Cowboys Sin, Saints Win: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Week Four
By Richard Ball
The Bad
Through 238 minutes and 21 seconds of the 2019 season, the Cowboys’ offense had allowed only two sacks. The third sack of the year came at a very unfortunate time.
Dallas started the last drive of the game at their own 14-yard line with 1:39 left in the game. Despite feeling constant pressure the entire game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his teammates had a clean sack sheet.
On the first play of the Cowboys last drive, New Orleans lined up in an all-out blitz with ten defenders along the line of scrimmage and a single high safety. At the snap, they backed out of the blitz only sending four rushers.
Cowboys tackles La’el Collins and Tyron Smith wiped out defensive ends Jordan Cameron and Marcus Davenport. Defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata ran a twist stunt.
Onyemata lined up over Cowboys guard Connor Williams and he knifed through the gap between Williams and center Travis Frederick. Rankins looped behind him and tried to cut behind Williams.
Instead, Williams correctly identified the twist and passed his man to Frederick and picked Rankins off before he could get any forward momentum towards Prescott. Unfortunately for Dallas, Onyemata was able to push Frederick into guard Zack Martin effectively eliminating the Cowboys two All-Pro interior offensive linemen from protecting Prescott.
Onyemata found himself with free access to the Cowboys quarterback and made an appointment at the three-yard line with Prescott dropping him for an eleven-yard sack. It took 3.1 seconds for Onyemata to hit Prescott.
On the Cowboys only touchdown drive of the game, Prescott averaged 2.2 seconds to make his six passes. In the first half when the Cowboys mustered only three points and failed to generate much offense, he averaged 2.9 seconds to make his throws.
To add insult to injury or maybe injury to the insult, Tyron Smith was rolled up and had to leave the game in obvious discomfort. The sack did not doom the Cowboys as they were able to make a first down but it did take them 1:05 to gain the first down on a drive where time was the bigger obstacle than the defense who had stifled the Cowboys previously prolific pass catchers and runners.