Plankton
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The image of the Dallas Cowboys this season has been one of an efficient, potent offense, driven by two energetic rookies, riding the backs of a sturdy offensive line, and backed by a bend but don’t break defense that doesn’t allow a lot of points.
The offense has developed the reputation of taking what it wants when it wants to.
Sometimes, that script is not acknowledged by the opposition.
For nearly the first two quarters, this was the case in today’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens lived up to their reputations as a gritty team that plays physically and to the whistle. They went in determined to turn this game into a street fight rather than an offensive showcase. They crowded the line of scrimmage, and fought the Cowboy juggernaut toe to toe. For a time, they were effective.
And then, the tide turned, and the juggernaut picked up steam, and vanquished its foe.
For the first four possessions of the game, the Raven defense, ranked first in the league, took it to the heralded Cowboy offensive line. The first 19 plays ran by the Cowboy offense netted only 63 yards. Ezekiel Elliott found precious little running room against the Raven front. Dak Prescott was out of sync, missing high and wide on many throws, and taking a couple of big hits early. Cole Beasley took a big hit on the sidelines, and sat a few plays out. The Ravens were winning the early battle, and putting a hurt on this young Cowboy offense.
And, following an inopportune holding penalty by the Ravens on a punt from deep in their territory, the momentum began to turn.
It was a scramble by Prescott that was the turning point for the Cowboy offense. One of the skills that has made the rookie QB so effective this season had been relatively quiet of late, but this scramble for 12 yards on a first and 30 play seemed to jump start the offense. A 41-yard strike to Brice Butler on a third and six play put the Cowboys deep in Raven territory, and three plays later, Prescott made a terrific throw in a tight window to Beasley for a touchdown.
The Cowboys never punted again.
The offensive line regained its bearings, and were much more sturdy in pass protection. Slowly but surely, the Raven front began to wear down, and Elliott found some lanes to run through. Prescott faced many more clean pockets, and became red hot throwing the football. The Cowboy rookie completed 23 of his final 26 passes, throwing three touchdown passes, and showed a developing rapport with Dez Bryant, with whom he connected for two of the aforementioned touchdowns.
The Raven defense, so stingy early in the game, just flat wore out. Second half drives of 90, 88 and 72 yards showed an offense that refused to be stopped. Third down was a particular problem for the Ravens, with the Cowboys converting 7 of 12 chances, including 6 of their final 7 chances. In a game that looked like a hangover game early on, the Cowboys seized control late in the second quarter, and didn’t let go until the final whistle.
For a young team, the Cowboys showed a lot of mental fortitude today. They didn’t allow the Ravens physical ways to draw them into foolish penalties, and allowed the Ravens to take a number of bad penalties themselves. They continued to show a terrific ability to keep plays in front of them defensively, and avoid the big plays. The defense, lacking talent in many areas, and good health in others, keeps the opposition off the scoreboard. This game marked the seventh time in ten games where the Cowboys held the opposition to 20 points or fewer. Despite a lack of turnovers generated, and sacks from the defensive line, this group shows the ability to get teams off the field without touchdowns. It’s a formula that will allow them to win a lot of games.
And, after a week where the face of the franchise for the past decade conceded the keys to Prescott, the precocious rookie continued his strong play, leading the Cowboys to a franchise record ninth consecutive win. And, considering that this young team has just embarked on a gauntlet of three games in 11 days, this win is a sign that they continue to focus on winning one game at a time, and maintaining their faith in their ability to make plays when they need to.
On paper, this won’t look like a spectacular win by any means.
But, in some ways, it’s as significant as any that they have notched this season.
And ultimately, the Cowboys went back to the script, and made it happen.
Other notes from today’s game:
The offense has developed the reputation of taking what it wants when it wants to.
Sometimes, that script is not acknowledged by the opposition.
For nearly the first two quarters, this was the case in today’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens lived up to their reputations as a gritty team that plays physically and to the whistle. They went in determined to turn this game into a street fight rather than an offensive showcase. They crowded the line of scrimmage, and fought the Cowboy juggernaut toe to toe. For a time, they were effective.
And then, the tide turned, and the juggernaut picked up steam, and vanquished its foe.
For the first four possessions of the game, the Raven defense, ranked first in the league, took it to the heralded Cowboy offensive line. The first 19 plays ran by the Cowboy offense netted only 63 yards. Ezekiel Elliott found precious little running room against the Raven front. Dak Prescott was out of sync, missing high and wide on many throws, and taking a couple of big hits early. Cole Beasley took a big hit on the sidelines, and sat a few plays out. The Ravens were winning the early battle, and putting a hurt on this young Cowboy offense.
And, following an inopportune holding penalty by the Ravens on a punt from deep in their territory, the momentum began to turn.
