5 Cowboys red flags from 2021 season that led to playoff loss

Now that almost a week has passed since the Dallas Cowboys’ 23-17 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, it’s time to do a deep dive on what went wrong. The disappointing part is fans were led to believe things changed, that these Cowboys were different than previous seasons. Yet again, the year ends without the Lombardi Trophy.

Do not get me wrong. The 2021 Cowboys were fun to watch and had memorable performances against the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, there were moments of concern throughout the season. There seemed to be a lot of miscommunication on the sideline, a lack of depth at certain positions, and a blatant disregard for discipline across the entire team.

Those problems will panic any fanbase, but when Dallas obliterates the teams in their division going 6-0 and then scoring 50 plus points in the final weeks of the season, it can mask over cracks that developed in 2021. What cracks were overlooked? What were the red flags fans noticed, but were promised would be fixed in time for the postseason? Here are five red flags throughout the season that led to the Cowboys exiting the playoffs after one week.

Cowboys Red Flag No. 5 – Clock Management

Clock management was a concern dating back to Week 2 of the season. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Cowboys were driving down the field to break the 17-17 tie and win the game. At the start of the drive, it seemed as though the goal was to kick a field goal for the win.

With 0:36 left to play in the fourth quarter on the Chargers’ 45-yard line, quarterback Dak Prescott hit wide receiver Cedrick Wilson on an out route that stopped the clock at 0:33. Dallas had enough time and one timeout left for one more play to make a manageable attempt for kicker Greg Zuerlein, who, by the way, had missed three kicks the week before.

Instead, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called a run play on third down, and the Cowboys were forced to use a timeout with 0:04 left. Zuerlein made the 56-yard attempt, but it could have been easier on him if the right play had been called. After the game, Coach McCarthy said there was a miscommunication on personnel after the play and did not want to risk calling a timeout in case the next play ended in bounds as time expired.

Fast forward to Sunday’s game where the Dallas offense had the ball on the Niners’ 41-yard line and 0:14 left in the game; Prescott ran a draw play that ended with him unable to stop the clock before time ran out to attempt a Hail Mary. The exact reason why McCarthy did not want to run a play in bounds against the Chargers cost them against the 49ers and was ironically at the same spot on the field.

Throughout the season, in high-pressure situations, it seemed as though McCarthy and his staff would get flustered and make the wrong decision that would decide the game. He has been a head coach for 14 years; these mistakes cannot happen.

Cowboys Red Flag No. 4 – Lack of Quality DT Depth

This problem was a carry-over from the 2020 season. Under former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, the Dallas defense was ranked 31st in the league, allowing an average of 158.8 yards per game. That’s not a winning formula for any team and was an historically bad mark for the Cowboys.

GM Jerry Jones and the front office wanted to sign proven defensive tackles. Still, after being jaded in 2020 by defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, Jones was unwilling to put significant capital towards that position in free agency.

Instead, they signed Carlos Watkins and Brent Urban and drafted Osa Odighizuwa from UCLA. All three players were not highly regarded, but were brought in for their upside and potential. Then, in the preseason, starter Neville Gallimore injured his elbow and would be ruled out for months.

With DT Trysten Hill recovering from ACL surgery and Gallimore out, the defensive tackle spot was fragile to start the season. Watkins and Odighizuwa were thrust into the starting lineup, and nothing changed. Now, Odighizuwa played well for the Cowboys this season, and Watkins was underrated at times, but there needed to be more to stop a run-heavy team like the 49ers.

Against the Denver Broncos in Week 9, the Dallas defense displayed their kryptonite to the rest of the league, which was the inability to stop the run, allowing 190 rushing yards. Now, run defense is more than just defensive tackles. However, it is the position to set the tone against the run. Dallas was taking a chance this season by not adding playmakers at that position, and on Sunday, it caught up to them when San Francisco rushed for 169 yards.

Cowboys Red Flag No. 3 – Not Enough Touches for Their Playmakers

49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan knows how to get the ball in the hands of his special players. He schemes up favorable looks for players like tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and gets them involved. He even went as far as getting his star receiver Deebo Samuel touches as a running back; he rushed for 365 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Cowboys OC Kellen Moore seemed to struggle with creating those same matchups for his stars on offense.

