The Dallas Cowboys played down to the moment on Sunday, there is no doubt about that. With a sizable lead in hand, the Cowboys seemed to start envisioning what life would be like at 4-4 and with Brian Schottenheimer’s second winning streak with the team (after 25 career games, mind you).
While they were daydreaming the Arizona Cardinals were rallying. Arizona, a moribund team in today’s NFL, seemed inspired and invigorated while the Cowboys were lost in thought.
In the end the Cardinals were winners
at AT&T Stadium (why wouldn’t they be?) and the Cowboys were forced to take yet another hard and long look in the mirror. This is that mirror.
Stock Down: Brian Schottenheimer
I’m not sure which was worse, Schottenheimer the head coach or Schottenheimer the offensive play-caller.
You don’t lose a game, let alone blow a huge lead to this season’s Arizona Cardinals team, unless you are a special type of bad. Schotty the head coach allowed for the team to get far too comfortable, but Schotty the play-caller called a timid game in the second half and kept leaving the door more and more open.
It has been a long time since it felt like Dallas had an advantage at head coach. Who knows when the next time will be?
Stock Down: Dak Prescott
As a whole the Cowboys offense was given the ball six times by their defense and ultimately scored just twice. What’s more is that the offense had 12 true possessions (discounting the kneel down at the end of regulation) and failed to net double-digit yardage on seven of them. 7 of 12!
Dak Prescott was under some duress (more on that in a moment), but there is no excuse. The franchise quarterback has to do more.
Stock Down: Christian Parker
How do we say this again? What amalgamation of words can we use that hasn’t already been offered? Christian Parker is in some truly historic company in the worst kind of way.
His unit did deliver the stops early on as noted, but they allowed the Cardinals to gash them all throughout the end of this game. What’s more is that they allowed Arizona to waltz all the way down at the end of regulation to tie, even though they should have won then.
Stock Down: Rashan Gary
What are you doing committing obvious roughing the passer penalties in critical moments? Rashan Gary was supposed to be among the leaders that the Cowboys were able to bring in to the defensive side of the ball. Game in and game out he seems to offer more questions than answers these days, and he had terrible judgment in a critical moment that was key in the loss.
Stock Down: Offensive line
This is not about discounting credit and/or blame from Dak Prescott. We have established this. But my word the Cowboys offensive line got pushed around. Perhaps the book is out as we all discussed/feared following the Buccaneers and/or Packers losses, but they were not able to hold on for much against Arizona and in the process a lot of what they wanted to do on offense was jumbled.
For a group that had really been turning it around as of late, this was not good.
Stock Down: Javonte Williams
Keep in mind that one of the touchdowns that the mighty Cowboys offense scored only happened because a Javonte Williams fumble was recovered in the endzone. The offensive line struggled, but so did Williams. This has to be better.
Stock Down: Brandon Aubrey
Nobody is trying to say that a 61-yard field goal is easy. But Brandon Aubrey is expected to make those. What’s more is that the Cowboys lost this game in overtime; had he made that kick near the end of regulation you can argue that things never come down to that. The inches matter.
Stock Down: DaRon Bland
Like with Christian Parker as a whole, this is the same story. DaRon Bland continues to get picked on every week.
On some level maybe the Joey Porter Jr. trade created a new and worse kind of problem in that sense. Obviously the contract situation is what it is. This is just a huge bummer.
Stock Up: Caleb Downs
It goes without saying that we hope that Caleb Downs is alright as he entered concussion protocol near the end of this game. Downs was having arguably his best game as a professional early on.
He was huge in many respects and was the primary tackler when Dallas held Arizona on fourth-and-goal early in the game. He is living up to the hype.
Stock Up: Ryan Flournoy
We have all been very excited about Ryan Flournoy for some time, and as of late he is proving why. It is strange how the Cowboys cannot seem to get George Pickens going consistently, but Flournoy is more than making up for it himself. He did have a tough drop, and he has become a reliable receiver for Dak.
