Who's fault was this?

[foofighters]

5. Witten and maybe a few others that shouldn't be playing?
4. Refs? They are against us, are they not?
3. Special Teams? Pollard has the dropsees plus other players making mistakes?
2. Coaching? Kicking a field goal in the first Q from 46 yards into terrible conditions with a so-so kicker? Blocked punt? Kicking a field goal at the end of the game when we needed 7 to tie. No schemes, etc...
1. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing. Many of us would blame Jerry. But Jerry is the scorpion who stings the frog as the frog is taking him across the water.

So who is this frog? The frog is the individual that says we are going to beat the Patriots before the game because they "feel" it in their gut despite all the evidence that says otherwise. The frog is the individual who buys merchandise every year. The frog is the individual who goes to games and spends ridiculous amounts of money while there. Ultimately the frog hopes against hope every year that this is the year the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl while Jerry has kept most things the same.

and yes, I am guilty of being the frog as well.

 

[Ranching]

It's Garrett's fault.

 

[JMPearson]

Pollard dropped it because he was out of position 3 times even Aikman said he should moved up third time that is coaching

 

[Future]

#2 explains #3 and #5.

Of course the blame goes to JG. If you want to blame Jerruh, it's just for holding onto JG for too long.

 

[glimmerman]

ST cost us a game and the refs finished us off. It’s coaching in hard games. We had a play we used last year that was like a TE screen. Rolled Dak out and the TE was running with him across the field, easy pass and catch and the TE turns it up field for a big gain. We have a TE in Jarwin that gets yards. Why have we abandon that play. Elliot was running well and started warming up, we took the ball out of his hands. Instead of kicking a FG we should have had at least 2 runs.

 

[GMO415]

It's Garrett's fault.

 

[cern]

5. Witten and maybe a few others that shouldn't be playing?
4. Refs? They are against us, are they not?
3. Special Teams? Pollard has the dropsees plus other players making mistakes?
2. Coaching? Kicking a field goal in the first Q from 46 yards into terrible conditions with a so-so kicker? Blocked punt? Kicking a field goal at the end of the game when we needed 7 to tie. No schemes, etc...
1. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing. Many of us would blame Jerry. But Jerry is the scorpion who stings the frog as the frog is taking him across the water.

So who is this frog? The frog is the individual that says we are going to beat the Patriots before the game because they "feel" it in their gut despite all the evidence that says otherwise. The frog is the individual who buys merchandise every year. The frog is the individual who goes to games and spends ridiculous amounts of money while there. Ultimately the frog hopes against hope every year that this is the year the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl while Jerry has kept most things the same.

and yes, I am guilty of being the frog as well.

I think jerry is the frog, and garrett the scorpion. garrett is a loser. it's just his nature. jerry cannot or will not accept this. but the reality has finally sank in.

 

[Kaiser]

2. Coaching? Kicking a field goal in the first Q from 46 yards into terrible conditions with a so-so kicker? Blocked punt? Kicking a field goal at the end of the game when we needed 7 to tie. No schemes, etc...

The odds of making a 4th and 7 in terrible field conditions against the Patriots are slim to none. There was six minutes left in the game, which is an eternity in the NFL, especially given Prescott's track record.

Kicking the FG down by 7 was a no brainer. You have about a 10% chance of converting the 4th down and the game is over if you don't make it.

 

[JD_KaPow]

5. Witten and maybe a few others that shouldn't be playing?
4. Refs? They are against us, are they not?
3. Special Teams? Pollard has the dropsees plus other players making mistakes?
2. Coaching? Kicking a field goal in the first Q from 46 yards into terrible conditions with a so-so kicker? Blocked punt? Kicking a field goal at the end of the game when we needed 7 to tie. No schemes, etc...
1. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing. Many of us would blame Jerry. But Jerry is the scorpion who stings the frog as the frog is taking him across the water.

So who is this frog? The frog is the individual that says we are going to beat the Patriots before the game because they "feel" it in their gut despite all the evidence that says otherwise. The frog is the individual who buys merchandise every year. The frog is the individual who goes to games and spends ridiculous amounts of money while there. Ultimately the frog hopes against hope every year that this is the year the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl while Jerry has kept most things the same.

and yes, I am guilty of being the frog as well.

It's entirely 100% Garrett's fault. They kicked two FGs of <30 yards. They tried a long FG on 4th and medium instead of going for it. They punted on 4th and 1 twice. He played it safe, as he always always does, and they lost.

If they'd gone for those 4th downs, they might have failed and lost. They might have lost by a lot more. But they would have given themselves a much much better chance to win.

 

[gmb1]

Jerry Jones fault.



No wait...it's Dak's fault. My bad.

 

[OmerV]

5. Witten and maybe a few others that shouldn't be playing?
4. Refs? They are against us, are they not?
3. Special Teams? Pollard has the dropsees plus other players making mistakes?
2. Coaching? Kicking a field goal in the first Q from 46 yards into terrible conditions with a so-so kicker? Blocked punt? Kicking a field goal at the end of the game when we needed 7 to tie. No schemes, etc...
1. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing. Many of us would blame Jerry. But Jerry is the scorpion who stings the frog as the frog is taking him across the water.

So who is this frog? The frog is the individual that says we are going to beat the Patriots before the game because they "feel" it in their gut despite all the evidence that says otherwise. The frog is the individual who buys merchandise every year. The frog is the individual who goes to games and spends ridiculous amounts of money while there. Ultimately the frog hopes against hope every year that this is the year the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl while Jerry has kept most things the same.

and yes, I am guilty of being the frog as well.