It is understandable if the Cowboys were in the era of only having receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten as true weapons, but there are playmakers all over on offense. There are two legitimate No.1 wide receivers in Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, two dynamic tight ends in Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz, and a No. 2 running back, Tony Pollard, who has a comparable game to Alvin Kamara when healthy.

If there is so much talent on offense, why was Cooper only targeted more than 10 times in only four of the 16 games he played? He eclipsed the century mark just twice this season.

When watching the game film from the season, the Cowboys offense seemed to play defeated when they took on the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Arizona Cardinals. Dallas only gained 290 yards, 276 yards, and 301 yards of total offense in all three games, respectively. It’s just not good enough when playmakers are not involved.

Look at Sunday’s game. If a healthy Lamb and Pollard create mismatches for defenses, then why did they only touch the ball a combined eight times?

The blame cannot be put all on Prescott. It is the job of a good OC to know the opponent and game plan accordingly. The offensive explosions against the Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles to close turned out to be an aberration on the season. When it mattered most in the playoffs, the star-powered Dallas offense did not show up as they did for the back half of the season.

Cowboys Red Flag No. 2 – No Competition at the LG and C Position

Once former center Travis Frederick retired at the end of the 2019 season, the Cowboys began the search for their next All-Pro at the position. What better way to replace Frederick than by drafting another center from Wisconsin?

In the 2020 draft, Jerry Jone traded up for center Tyler Biadasz of Wisconsin in the fourth round. Dallas thought they found their “heir apparent,” but after recovering from a midseason injury, Biadasz was benched in favor of former big man “Jumbo” Joe Looney.

2020 backup quarterback Andy Dalton did not like how Biadasz snapped the ball in shotgun and was more comfortable with Looney. Not the type of thing you want to hear about your center. Dalton must have known something the coaching staff did not. There were numerous times this season where Prescott would be chasing after snaps or losing the ball, as he did against the New York Giants.

On top of the snapping issues, Biadasz and his next-door neighbor, guard Connor Williams, struggled with strength and were constantly pushed into the pocket. Some of their biggest lowlights came against defensive tackles Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh, and Vita Vea.

Halfway through the season, the coaches had enough of Williams’ play and penalties, which I will get to, and switched him out for guard Connor McGovern. The play at the left guard position did not improve, so the switch was made back to Williams in hopes he’d corrected his problems.

Unfortunately, nothing changed, and Prescott was under constant pressure against San Francisco, a unit that registered five sacks against the Cowboys. With Williams being a free agent, the worst part is that Dallas will most likely move on and need to replace him anyway next season. Maybe if there had been more competition in training camp for both positions, the Cowboys could have run away with a win on Sunday.

Cowboys Red Flag No. 1 – Too Many Penalties

Week after week, I was hoping Dallas would become more disciplined as a team and fix their penalty issue. Instead, they finished leading the league with 127 penalties for 1,103 yards. The cold truth is that if a team keeps getting penalized, they are probably not winning many games.

There is a common theme with teams towards the top of the list. The Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Houston Texans are following the Cowboys for top five in total penalties. All teams either lost on Wild Card weekend or did not make the playoffs. The three most disciplined teams in the league? The Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Los Angeles Rams. All Super Bowl contenders and playing this weekend.

Time and time again, when the Dallas offense would be on the move, a mistake on offense would set them back. The game against the Las Vegas Raiders was a flag fest, totaling 14 flags for 166 yards. Even though the game went to overtime, the Cowboys seemed to be on the losing end from the start.

One reason why Connor Williams was taken out of the lineup midseason was because of his penalty count. Until Nov. 14 this season, Williams was the worst offender in football.

The problem that plagued him all season came back around against the 49ers. After being down 10-0 in the first quarter, the Cowboys were in a rhythm on offense, and Prescott hit Lamb for a 33-yard gain. However, the play was called back due to a hold by Williams.

Even after halftime, Dallas found themselves in a manageable 3rd & 4, which then became a 3rd & 9 due to a false start by Williams. After that, it went to a 3rd & 14 from a false start by tackle La’el Collins. On the next play, Prescott got sacked, and it became 4th & 20. That drive seemed to be where the Cowboys lost the game. They needed points in the third quarter and could not capitalize on that chance

The 2021 season will be remembered as one where Dallas faced two opponents every week: the referees and the opposing team. With a deck like that stacked against you, not many teams would win in that situation, which is the main reason the Cowboys’ season ended in disappointment.

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