Sturm: Why Cowboys fans should feel disturbed by Packers loss (though they're still a playoff team)

Cotton

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Why Cowboys fans should feel disturbed by Packers loss (though they're still a playoff team)
By Bob Sturm , Special contributor

Bob Sturm, SportsDayDFW.com contributor and co-host of BaD Radio weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on SportsRadio 1310-AM and 96.7-FM The Ticket, gives his reactions to the Cowboys' loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday:

Did Aaron Rodgers win this game or did the Cowboys lose it?


I think it is pretty clear that whoever had the ball last was likely to win. That makes this very certainly the work of Aaron Rodgers being unstoppable for Rod Marinelli and this defense in this type of situation. It happened in the 2014 playoff game and the 2016 playoff game. That is why the Dez catch controversy in 2014 always seemed difficult to completely buy into because Rodgers would have still had four minutes and the ball in his hands. The Cowboys were very close to stopping him many times that day, many times in the playoffs last January, and if David Irving can just trip him on that third and long scramble, they are likely at least in overtime -- assuming Mason Crosby can make a kick -- but, they couldn't get him one more time. He is certainly building a resume of these situations against this team, and it almost feels like the end of NBA games. The first 3 1/2 quarters happen and they matter, but it might come down to whether you can stop Rodgers one time in this situation to win the game. He was left too much time.

I said it in 2014 and I will say it again. The best way to stop him in these situations is to not let him have the ball back. You have to take the clock all the way down. That has to be a main priority.

How much did the play call on second down (incomplete pass to Dez on drive previous to winning TD) cost the Cowboys?

It certainly didn't help. As soon as they got the review with 2:00 to play, it became incredibly clear that they had to make Green Bay burn its last timeout and leave almost no time after they score a touchdown. Now, that is difficult to add a degree of difficulty to scoring, but to risk stopping the clock in that spot was dangerous. I was going to keep pounding Zeke until he was in the end zone and frankly, I expected that there would be a spot where Green Bay would try to let them score because there is a certain point where they knew their destiny rested with Rodgers over their defense, too.
Jaylon Smith is a great story but how have his struggles hurt the Cowboys?

He just can't do what he needs to do right now. The Cowboys are starting to see that, and obviously when Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens are both available, he will see his role greatly reduced. He just can't do it. I did not expect Aaron Jones, of all people, would be able to attack him like Todd Gurley did, but you saw plenty of run situations where they went right at Smith and he had a hard time passing the exam. He is a great story and possibly a great player in the future. But there is no time like the present in the NFL, and he is being attacked like a rookie.

Whose fault was it on the interception return for the TD?

Terrance Williams cannot let that ball eat him up like that. He has the reputation of a body catcher, and that play did not help his reputation. Prescott was not perfect today, and that throw wasn't perfect, either, but he is trying to throw the ball to the side away from Clay Matthews and that is a routine play for an NFL wide receiver to adjust to accordingly.

How should Cowboys fans feel entering the bye?


Disturbed. We knew the schedule was rough, but that Rams loss is everything right now as 3-2 at the bye feels fine. But to lose back-to-back home games late in the game both times is going to really hurt. You should feel good about David Irving's return, and how impressive he looks in game one means plenty. But losing as many games as you did in 2016 by Oct. 8 is a tough pill to swallow for two weeks. Not the bye week you were hoping for.

Any other thoughts on the game?

Well, nobody wants to hear this, but that was a really strong offensive performance again. Elliott looks back in form, and the offense is still capable of very impressive things. The defense is still a work in progress, but with Lee and this pass rush with DeMarcus Lawrence and Irving, I am still comfortable that they are a playoff team and likely to win the East.
 

Texas Ace

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Any other thoughts on the game?

Well, nobody wants to hear this, but that was a really strong offensive performance again. Elliott looks back in form, and the offense is still capable of very impressive things. The defense is still a work in progress, but with Lee and this pass rush with DeMarcus Lawrence and Irving, I am still comfortable that they are a playoff team and likely to win the East.
I love Bob Sturm's material and he's a really smart football guy, but I think he's wrong here.

He must have forgotten who the HC of this team is and how he's allergic to consecutive winning seasons.

Could they bounce back to win 10 games? Maybe....but my guess is they fall closer to 8-8.

But what they aren't going to do is win the East. Philly is the better team right now and they have the easier schedule. We are not catching them.
 

Chocolate Lab

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Has Bob watched the rest of the division at all? Right now the Eagles and Skins are both better than us.

Really, from what I've seen, I think the Skins are the best team in the division right now. Their defense against the Chiefs was extremely impressive.
 
