Plankton
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 12,256
- Reaction score
- 18,644
Sometimes, a weekend can serve as a referendum on the state of a football team. That they are surging, struggling, poised for greatness or ready to retreat to and below the pack.
Other times, a weekend serves as a referendum for just that weekend.
In this case, for the Dallas Cowboys, the weekend served as a referendum that, for one week, the team played a complete football game in all phases.
It served as a referendum that they can play a solid game coming off of preparation time longer or shorter than the standard one week.
It served as a referendum that they did what a good team should do to an inferior opponent – jump on them early, and leave no doubt as to the outcome.
Despite the 49ers coming in as a team that had lost all the games it had competed in for the 2017 season, and a team that had set a record by losing five consecutive games by margins of three points or fewer, they are indeed a bad football team. A team lacking playmakers on offense, and a defense that is incapable of stopping a good offense. And, despite the 49ers starting a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start, and the added motivation of a day honoring former wide receiver and front office executive Dwight Clark at halftime, this game revealed truths for all to see.
The Cowboys did not overlook their opponent this week, and worked to quickly extinguish any good feeling and momentum on the 49ers side of the ball.
The Cowboy offense continues to be the key to any success for the Cowboys this season.
The offensive line had their best game of the season.
Ezekiel Elliott looked, for the first time this year, like the Elliott who took the league by storm in 2016.
And, the Cowboys, at 3-3, need to steel themselves for the most difficult stretch of their season.
While beating a team, any team, in the NFL by a 40-10 margin is impressive, perspective needs to be considered. The 49ers are not a good football team. While one can argue that losing games by three points or fewer is a sign of a team that is close, it can also be argued that bad teams lose games in that manner. The 1988 Cowboys lost eight games by eight points or fewer (five by three points or less), and were an awful football team that earned the top overall pick in the draft. These 49ers don’t run the ball well, and don’t threaten teams down the field. Their defense ranks near the bottom of the league in every statistical category.
This is a team that the Cowboys should have dominated.
And, they did.
For the first time all year long, the Cowboys played a complete game. They dominated the line of scrimmage when on offense, and literally were able to do whatever they wanted with the ball. Elliott gained more yards this game before contact (104) than he had in any previous game this season. He showed renewed burst and determination, and channeled his play from the Steeler game last season with his screen pass catch and run for a 72 yard touchdown. With the cloud of uncertainty in regards to his active status hovering above Elliott and this team, the fact that he was able to focus and deliver his best performance of the season is impressive.
On defense, the front four delivered consistent pressure, and made rookie C.J. Beathard’s first NFL start a forgettable one. The defense had five sacks, numerous quarterback hits, and caused two fumbles. DeMarcus Lawrence, enjoying his finest season as a pro, beat Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley for a strip sack and recovery to thwart a 49er scoring opportunity. The offense made the 49ers one dimensional by jumping to a big early lead, and forced Beathard to have to play beyond his capabilities.
What should make Cowboy fans have more optimism is that they played well in the second half, specifically, in the third quarter. The Cowboys slammed the door shut on San Francisco by stopping their initial drive on downs, and then converting the Dak Prescott to Elliott screen pass for a touchdown the very next play to kill any remaining hopes for the winless Niners. The Cowboys held the 49ers to 58 total yards and no points in the third quarter, and put the game away with 13 points of their own. In stark contrast to their prior games this season, the Cowboys did not let up in the second half, and this was key to a walk over victory.
While winning is a great deodorant for what ails a team, what yesterday’s game did was set them up to tackle a challenging stretch against some capable offenses. A road tilt against the Commanders will be a tough test for the defense, and the following games against the Chiefs and on the road again against a struggling but potent Falcon team will show whether the Cowboys have truly righted the ship, or whether the win against the 49ers is nothing more than a prospector’s worst nightmare.
Fool’s gold.
Other observations from this week’s game:
Other times, a weekend serves as a referendum for just that weekend.
In this case, for the Dallas Cowboys, the weekend served as a referendum that, for one week, the team played a complete football game in all phases.
It served as a referendum that they can play a solid game coming off of preparation time longer or shorter than the standard one week.
It served as a referendum that they did what a good team should do to an inferior opponent – jump on them early, and leave no doubt as to the outcome.
Despite the 49ers coming in as a team that had lost all the games it had competed in for the 2017 season, and a team that had set a record by losing five consecutive games by margins of three points or fewer, they are indeed a bad football team. A team lacking playmakers on offense, and a defense that is incapable of stopping a good offense. And, despite the 49ers starting a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start, and the added motivation of a day honoring former wide receiver and front office executive Dwight Clark at halftime, this game revealed truths for all to see.
The Cowboys did not overlook their opponent this week, and worked to quickly extinguish any good feeling and momentum on the 49ers side of the ball.
The Cowboy offense continues to be the key to any success for the Cowboys this season.
The offensive line had their best game of the season.
Ezekiel Elliott looked, for the first time this year, like the Elliott who took the league by storm in 2016.
And, the Cowboys, at 3-3, need to steel themselves for the most difficult stretch of their season.
