Dallas Cowboys: Easier game plans are not the solution

There was a growing sentiment after last Sunday’s loss in Green Bay that things were needlessly complicated for the Dallas Cowboys. Missed assignments and lazy execution led to multiple botched plays, resulting in touchdowns and turnovers.

The idea floating around was perhaps if the Cowboys could just eliminate these wrinkles on both sides of the ball, they can get out of their own way for once.

Think about it: read-react option routes in the passing game led to two interceptions in the middle of the field, with one occurring in the end zone. These plays required the QB and WR to both read the safety and respond appropriately. In both situations, the pass catcher read the play wrong and the ball was turned over as a result.

On defense we saw Dan Quinn stay true to brand and call multiple stunts and games on his D-line. Sadly, the DE didn’t always execute his part of the deal and it lead to a couple big plays, one of which was a touchdown on the infamous Marshawn Lynch tribute play.

Take away the stunting and you probably save four points. Take away those INTs and you probably have a 10-point swing in points. At face value, the argument for vanilla football makes sense, right?

In order to be a legit Super Bowl challenger, the Dallas Cowboys have correct their miscues, not dumb-down their assignments.

This isn’t rocket science here. The assignments asked of Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore are not anything outside of the norm. These are plays Cowboys players have run hundreds of times before and are necessary elements in just about any postseason contest.

Dumbing down the offense and/or defense might get you a win or two against a bad opponent in the regular season, but when teams are evenly matched and the best brand of football is being played, these types of plays can make all the difference.

This is about players playing smart. It’s about executing their assignments and playing as a team. It’s about raising the ceiling – not lowering the ceiling.

We aren’t asking too much from these players because we’ve seen them execute it countless times before. We’ve seen what the defense can do when they’re working together and selflessly executing assignments. We’ve seen the big plays these receivers and tight ends make when they stay focused on the task.

It’s time we raise our expectations – not lower them.  The Dallas Cowboys aren’t good enough to win it all playing vanilla high school football. No one is. This is about being a legitimate Super Bowl contender and that means fixing the mistakes rather than avoiding the situations completely.

Demand greatness.