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Smitty

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Whose fault was it on the interception return for the TD?

Terrance Williams cannot let that ball eat him up like that. He has the reputation of a body catcher, and that play did not help his reputation. Prescott was not perfect today, and that throw wasn't perfect, either, but he is trying to throw the ball to the side away from Clay Matthews and that is a routine play for an NFL wide receiver to adjust to accordingly.
Horrendous. If there was one play that cost us the game, it was this. Williams just can't let that happen. Not only does he drop it.... he clangs it up in the air for the defense to catch. It was barely contested, he just botched it.

F-.

Not that the defense was stopping anyone, but you take more time off the clock by finishing that drive and punting and then make GB drive, instead of the free 7 points.

The end of the game would have been completely different. Maybe we have the ball at the end instead.

How should Cowboys fans feel entering the bye?[/B]

Disturbed. We knew the schedule was rough, but that Rams loss is everything right now as 3-2 at the bye feels fine. But to lose back-to-back home games late in the game both times is going to really hurt. You should feel good about David Irving's return, and how impressive he looks in game one means plenty. But losing as many games as you did in 2016 by Oct. 8 is a tough pill to swallow for two weeks. Not the bye week you were hoping for.

Any other thoughts on the game?

Well, nobody wants to hear this, but that was a really strong offensive performance again. Elliott looks back in form, and the offense is still capable of very impressive things. The defense is still a work in progress, but with Lee and this pass rush with DeMarcus Lawrence and Irving, I am still comfortable that they are a playoff team and likely to win the East.
There are signs the offense is getting it together, but I'm not sure that we are Sean Lee away from being fine on defense.

This defense can't stop anything right now. Anything.
 

Smitty

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I love Bob Sturm's material and he's a really smart football guy, but I think he's wrong here.

He must have forgotten who the HC of this team is and how he's allergic to consecutive winning seasons.

Could they bounce back to win 10 games? Maybe....but my guess is they fall closer to 8-8.

But what they aren't going to do is win the East. Philly is the better team right now and they have the easier schedule. We are not catching them.
Not sold on Philly. They are beating up on lousy competition right now. They will lose their share down the stretch.

We have to win our division games. That will decide things.

But as of right now, this defense won't be able to stop the Skins or Eagles.
 

Simpleton

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Assuming that we're relatively healthy Marinelli's job should hinge on whether or not he can get this defense at least to last year's level following the bye and through the rest of the season. He should probably be fired anyway, along with the rest of the staff but that's a different story, but if he can do that I feel like we have a realistic shot of getting to 10 wins.

We have 11 games left, 5 division, 6 outside the division. You have three road division games, with WAS and PHI at home, gotta win both at home, beat the tanking Giants on the road and split the other two road games, that's 4-1 and takes us to 6-4. Then you have @SF, @OAK, SEA, KC, @ATL, LAC for the other 6.

Have to beat the Chargers and Niners, then figure out a way to split the other four, with Seattle being the most likely win of the four.

I think we end up at 8-8 but if Marinelli can get the defense to at least average, like last year, then we could definitely get to 9, maybe 10 wins, and I wouldn't be surprised if 9 won the division if we sweep Philly and it comes down to tiebreakers. Either way, I think Marinelli's job should depend on whether or not he can get this defense back to last year's level.
 

UncleMilti

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This team might.....,MIGHT....win 9 games. That’s a brutal schedule coming up, and almost every team has a strong WR core that is going to give this secondary fits.
 

p1_

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This bears repeating:

I said it in 2014 and I will say it again. The best way to stop him in these situations is to not let him have the ball back. You have to take the clock all the way down. That has to be a main priority.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Garrett, are you listening? Is there anyone in there?
 

midswat

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I don’t think we’re a playoff team.

On the one hand, you look at our offensive production yesterday and say we can play with anyone. But it bears noting, as many have, that that packers team was a mash unit decimated by injuries.

I think it’ll come down to the redskins winning at 9-7.
 

p1_

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Assuming that we're relatively healthy Marinelli's job should hinge on whether or not he can get this defense at least to last year's level following the bye and through the rest of the season.
Careful making assumptions, health seems to be a concern with our defense.The key to Marinelli's success/demise seems to rest on the shoulders of the linebacking unit, healthy Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens. We cant continue to let the relative unknown Aaron Joneses of the schedule gash us for 4 quarters a game. Its hard to assume either player will get through this schedule unscathed. Jaylon Smith should be out of the conversation, really. Its time for management to admit this experiment to be failed at this point. Who knows if Jaylon will ever be any more than he is right now, which is a shadow of the pre-draft stud he once was.
 
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