While beating a team, any team, in the NFL by a 40-10 margin is impressive, perspective needs to be considered. The 49ers are not a good football team. While one can argue that losing games by three points or fewer is a sign of a team that is close, it can also be argued that bad teams lose games in that manner. The 1988 Cowboys lost eight games by eight points or fewer (five by three points or less), and were an awful football team that earned the top overall pick in the draft. These 49ers don’t run the ball well, and don’t threaten teams down the field. Their defense ranks near the bottom of the league in every statistical category.
This is a team that the Cowboys should have dominated.
And, they did.
For the first time all year long, the Cowboys played a complete game. They dominated the line of scrimmage when on offense, and literally were able to do whatever they wanted with the ball. Elliott gained more yards this game before contact (104) than he had in any previous game this season. He showed renewed burst and determination, and channeled his play from the Steeler game last season with his screen pass catch and run for a 72 yard touchdown. With the cloud of uncertainty in regards to his active status hovering above Elliott and this team, the fact that he was able to focus and deliver his best performance of the season is impressive.
On defense, the front four delivered consistent pressure, and made rookie C.J. Beathard’s first NFL start a forgettable one. The defense had five sacks, numerous quarterback hits, and caused two fumbles. DeMarcus Lawrence, enjoying his finest season as a pro, beat Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley for a strip sack and recovery to thwart a 49er scoring opportunity. The offense made the 49ers one dimensional by jumping to a big early lead, and forced Beathard to have to play beyond his capabilities.
What should make Cowboy fans have more optimism is that they played well in the second half, specifically, in the third quarter. The Cowboys slammed the door shut on San Francisco by stopping their initial drive on downs, and then converting the Dak Prescott to Elliott screen pass for a touchdown the very next play to kill any remaining hopes for the winless Niners. The Cowboys held the 49ers to 58 total yards and no points in the third quarter, and put the game away with 13 points of their own. In stark contrast to their prior games this season, the Cowboys did not let up in the second half, and this was key to a walk over victory.
While winning is a great deodorant for what ails a team, what yesterday’s game did was set them up to tackle a challenging stretch against some capable offenses. A road tilt against the Commanders will be a tough test for the defense, and the following games against the Chiefs and on the road again against a struggling but potent Falcon team will show whether the Cowboys have truly righted the ship, or whether the win against the 49ers is nothing more than a prospector’s worst nightmare.
Fool’s gold.
Other observations from this week’s game:
- It’s nice to see when one of the most maligned players on the roster is forced into a role in an emergency, and contributes to the victory. Jeff Heath needed to step in for an injured Dan Bailey as a placekicker, and while it wasn’t pretty, Heath converted two of three extra points. What was impressive was his performance on kickoffs. He held the 49ers to 50 total yards in returns, and had two touchbacks. As an FYI, the two kicks that he made were the longest by a non-kicker in nearly 40 years.
- The good feelings from above notwithstanding, losing Dan Bailey for any length of time would be a damaging blow to the Cowboys. Bailey is the best in the business at what he does, and losing such a weapon with the looming specter of the upcoming schedule is not a help. To further highlight how good Bailey is, the missed extra point by Heath is the first by the Cowboys since 2010.
- Speaking of maligned players, it was also nice to see Jaylon Smith make a big play, sacking Beathard and causing a fumble. With fewer snaps in more targeted situations, it will put Smith in a much better position to gain confidence and make plays.
- Seeing Sean Lee come up lame in the third quarter, and limp around caused this writer to feel uneasy. No one is more integral to the success of the Cowboys on defense than Lee, and losing him again would make a shaky unit even more unreliable.
- Anthony Brown continues to use his hands way too much downfield, and his growth in season two has plateaued. He made a nice break on the ball for a diving interception, but was called for holding on the same play that nullified the turnover. Brown’s technique this season has been poor, and he seems to lack confidence in translating his athleticism to his play. He needs to figure it out, as there is no one else behind him.
- As mentioned above, the offensive line played its best game of the season, and appears to be gelling as a unit. The guard play since the insertion of Jonathan Cooper has improved, especially in the run game. Cooper seems to be gaining in his confidence, and has been a load on plays where he is pulling.
- The best evidence of how well the offensive line played is this: did anyone notice DeForest Buckner at all in this game?
- The blocking from the tight ends was also improved. On Elliott’s 25 yard touchdown run, Jason Witten did what he had struggled with all season – block a smaller, quicker player (Jaquiski Tartt) right out of the play. Witten also had a pretty one handed grab for a touchdown to cap a good day for the veteran TE.
- The team also played a very physical game. Check out the number of 49ers who left the game with injuries. The Cowboys brought the fight in the game, and the 49ers were not up to it.
- The NFC is a jumbled mess right now. The Packers without Aaron Rodgers are a rudderless team. The Falcons are having huge problems on offense right now, and are struggling situationally. The Cowboys have the ability to step back into the race with the problems seen by the other teams in the conference, and the availability of Elliott is the X factor in being able to make a run. Without Elliott, the Cowboys do not have a dynamic player out of the backfield that can make a play in both the run and pass game.