There is no one stop blame. All of the above contributed to the loss. Except that I don't think it was a bad choice to kick the FG rather than go for it on 4th and 7. Nothing either team had shown throughout the game indicated 4th and 7 would be a good gamble, and it set us up for a potential win with our next possession rather than playing for a tie and overtime.

 

[JD_KaPow]

The odds of making a 4th and 7 in terrible field conditions against the Patriots are slim to none. There was six minutes left in the game, which is an eternity in the NFL, especially given Prescott's track record.

Kicking the FG down by 7 was a no brainer. You have about a 10% chance of converting the 4th down and the game is over if you don't make it.

In what way is the game over? You're left in the same situation they had, except the Patriots would have been pinned further back. They still need a TD when they get the ball back--yes, it for a tie and not for the win--and probably would have had better starting field position. Plus there's the chance they convert and score the TD. Plus, if they were willing to go for it on 4th, they probably do things differently on 2nd and 3rd to put themselves in a more makeable 4th down. But the Cowboys never ever go for it on 4th down, and the playcalling reflected that fact.

And anyway, it's not that one decision. It's the totality of conservative 4th down decisions through the entire game that paints a damning picture. Fine, reverse any one of them; there are still 5 others you need to ponder.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

5. Witten and maybe a few others that shouldn't be playing?
4. Refs? They are against us, are they not?
3. Special Teams? Pollard has the dropsees plus other players making mistakes?
2. Coaching? Kicking a field goal in the first Q from 46 yards into terrible conditions with a so-so kicker? Blocked punt? Kicking a field goal at the end of the game when we needed 7 to tie. No schemes, etc...
1. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing. Many of us would blame Jerry. But Jerry is the scorpion who stings the frog as the frog is taking him across the water.

So who is this frog? The frog is the individual that says we are going to beat the Patriots before the game because they "feel" it in their gut despite all the evidence that says otherwise. The frog is the individual who buys merchandise every year. The frog is the individual who goes to games and spends ridiculous amounts of money while there. Ultimately the frog hopes against hope every year that this is the year the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl while Jerry has kept most things the same.

and yes, I am guilty of being the frog as well.

coaching...the special teams were awful, just awful. take that blocked punt away and its a 9-6 game probably....and defense....what disgusted me was the very last series. we know, we absolutely know they are going to run, yet they get a first down running...how could we allow that...not saying it would have been the difference in the game, but where is the heart.....you don't miss tackles when there is 10 on the LOS and they are running and you miss tackle after tackle and get blocked across the line....

 

[links18]

It's entirely 100% Garrett's fault. They kicked two FGs of <30 yards. They tried a long FG on 4th and medium instead of going for it. They punted on 4th and 1 twice. He played it safe, as he always always does, and they lost.

If they'd gone for those 4th downs, they might have failed and lost. They might have lost by a lot more. But they would have given themselves a much much better chance to win.

Game isn't over if you dont convert. Pats are pinned in their own end going against the wind. You have all your time outs and the 2 minute warning. Not a high percentage play, but the percentages we ever make it back down there again in that game weren't high either. But I guess Garrett is smarter than Aikman. He went to Princeton and all.....

 

[gimmesix]

The odds of making a 4th and 7 in terrible field conditions against the Patriots are slim to none. There was six minutes left in the game, which is an eternity in the NFL, especially given Prescott's track record.

Kicking the FG down by 7 was a no brainer. You have about a 10% chance of converting the 4th down and the game is over if you don't make it.

The field goal meant nothing. We still were down by more than a field goal and needed a touchdown.

The only reason we would have lamented over not kicking the field goal was if we had somehow scored a TD later, but even then, it would have at least tied the game. Our best shot at getting into the end zone against that defense was when we chose to instead kick a field goal. There's no justification for it. Style points in a loss don't matter.

If the field goal had put us within three, then it would have been a good decision. Instead, it made driving for a TD absolutely necessary for any shot at winning the game.

Successful field goal=TD needed to win.

Unsuccessful TD=TD needed to tie.

Successful TD=Field goal needed to win.

In either of those first two scenarios, you still have to score a TD or you lose.

 

[Kaiser]

In what way is the game over? You're left in the same situation they had, except the Patriots would have been pinned further back.

Because you still need to two scores to win the Pats only have to run three minutes off the clock (I said 6 above, my mistake).

 

[Kaiser]

The field goal meant nothing. We still were down by more than a field goal and needed a touchdown.

You need two scores to win with 3 minutes left in the game. You don't forego an easy score to try for a long shot 4th and 7 in bad weather.

 

[Jake]

The blocked punt seemed kind of important, seeing how it set up the Patriots for the only TD of the game...a 12 yard drive.

 

[Jake]

You need two scores to win with 3 minutes left in the game. You don't forego an easy score to try for a long shot 4th and 7 in bad weather.

Here's why you're wrong, besides the analytics.

The field goal left Dallas still in need of a TD. It also meant a kickoff, better field position than the Patriots would've gotten had Dallas failed on 4th down. So what happened? The Patriots parlayed that field position into an eventual punt pinning Dallas back on their 8 yard line. The odds of better field position were greater had Dallas gone for a TD instead of settling for 3.

So not only did the Cowboys still need a TD. They had a longer field to travel. Sure, it would've only forced OT but what did the FG get them?

 

[JD_KaPow]

You need two scores to win with 3 minutes left in the game. You don't forego an easy score to try for a long shot 4th and 7 in bad weather.

They turned a touchdown game into a touchdown game.

Because you still need to two scores to win the Pats only have to run three minutes off the clock (I said 6 above, my mistake).

Not following. If they don't make it, they're playing for overtime (or a 2-pointer to win); otherwise, it's exactly the same situation. You don't need two scores in regulation.

They passed on a 4th-and-7 in the red zone so they could try a 4th-and-11 deep in their own territory later.