus minutes of the first half. The Cowboys outscored the Packers 14-10 in the first half and it should have been more but were outscored by the Packers 16-7 in the second half. That was a result of the momentum shifting in the second half. The way the first half ended and Murray's fumble early in the 3rd quarter were clear indications the momentum had shifted to the Packers.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

noted but the ones negotiating/paying his salary would disagree!

that is a different issue, as far as I am aware, no poster here signs his cheques

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

that is a different issue, as far as I am aware, no poster here signs his cheques

was one of the issues of the OP - and what's a cheque??

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

the correct way of spelling "check"

 

[Blackspider214]

Peppers made a heck of play. People act like Demarco would have scored had he not been striped of the ball but the truth is he would have only ran another 15 to 20 yards because of his lack of break away speed. That play was not the "back breaker" that some people claim. We had the game under control until it was stolen from us by a bias Blandino.

Under control? Not at all. We had no control of that game after we went up 21-13. Failed to recover about the easiest fumble that's going to bounce in your hands on the kickoff and gave up a 3rd and 15 for a TD. We never scored after that.

Having control of the game would actually have the lead. We did not when that call happened. And how pathetic our defense played in the 2nd half and really the whole game outside a few drives, would have let Rodgers easily move down the field to win the game.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

the correct way of spelling "check"

British correct.