The Cowboys biggest issue is simple: Execution

For the second straight week, the Dallas Cowboys lost a game that they probably should have won.

The reason for the losses may change, but the underlying issue is simple.

Execution.

As we all know, one play can never be the reason a game is won or lost. Several plays throughout the contest write the story by which the game is decided. For the Cowboys, on Sunday night in New Orleans, three critical moments changed what should have been a positive first month of the season into serious questions of just how bad it might be.

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Andrew Gachkar failing to get off the field on a fourth down early in the third quarter, giving the Saints an extra five yards and turning a punt into points.

Jeremy Mincey failing to make a tackle in the backfield on a third down and one with just about a minute in the fourth quarter, resulting in a missed opportunity for the offense to close out the game.

Damien Wilson failing to recognize his responsibility in overtime, resulting in the game-ending touchdown.

All three of these plays magnified what I have been concerned about as the list of guys healthy enough to play continues to get shorter. The “next man up” is not good enough to make mistakes. When those errors occur, the ending is almost certainly going to be bad.

Gachkar was filling in for Sean Lee, missing from action due to a concussion. Wilson replaced Gachkar after he was hobbled by an illegal pick the play before. Mincey is getting starter’s time in the rotation due to the void left by Randy Gregory and Greg Hardy.

It all boils down to being able to make enough plays to win games. Clearly, this Cowboys team is losing players capable of doing just that at an alarming rate.

The running back position was the latest to lose someone for the year as Lance Dunbar tore ligaments in his knee which will end his season. Besides that, it’s anyone’s guess as to when Lee will pass the league’s concussion protocol and be cleared to return.

It’s not just the injuries that are dooming this team though, there are other issues that are becoming concerning.

The rushing attack cannot be counted on to hold the fort until stars like Dez Bryant and Tony Romo return.

Regardless of how you feel about Brandon Weeden, we can all agree he is not responsible for this loss. Another week of lowly performances from Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden really limit what the offense can do anyway.

After the first drive that showed some promise on the ground, gaining 57 yards via the run, the Cowboys were only able to muster 58 yards rushing the rest of the game. Yards per carry of 3.1 (McFadden) and 2.6 (Randle) are not going to scare anyone.

Defensively, there is almost no one creating turnovers. Through four games, Dallas has played three games in which they did not recover an opponent’s fumble or intercept a pass. On Sunday, one opportunity for an interception was dropped and two other would be interceptions were negated by penalties.

There is still a lot of time in the 2015 campaign to get things corrected and hopefully get guys healthy. Even a likely loss to a rested Patriots team, which would put Dallas at 2-3 would not be the end of the world.

After the bye week, Dallas has rematches on the road against the Giants and at home versus Philadelphia. Winning both of those games would right the ship and have the Cowboys in a good spot.

In order to win those games however, it’s time for each player and coach on this team to honestly question themselves, fix what they are doing to hold back the team and push to be better.

Efforts like the ones we have seen the last two weeks will not suffice. Dallas has two weeks essentially to right the ship, otherwise it won’t matter who is out there playing where.

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