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By Jon Machota Oct 13, 2019
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As bad as things got Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Jason Garrett’s future as Cowboys head coach was not on Jerry Jones’ mind.
Dallas lost for the third consecutive weekend. But this time it wasn’t at the hands of a playoff contender like New Orleans or Green Bay. No, it was to the 0-4 New York Jets.
The Cowboys continued to struggle putting points on the board early, and their defense played below their standard for the fourth time in six games.
“Gosh, I’m not even coming close to those future-type considerations,” a disappointed Jones responded when asked about Garrett’s future after Dallas’ 24-22 loss. “I’m overcome by how we just stunk it up early here tonight as a football team. And that far overshadows any specific things on a long-term basis. You could not have a future around here and done better than what we did out there tonight. We just got to play better.
“I haven’t even glanced there in my mind about long-term future. I’m looking at (the) future as next week against those Eagles.”
How did the Cowboys drop to 3-3 on the season? Here are the five key plays that decided Sunday’s game.
1.) Amari Cooper’s only catch. The Cowboys’ star receiver has been banged up all season. It started as a foot injury in training camp, which has since healed. He is now dealing with an ankle issue and a strained quad. Playing through injuries hasn’t been a problem. At least, it wasn’t. But on 2nd-and-8 on the second play of Dallas’ first possession, Cooper caught a short pass near the Jets sideline and was tackled around the ankles by New York corner Brian Poole after a three-yard gain. Cooper was slow to get up. He finally made it back to his feet and then headed back to the huddle. Dak Prescott targeted Cooper along the Cowboys’ sideline on the very next play. The ball was thrown in a place where Cooper might have had a shot at out-leaping cornerback Trumaine Johnson, but he barely got off the ground. He didn’t look like himself on the play, and he wouldn’t take another snap the rest of the game.
Jerry Jones was asked after the game if he thinks Cooper will be able to play next week against the Eagles.
“I don’t know why not,” Jones said. “I don’t know that anything he did out there tonight impacted his quad. After he had that one route, he just didn’t feel (right). That was probably something they could have talked about before the game, too. But he didn’t feel like he could really be productive without getting a setback there tonight.”
The Cowboys were already in a tough spot offensively with starters Tyron Smith (ankle), La’el Collins (knee) and Randall Cobb (back) all inactive. Losing their top receiver only made things worse.
2.) The Jets’ first TD. This one isn’t noted for the particular play – a two-yard Le’Veon Bell run – as much as the series as a whole. The Cowboys went three-and-out on their first possession. New York followed with a 14-play, 83-yard drive that ate up almost eight minutes of clock. This was a Jets offense that entered Sunday’s game having scored only two offensive touchdowns in four games. Three of those games were without starting quarterback Sam Darnold, who was sidelined with mono, but Dallas’ offense allowed him to look like Aaron Rodgers most of the day. Darnold finished 23 of 32 for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating was 113.8, his fourth-highest in 15 career games.
“They just kind of did what they do,” Darnold said of the Cowboys defense. “They do it every single week. They just play one-high (safety), occasionally two-high, and they like to stop the run. I knew that I had to throw the ball today to have success, and we did that.”
The Cowboys’ defense, which was expected to be a team strength entering the season, greatly aided the Jets’ first scoring drive, committing four penalties to help move the chains.
3.) Dak Prescott’s run on 4th-and-2. Trailing 7-3 with 3:57 left in the second quarter, the Cowboys called a designed QB keeper to the right. Prescott lost a yard. On the previous play, Dallas faced 3rd-and-1, and Ezekiel Elliott’s run was stuffed up the middle for a one-yard loss. On the fourth-down play, the Cowboys gave a three-wide look to the right of the formation. Prescott took the shotgun snap and immediately ran left with Elliott and Jason Witten blocking out front. Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, lined up on the left side of the line. Rookie right tackle Brandon Knight was unable to get in front of Williams, allowing the former Alabama star to work all the way across the line and make the initial stop. Star safety Jamal Adams then finished things off.
“It’s a force play,” Prescott said. “We are blocking that end. We are pulling two guys. Obviously, we got an extra guy there in Zeke. I just didn’t get it.”
Prescott took way too many hits on the day. He was sacked only once, but the absence of Tyron Smith and La’el Collins was an obvious problem throughout. New York finished with eight quarterback hits on the day.
Prescott’s mindset when he continues to take those shots: “Get back up. I’ve played this game a long time. You have games like that. I’m going to keep fighting, keep getting up and keep trusting those guys are going to get it done the next play. I just don’t worry about it.”
4.) New York’s second touchdown. On the very next play after Dak Prescott’s run, the Jets went deep for a 92-yard score. Sam Darnold started under center, with two receivers and a tight end to his left and one receiver, Robby Anderson, to his right. Darnold faked the handoff to Le’Veon Bell, looked left, avoided pressure from DeMarcus Lawrence and threw deep down the middle of the field to Anderson, who had beaten Chidobe Awuzie. Jeff Heath was late to get over and help. Anderson made the grab near the 50 and easily outran any defender who had a chance at catching him. All of a sudden, a team that only scored two offensive touchdowns over the previous four games had two in the first half.
