Rub some dirt on it, Cowboys.
There aren’t a lot of positive things to say about the good ole’ fashioned butt whipping the Cowboys got at the hands of the Seahawks. I had a bad feeling about the game beforehand, but I would be lying if I said that I saw what basically amount to a blowout coming. For now, I’m going to look at that game as a growing experience. The hope is that the Cowboys needed a wakeup call – and maybe that kick to the teeth served its purpose.
"“It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up.”-Vince Lombardi and various other people and their permutations"
Sept 16, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett waits in the tunnel before leading his team on to the field against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Dallas, 27-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE
For the fans, I think we need to look at that game and try not to overreact to it too much, just like we needed to keep the win over the Giants in perspective. We’re 1/8th of the way through the season now and there is so much yet to be determined. I also think the Seahawks are better than anyone could have guessed. After watching the Cardinals beat the Patriots – the narrow loss to the Cardinals in Week 1 in combination with the win over the Cowboys — is pretty impressive.
Remember, this game was 13-7 at halftime. The Cowboys went 3 and out drive after drive – and I don’t care how good your defense is, you need time to rest your guys and adjust your game plan. The ineffectiveness of the offense didn’t allow for this and ultimately caused the game to break open.
But Week 2 is gone and the Bucs are coming to town. To me, Week 3 is going to be an interesting barometer for the Cowboys this season. No game at this point is a must-win, but I think it will be very telling about how this team reacts to adversity.
Tampa Bay presents a very similar puzzle as Dallas faced against Seattle – a tough, physical team that likes to run the ball and control the clock. That isn’t how the game against New York turned out last week, but that’s generally their modus operandi. The only reason their passing stats were as high as they were (243 yards and 2 TD’s) was mainly due to the banged up and susceptible defensive secondary of the Giants.
I think this game all comes down to how well Tony Romo and the offense can execute. The Giants threw for over 500 yards on them, so I fully expect the Dallas offense to go off on them as well. I think this is a great week for all of you fantasy owners to roll out your Cowboys skill players.
Quick Hits:
- I’ve heard repeated chants calling for the head of Felix Jones, and while I understand why fans would say this, I have to agree with JJT (a rare feat indeed) that it doesn’t make much sense. Yes, Felix isn’t exactly doing much to endear himself to fans, but I don’t think cutting him is the answer… yet.
- I think Jason Witten is going to be just fine. You’ve never seen him drop the ball like that before, and I don’t think we’ll see it again. He lost a lot of practice time with his preseason injury, and I think he will return to prominence in short order.
- Can we please stop saying the Cowboys aren’t tough? Sean Lee got blown the eff up and he marched back out there. Remember Jason Witten and his lacerated spleen? Tony Romo and his punctured lung? The Seahawks played good, physical football and made less mistakes than the Cowboys. The single biggest reason Dallas lost this game was because of poor execution on offense.
- Please, please, please Cowboys fans… please stop freaking out about every little thing that happens. It was right to be excited when the Cowboys beat the Giants, but it wasn’t the Super Bowl. It was right to be upset and concerned about the loss to the Seahawks, but that doesn’t mean we need to blow up the team. The NFL is a crazy league and anything can happen. Let the season unfold and enjoy it as much as you can without giving yourself a heart attack. I’m riding the rollercoaster too.
Prediction:
Cowboys 34, Bucs 17