It was a scramble by Prescott that was the turning point for the Cowboy offense. One of the skills that has made the rookie QB so effective this season had been relatively quiet of late, but this scramble for 12 yards on a first and 30 play seemed to jump start the offense. A 41-yard strike to Brice Butler on a third and six play put the Cowboys deep in Raven territory, and three plays later, Prescott made a terrific throw in a tight window to Beasley for a touchdown.
The Cowboys never punted again.
The offensive line regained its bearings, and were much more sturdy in pass protection. Slowly but surely, the Raven front began to wear down, and Elliott found some lanes to run through. Prescott faced many more clean pockets, and became red hot throwing the football. The Cowboy rookie completed 23 of his final 26 passes, throwing three touchdown passes, and showed a developing rapport with Dez Bryant, with whom he connected for two of the aforementioned touchdowns.
The Raven defense, so stingy early in the game, just flat wore out. Second half drives of 90, 88 and 72 yards showed an offense that refused to be stopped. Third down was a particular problem for the Ravens, with the Cowboys converting 7 of 12 chances, including 6 of their final 7 chances. In a game that looked like a hangover game early on, the Cowboys seized control late in the second quarter, and didn’t let go until the final whistle.
For a young team, the Cowboys showed a lot of mental fortitude today. They didn’t allow the Ravens physical ways to draw them into foolish penalties, and allowed the Ravens to take a number of bad penalties themselves. They continued to show a terrific ability to keep plays in front of them defensively, and avoid the big plays. The defense, lacking talent in many areas, and good health in others, keeps the opposition off the scoreboard. This game marked the seventh time in ten games where the Cowboys held the opposition to 20 points or fewer. Despite a lack of turnovers generated, and sacks from the defensive line, this group shows the ability to get teams off the field without touchdowns. It’s a formula that will allow them to win a lot of games.
And, after a week where the face of the franchise for the past decade conceded the keys to Prescott, the precocious rookie continued his strong play, leading the Cowboys to a franchise record ninth consecutive win. And, considering that this young team has just embarked on a gauntlet of three games in 11 days, this win is a sign that they continue to focus on winning one game at a time, and maintaining their faith in their ability to make plays when they need to.
On paper, this won’t look like a spectacular win by any means.
But, in some ways, it’s as significant as any that they have notched this season.
And ultimately, the Cowboys went back to the script, and made it happen.
Other notes from today’s game:
- Give the special teams credit today. When the Cowboys were scuffling on offense in the first half, the special teams helped keep the Ravens at bay. Vince Mayle had a big hit in punt coverage, as well as a downed punt as a gunner. Chris Jones also helped the field position game with two punts inside the 20.
- On a day where extra points were missed with an alarming frequency, it reminds us all how lucky the Cowboys are to have Dan Bailey.
- The Ravens were quite effective in clogging the running lanes early in the game. Brandon Williams in particular was a real handful for Travis Frederick today.
- Prescott has seemed to struggle with his accuracy early in games of late. He missed a number of throws high and wide, and opened his receivers to a number of big hits. He eventually settled down, but this is one area where he can stand to improve.
- Want an example of the camaraderie of this football team? Watch the sidelines when Prescott comes off the field following an offensive series. He is huddled with OC Scott Linehan, as well as fellow QBs Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez, and IR’d Kellen Moore. These guys are all in on Prescott succeeding, and it’s really great to see.
- The numbers won’t show it, but Gavin Escobar seems to be emerging a bit as an option in the passing game. Prescott did look for him down near the goal line, and did hit the big TE with a couple of passes. Having Escobar emerge as another threat will make things easier for Bryant and Beasley going forward.
- J.J. Wilcox continues to play the best stretch of football that he has played as a Cowboy. I’m not sure if it’s renewed focus in a contract year, or terrific coaching by Greg Jackson, but Wilcox has played much more under control, and is not out of position nearly as much as he has been in the past. It raises the question of whether Barry Church should regain his job when he comes back from his broken arm. Either way, the safety play for the Cowboys this year has been a strength.
- One particular big place of improvement with this team? Penalties. The Cowboys rank first in the league in fewest penalties committed. This is a testament to the work done by the coaching staff this year to create discipline amongst a young team.
- The Cowboys will have a tough week coming off of two consecutive physical games. However, they will have a significant advantage over the Commanders, who will have to recover from a Sunday night game to play on Thursday. The Cowboys had the same issue as the Commanders in 2014, but even worse in that they played on the road in New York, and didn’t get back to Dallas until Monday morning. I think we all remember how that situation turned out.
- The schedule is setting up pretty well now for the Cowboys, despite the 3 in 11 gauntlet. The Commanders have an even shorter week to prepare than Dallas. For the Thursday nighter against the Vikings, both teams will be playing on consecutive Thursdays. Following that game, the Cowboys have a mini bye going into the all-important showdown with the Giants on December 11. The Giants will be coming off of a road battle with the Steelers, which will be a difficult one for the Giants.
- The Drew Pearson throwback is now 9-0.
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