“We haven’t played well enough to win,” Jason Garrett said of Dallas’ three-game losing streak. “It’s really as simple as that. You have to go back, and you look at the specific things in each of the phases of your football team and you try to get better. That’s what we’re in the business of as coaches and as players, to make sure that we do that.
“You have to stay in the moment, you have to stay in the day. You have to stay focused on the task at hand. We’ll try to instill that in our team and just try to get better as we go forward.”
Garrett was also asked if they are still a confident team.
“I sure hope so,” he responded. “You just have to go back to work, and that’s what we have to do. We have to address the issues from the game, starting tomorrow when we watch the tape. And then we have to move forward and practice well and prepare for the next challenge.”
5.) Failed two-point conversion. For as ugly as things were Sunday, the Cowboys still had a chance to tie the game with 43 seconds left. After Dak Prescott scored on a four-yard run, Dallas lined up for a game-tying two-point play. Michael Gallup was out wide to the left. Jason Witten was to the right of the line. Tavon Austin was in the right slot, and Cedrick Wilson was out wide of Austin. Prescott was in the gun with Elliott to his left. Elliott motioned out left. The Jets were in man defense. Jamal Adams came unblocked up the middle, giving Prescott very little time to make a good throw. He targeted Witten, but the pass was too low. Witten immediately looked at the back judge for a pass interference penalty; no flag was thrown. Dallas’s onside kick try failed, and New York kneeled the ball on the final three plays of the game.
“They sent one more than we can handle,” Prescott said of the blitzing Adams. “It’s 50-50 across the board. And I’m going to take 82 every time on that. I just have to figure out a way to absorb that hit better and give him a better ball. I think he did a good job boxing (the defender) out. I’ve got to put the ball in a better place.”
Prescott finished 28 of 40 for 277 yards passing with no passing touchdowns and no interceptions. Tavon Austin led the Cowboys receivers with five catches for 64 yards. Ezekiel Elliott rushed 28 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Robert Quinn added two more sacks, giving him five in four games. Jourdan Lewis intercepted Sam Darnold late in the third quarter, but the Cowboys were unable to come up with any points on the following possession as Brett Maher missed a 40-yard field goal. Maher made field goals from 50, 62 and 32. Lewis’ interception was only the Cowboys’ second in six games.
“We know the players we have, and the men we have on this team,” Prescott said. “We’re not going to lose confidence. We’re definitely going to gain a sense of focus and a sense of accountability to lock-in, to lean on one another. And this brotherhood has to grow right now more than it ever has.”
By Jon Machota Oct 13, 2019
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As bad as things got Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Jason Garrett’s future as Cowboys head coach was not on Jerry Jones’ mind.
Dallas lost for the third consecutive weekend. But this time it wasn’t at the hands of a playoff contender like New Orleans or Green Bay. No, it was to the 0-4 New York Jets.
The Cowboys continued to struggle putting points on the board early, and their defense played below their standard for the fourth time in six games.
“Gosh, I’m not even coming close to those future-type considerations,” a disappointed Jones responded when asked about Garrett’s future after Dallas’ 24-22 loss. “I’m overcome by how we just stunk it up early here tonight as a football team. And that far overshadows any specific things on a long-term basis. You could not have a future around here and done better than what we did out there tonight. We just got to play better.
“I haven’t even glanced there in my mind about long-term future. I’m looking at (the) future as next week against those Eagles.”
How did the Cowboys drop to 3-3 on the season? Here are the five key plays that decided Sunday’s game.
1.) Amari Cooper’s only catch. The Cowboys’ star receiver has been banged up all season. It started as a foot injury in training camp, which has since healed. He is now dealing with an ankle issue and a strained quad. Playing through injuries hasn’t been a problem. At least, it wasn’t. But on 2nd-and-8 on the second play of Dallas’ first possession, Cooper caught a short pass near the Jets sideline and was tackled around the ankles by New York corner Brian Poole after a three-yard gain. Cooper was slow to get up. He finally made it back to his feet and then headed back to the huddle. Dak Prescott targeted Cooper along the Cowboys’ sideline on the very next play. The ball was thrown in a place where Cooper might have had a shot at out-leaping cornerback Trumaine Johnson, but he barely got off the ground. He didn’t look like himself on the play, and he wouldn’t take another snap the rest of the game.
Jerry Jones was asked after the game if he thinks Cooper will be able to play next week against the Eagles.
“I don’t know why not,” Jones said. “I don’t know that anything he did out there tonight impacted his quad. After he had that one route, he just didn’t feel (right). That was probably something they could have talked about before the game, too. But he didn’t feel like he could really be productive without getting a setback there tonight.”
The Cowboys were already in a tough spot offensively with starters Tyron Smith (ankle), La’el Collins (knee) and Randall Cobb (back) all inactive. Losing their top receiver only made things worse.
