Dallas Cowboys Week 12: Observations and Frustrations
By Joshua Huff
This is becoming very familiar, isn’t it? This season I have constantly found myself asking how far behind we have to get before we will go to the aggressive no huddle offense that consistently brings us back into the game.
It always seems to be too little too late, doesn’t it? We seem to start the no huddle about 2 minutes later than we should, or in my opinion, an entire half a game later than we should.
Nov 22, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) lowers his head as he leaves the field after a loss against the Washington Redskins during a game on Thanksgiving at Cowboys Stadium. The Redskins beat the Cowboys 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
The hurry up offense is the only offense that consistently works for us. So why are we waiting until the game is about out of reach to use it? Imagine if the Cowboys of the early 90’s left Emmitt Smith sitting on the bench, only bringing him into the game when we found ourselves in a hole likely too big to get out of. That’s what we are doing with this offense.
The impact this has on the game is much bigger than the majority of our offensive drives resulting in punts. The effect reaches every level of the game.
Tony Romo will try to do too much with too little, inevitably resulting in a couple more interceptions to add to his stats. Our special teams will be forced to take unnecessary, low percentage success rate risks, such as returning the ball from the back of the end zone and onside kicks. Our defense will begin to deteriorate, growing more exhausted with each quarter that our offense loses the time of possession battle. Although there is more to blame for that, such as the collective bargaining agreement “victory” for the players that ultimately has and will continue to lead to worse conditioning and more injuries.
Nov 22, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) on Thanksgiving at Cowboys Stadium. The Redskins beat the Cowboys 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
I know our offensive line is a problem, at this point I’m pretty sure my 3 month old son knows the offensive line is a problem. But with our cap restrictions and with the trade deadline come and gone, this is the line we have. Not allowing the defense a chance to prepare, communicate, or even get completely set goes a long way in evening the odds for this group, and they need every advantage they can get.
As much as I would love to blame some of our recent losses on injuries to key personnel, I can’t. We were falling victim to the same failures and inconsistencies when our starting lineup was at its healthiest. This team still needs to learn to work together consistently and cohesively, something I’m hoping another full off season under Garrett will cure.
Nov 22, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) catches a pass for a touchdown against Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall (23) in the fourth quarter on Thanksgiving at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE
I am excited to see Dez Bryant steadily improving. Although the fumble was disappointing, 9 out of 10 times a helmet hits the ball just right like that it’s going to end up on the ground. Dez is on track for around a 1,300 yard season, as I’ve said before, after adjusting for a 16 game season and accounting for games missed by injury, puts Dez above Pearson and Irvin’s 3rd years by 361 and 750 yards, respectively. Yet there are still those who insist he is a bust and that we need to get rid of him, I just can’t understand that way of thinking.
Another thing to remember is that we are not completely out yet. If the Giants continue their losing streak against the Packers tonight, we will still be one game behind. With the Giant’s tough schedule for the remainder of the season combined with their current nose dive, I think the NFC East is going to come down to the Cowboys and the Redskins. Our schedules are comparable in difficulty from here on out, but Thursday’s costly game has left us behind in the tie breaker at this point. I believe the Redskins will continue to struggle with consistency as we have, but we are the more talented team. Hopefully, that talent will be enough to give us the edge for the rest of the season.