Dissecting the disaster: What went wrong for the Cowboys vs. Packers
Well, it's Groundhog Day…again. The Dallas Cowboys were just blasted out of the playoffs in a hilariously poor performance. The Green Bay Packers ended up beating the Cowboys 48-32 (shoutout garbage time points) in a game that was over at halftime if everyone is being honest with each other. So what went wrong for the […]
Well, it's Groundhog Day…again.
The Dallas Cowboys were just blasted out of the playoffs in a hilariously poor performance.
The Green Bay Packers ended up beating the Cowboys 48-32 (shoutout garbage time points) in a game that was over at halftime if everyone is being honest with each other.
So what went wrong for the Cowboys? We discussed how they needed a game at home to find playoff success. After all, they did just that, and yet they still got blown out. Why? That's what we're here to find out.
It starts with the top: Jerry Jones & Family
Of course, we have to start at the top, the Joneses are not without fault in this debacle. These days it seems that they are just happy with keeping the team relevant. It's like they care more about making the main segment of ESPN rather than being competitive when it matters most.
As obvious and repetitive as it sounds, the Jones family has to be atop of the list.
Much like this year, the Cowboys were embarrassed in the playoffs last year. They decided to stick with Mike McCarthy. And there was a prime coaching candidate this year from the team that beat the Cowboys last year. Bobby Slowik moved from his role in San Francisco to the offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.
What resulted was C.J. Stroud having a very likely Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, and the Houston Texans making the playoffs (and having a playoff win) as a team widely viewed as having one of the worst rosters in the NFL.
Then there was Ben Johnson, someone who injected super serum into the Detroit Lions offense and Jared Goff's career. Revitalizing them both and bringing life to the team, also resulting in a playoff win.
The Cowboys were complacent and stuck with Mike McCarthy, and nothing sums up their complacency more than this stat.
Speaking of Mike McCarthy…
McCarthy himself was not without fault either. In the first half, the Cowboys head coach seemed insistent on running on 2nd and 10 into loaded boxes. As you might have guessed it, those plays went nowhere.
The spacing in the route concepts had seemingly disappeared after being there for most of the season.
One would think McCarthy would come into this game with extra motivation as it was against his former employer. He should have had the team coming out firing on all cylinders, ready for action.
Instead, they went down 27-0.
The only bright spot of the offense for a good portion of the game was Michael Gallup. Someone who is having what is quite possibly the worst season of his career. That is not a plan for success.
Next, we need to talk about Dan Quinn.
One decision that will loom in the head of Cowboys fans for at least the next year is dropping Micah Parsons, your best pass rusher into coverage on 3rd and long.
This would result in a first down for the Packers.
The Cowboys' secondary was subject to blown coverage on multiple occasions, as well as generally just playing with soft cushions. After becoming a predominately man coverage team two years ago, Dan Quinn has resorted back to his days of old in Seattle and has returned to Cover 3 dominant. However, that is not the root of the problem in his scheme.
The root of the problem is the personnel he deploys. We all know Quinn has an affinity for athletes.
Due to this, Quinn will quite often deploy players who were once secondary players in a linebacker role. When the Cowboys face run-heavy teams, this can lead to clear mismatches. Offensive linemen and tight ends can reach the second level and establish their blocks, leading to a lightweight against a heavyweight. A clear mismatch.
This is not a recipe for success as the San Francisco 49ers have exposed it on multiple occasions and now the Green Bay Packers did as well. Aaron Jones ran for 118 yards, and 3 touchdowns while averaging 5.62 yards/carry. 54 of those yards came before contact. The Cowboys' defense is not built to play from behind. They are at their best when they can make the offense one-dimensional and they can gamble. When the Packers scored first, that plan was null and void.
Lastly, the man under center cannot go without blame.
Dak Prescott, simply put, did not play well.
He and All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb were not on the same page and he took some unnecessary sacks.
He needs to be better. Dak finished 41/60 with 403 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. On the surface that's not awful, but a good chunk of it did come in garbage time.
This performance will be the latest knock on Dak Prescott and will give even more fuel to his haters.
Dez Bryant says what every Cowboys fan is thinking right now
The Dallas Cowboys have had a tough showing so far against the Green Bay Packers in their Wild Card matchup. Every facet of the Cowboys has been disappointing, and tempers are flaring on and off the field. Former Cowboys star Dez Bryant, also involved in prior drama against the Packers, had some strong words on […]