2.) The Jets’ first TD. This one isn’t noted for the particular play – a two-yard Le’Veon Bell run – as much as the series as a whole. The Cowboys went three-and-out on their first possession. New York followed with a 14-play, 83-yard drive that ate up almost eight minutes of clock. This was a Jets offense that entered Sunday’s game having scored only two offensive touchdowns in four games. Three of those games were without starting quarterback Sam Darnold, who was sidelined with mono, but Dallas’ offense allowed him to look like Aaron Rodgers most of the day. Darnold finished 23 of 32 for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating was 113.8, his fourth-highest in 15 career games.
“They just kind of did what they do,” Darnold said of the Cowboys defense. “They do it every single week. They just play one-high (safety), occasionally two-high, and they like to stop the run. I knew that I had to throw the ball today to have success, and we did that.”
The Cowboys’ defense, which was expected to be a team strength entering the season, greatly aided the Jets’ first scoring drive, committing four penalties to help move the chains.
3.) Dak Prescott’s run on 4th-and-2. Trailing 7-3 with 3:57 left in the second quarter, the Cowboys called a designed QB keeper to the right. Prescott lost a yard. On the previous play, Dallas faced 3rd-and-1, and Ezekiel Elliott’s run was stuffed up the middle for a one-yard loss. On the fourth-down play, the Cowboys gave a three-wide look to the right of the formation. Prescott took the shotgun snap and immediately ran left with Elliott and Jason Witten blocking out front. Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, lined up on the left side of the line. Rookie right tackle Brandon Knight was unable to get in front of Williams, allowing the former Alabama star to work all the way across the line and make the initial stop. Star safety Jamal Adams then finished things off.
“It’s a force play,” Prescott said. “We are blocking that end. We are pulling two guys. Obviously, we got an extra guy there in Zeke. I just didn’t get it.”
Prescott took way too many hits on the day. He was sacked only once, but the absence of Tyron Smith and La’el Collins was an obvious problem throughout. New York finished with eight quarterback hits on the day.
Prescott’s mindset when he continues to take those shots: “Get back up. I’ve played this game a long time. You have games like that. I’m going to keep fighting, keep getting up and keep trusting those guys are going to get it done the next play. I just don’t worry about it.”
4.) New York’s second touchdown. On the very next play after Dak Prescott’s run, the Jets went deep for a 92-yard score. Sam Darnold started under center, with two receivers and a tight end to his left and one receiver, Robby Anderson, to his right. Darnold faked the handoff to Le’Veon Bell, looked left, avoided pressure from DeMarcus Lawrence and threw deep down the middle of the field to Anderson, who had beaten Chidobe Awuzie. Jeff Heath was late to get over and help. Anderson made the grab near the 50 and easily outran any defender who had a chance at catching him. All of a sudden, a team that only scored two offensive touchdowns over the previous four games had two in the first half.
“We haven’t played well enough to win,” Jason Garrett said of Dallas’ three-game losing streak. “It’s really as simple as that. You have to go back, and you look at the specific things in each of the phases of your football team and you try to get better. That’s what we’re in the business of as coaches and as players, to make sure that we do that.
“You have to stay in the moment, you have to stay in the day. You have to stay focused on the task at hand. We’ll try to instill that in our team and just try to get better as we go forward.”
Garrett was also asked if they are still a confident team.
“I sure hope so,” he responded. “You just have to go back to work, and that’s what we have to do. We have to address the issues from the game, starting tomorrow when we watch the tape. And then we have to move forward and practice well and prepare for the next challenge.”
5.) Failed two-point conversion. For as ugly as things were Sunday, the Cowboys still had a chance to tie the game with 43 seconds left. After Dak Prescott scored on a four-yard run, Dallas lined up for a game-tying two-point play. Michael Gallup was out wide to the left. Jason Witten was to the right of the line. Tavon Austin was in the right slot, and Cedrick Wilson was out wide of Austin. Prescott was in the gun with Elliott to his left. Elliott motioned out left. The Jets were in man defense. Jamal Adams came unblocked up the middle, giving Prescott very little time to make a good throw. He targeted Witten, but the pass was too low. Witten immediately looked at the back judge for a pass interference penalty; no flag was thrown. Dallas’s onside kick try failed, and New York kneeled the ball on the final three plays of the game.
“They sent one more than we can handle,” Prescott said of the blitzing Adams. “It’s 50-50 across the board. And I’m going to take 82 every time on that. I just have to figure out a way to absorb that hit better and give him a better ball. I think he did a good job boxing (the defender) out. I’ve got to put the ball in a better place.”
Prescott finished 28 of 40 for 277 yards passing with no passing touchdowns and no interceptions. Tavon Austin led the Cowboys receivers with five catches for 64 yards. Ezekiel Elliott rushed 28 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Robert Quinn added two more sacks, giving him five in four games. Jourdan Lewis intercepted Sam Darnold late in the third quarter, but the Cowboys were unable to come up with any points on the following possession as Brett Maher missed a 40-yard field goal. Maher made field goals from 50, 62 and 32. Lewis’ interception was only the Cowboys’ second in six games.
“We know the players we have, and the men we have on this team,” Prescott said. “We’re not going to lose confidence. We’re definitely going to gain a sense of focus and a sense of accountability to lock-in, to lean on one another. And this brotherhood has to grow right now more than it ever has.”
