Dallas Cowboys Week 9 Grades: How to lose to a poor team

They should arrest the Dallas Cowboys for posing as a professional football team. Coming off a bye-week, well rested, and playing that bad was alarming. Most of the players looked listless, lost, and had no answers.

A few players turned in wonderful performances, but it was not enough to overcome the overall embarrassing and underwhelming effort.

They should arrest the Dallas Cowboys for posing as a professional football team. Coming off a bye-week, well rested, and playing that bad was alarming.

Let’s hand out grades…

Dallas Cowboys Run Offense

Tony Pollard is the goods. He set a career-high in carries with 22. He had 115 rushing yards, including a 13-yard touchdown run off a draw in his second straight start. Strong performance that should erase all doubts about his stamina. He should have touched the ball much more. Pollard averaged 5.2 per carry.

Rookie Malik Davis averaged 7.6 yards per carried producing 38 yards on 5 carries but he would have more if not for a costly late holding penalty.

Dallas produced 159 yards rushing yards on 31 carries and averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

Grade: A

Dallas Cowboys Pass Offense

Dak Prescott was subpar for most of the game. He did some good things but it come not wipe away the terrible moments. Another miscommunication with CeeDee Lamb resulted in another game changing interception in the red zone that flipped the momentum.

You would think during the bye-week they would have straightened out what problems they had. Regardless, that was a poor decision resulting in no points. A 14-point flip.

No question CeeDee Lamb is a number one wide receiver. He still has to iron some wrinkles in his overall craft, but yesterday he was fantastic. He had 11 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. But no other wide receiver impacted the game.

After discovering the key to unlocking their offensive: leaning on a strong power running game. The offensive brain trust decided throwing the ball 46 times was smart. It is baffling.

Grade: D

Dallas Cowboys Run Defense

The defensive got bullied all game long. They were pushed around like department shopping carts by an offensive that is not considered one of the best.

They made Aaron Jones look like Jim Brown, rushing for 138 yards. The Packers finished with 207 rushing yards.

Tank Lawrence showed up to play, but the rest of the front seven didn’t. They all need to talk to the man in the mirror after this lackluster defensive effort.

Grade: F

Dallas Cowboys Pass Defense

The strength of the defense got lit up by a dude name named Christian Watson. He finished with four catches, 107 receiving yards, and three touchdowns.

He torched Anthony Brown for a 58-yard touchdown. He burned rookie DaRon Bland for a 39-yard touchdown.

Before Sunday, this dude did not have a touchdown catch and did not have more than 34 yards in a game.

The Cowboys’ secondary communication was poor. The corner backs never pressed a Green Bay receiver or made it difficult for them. Allowing free releases.

Dan Quinn had no answers as his charges couldn’t cause in chaos for Aaron Rodgers. He was not vintage Aaron Rodgers, but he didn’t have to be.

He was Cooper Rush. Passing for 224 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. His only mistake was a fumble caused by a Tank Lawrence sack.

Grade: F

Dallas Cowboys Special Teams

C. J. Goodwin is the best special player in the league. He is an excellent gunner, who plays the game full title. He forced a fumble, setting up the touchdown that gave Dallas a 21-14 lead.

KaVontae Turpin continued his stellar player as the top returner for the Cowboys. He started the game with a 39-yard return, but the offense couldn’t convert it into points.

A wasted opportunity among many that Cowboys didn’t convert.

Brett Maher remained money. He made his extra points. I think I would have allowed him to try for a 53 yarder in overtime, even against the wind.

GRADE: C

Dallas Cowboys Coaching

Dan Quinn had no solutions to the levee that broke. The Green Bay Packers were relentless in their run game all afternoon long. The Cowboys run defense is terrible — they gave up 207 yards – against a middle of the pack running attack.

The tape is out. The Cowboys can’t hide it. Opposing teams will continue to exploit it until the Cowboys can fix it.

I am becoming convince that maybe Dallas should pick up the telephone and give Ndamukong Suh. He is no longer what he used to be, but could he be any worse than what we saw yesterday?
Kellen Moore fed Tony Pollard as he had a career-high in carries but more touches were needed. Malik Davis is a violent downhill runner, too.

I must ask what was the game plan for Dak Prescott to throw the ball 46 times. I have been the hardest critic of Kellen Moore, but that light must should directed towards a QB who is in his 7th year and who flashing more warts than you would like to see. Mike McCarthy going for it on fourth-and-four in the fourth quarter, was a clear reflection of what he thought of his defense.

A defense that has been very good this season but far from what I would call elite.

If the decision was to go for after the 2nd down, why would you pass on 3rd down and 4th down after gaining 5.1 per carry all game?

GRADE: D

Overall.

The Dallas Cowboys laid a big fat egg against a conference opponent. Coming off a bye-week, it was shocking to see a team that many, including myself, consider a Super Bowl contender, come out so flat and undisciplined.

The NFC East title is all lost at sea. That is a pipe dream unless the Philadelphia Eagles implode. The journey to the playoffs if this team makes it will be on the road.

Difficult but not impossible.

I can’t believe how many opportunists they wasted.

They earned their place in history by being the first Dallas Cowboys team to wet the bed and blow a 14-point fourth quarter lead.

Still plenty football to be played but this game come be a major turning point of the season. That could be good or bad. We shall find out.

Up next the Vikings.