The Dallas Cowboys defense played better in week two, but still struggled in multiple areas. They had a difficult time stopping the mobile Jayden Daniels until he left with a horrible injury. That injury made things easier for the defense in the second half, but there were still issues.
Tackling continues to be a problem. The inability to convert pressures into sacks might be the most frustrating part of this unit. But they did make a handful of plays when it mattered, while also grabbing some assists
from Lady Luck herself.
Sometimes, you just get lucky
Late into the second quarter, Jayden Daniels let a ball rip 55 yards downfield into the endzone intended for Treylon Burks. With Cobie Durant trailing five yards behind, Dallas found themselves with a bit of luck on their side as the ball just barely skimmed off the receivers fingertips.
Again in the third quarter, Dyami Brown found himself attempting to haul in a perfectly thrown pass from Marcus Mariota for a touchdown. Initially called incomplete, the play wound up in review. Analysists and fans alike agreed that this would be overturned, resulting in a touchdown for the Commanders.
However, after the review, it was determined that the receiver did not complete the process of a catch soon enough. Much to the surprise of nearly everyone watching, the incompletion was upheld. The Commanders would end up settling for a field goal.
Lady Luck once again favored Dallas near the end of the third quarter. The Commanders reached into their bag of tricks with a wide receiver pass from Antonio Williams to Terry McLaurin in the endzone. DaRon Bland busted the coverage, leaving McLaurin wide open for six. Fortunately for Dallas, the receiver couldn’t swing his head around and adjust to the throw. The ball dropped harmlessly to the ground in the endzone.
While it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t all luck
One of the most notable plays in the game came in the third quarter when Jaishawn Barham rapidly closed in on a pass to the running back in the flat and forced a fumble. Dee Winters was there in a hurry for the recovery. Dak Prescott and Jake Ferguson would turn the recovery into seven points, returning it back into a two possession game. With the score 13-20 at the time, this was a clutch play at a key moment when the Commanders has the chance to drive down the field to tie the game.
In a game where the ball is an odd shape, sometimes it bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t. Dallas found themselves in bad shape defensively multiple times throughout the game, but good timing on key plays along with a bit of luck saw them hold their division rival to 20 points in a must-win game.
There were certainly improvements on the defensive side of the ball this week, but they still weren’t good enough as a whole. After the first drive ended in a three-and-out, Jayden Daniels was having his way with them until his night was cut short by an injury.
Dallas will need to continue to improve this week when they head to Brazil to face yet another mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson, and the ageless wonder behind him in Derrick Henry. They’ll need a bit more than some luck to walk away with a win versus that Ravens squad.
Afterall, you can’t count on luck every week in the NFL. But every once in while, it sure is nice when it’s on your side.
