Sturm's Morning After: The Cowboys Quiet Lambeau And The Packers

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It feels like a weekly routine now, to gather here on Monday morning and marvel at what we have just seen the day before from a Cowboys team that most had no idea what to expect this season.

Could they win their division? Maybe, this is a very poor division, after all. But somehow they would have to keep the boat afloat until their hero could save them from a burning building in late October. We don't know many things in this unpredictable football world, but we sure know that this team cannot go on without the guy they have built around for a decade.

And then, without fanfare or notice, this guy arrived. And, the whole thing hasn't been the same ever since.

So, when the final minutes had elapsed last evening from a thorough and decisive beat-down in a place where this team hardly ever wins and against an opponent that needs no introduction, it began to occur to many that it is time to realize what we might be looking at. Not the future, but the present.

As in, in the present tense, this is a very good football team. With a chance to be even better in a NFC that has some vacancies at the top of the conference that need filling.

The Cowboys were excellent yesterday in Green Bay in so many regards that it might take a few days to properly recognize all of those who did well. They took the opening kickoff and marched the ball right down the field in a way that declared their intentions right from the top. They were not going to be fun to deal with offensively all day long.

Now, to fully appreciate why that might be particularly noteworthy, we should keep in mind that one of the final stops on the Cowboys schedule in 2015 was also Lambeau Field. On that day, the Cowboys had the dubious distinction of having the ball 12 different times and only driving the ball to their own 40-yard line twice. Now, things change in the NFL at a rapid pace, but that was December of 2015 when the Cowboys were the laughingstock of the league. Since then, they have transformed into a team that evidently can dismantle even the opponents that are pretty sure they can stand up to the Cowboys power-packed attack.

You see, the Packers had all sorts of fancy defensive statistics in the first four games of their season that had given the impression that they would be able to slow down Ezekiel Elliott and this ridiculously good offensive line. Then, they also had a pressure package that would certainly have a rookie QB making just his 3rd road start confused and uncertain with guys in his face.

Wrong and wrong.

We have grown accustomed in the last few years to expect the unexpected - good and bad - when it comes to Dallas Cowboys football. When it appears things are bad, they become quite phenomenal. When you think that they are ready to win it all, something bad happens.

But, 2016 has been a thoroughly unlikely start where Tony Romo and Dez Bryant were either absent or only barely present. And yet, this group has devoured five straight opponents by stacking one impressive performance on top of the next.

The best part of the win in Green Bay was late in the first half. The Cowboys had actually met some level of offensive resistance after that first impressive drive. On the next four occasions where the Cowboys had the football, they went punt, fumble, field goal, punt. The defense kept that from getting stressful, but for the first 29 minutes of the first half, the Cowboys had five possessions and only scored twice, with just the one touchdown. Unlike Cincinnati, this was a bit of a struggle at certain points early on.

The possession started at the Dallas 2 yard line. It seemed pretty clear that the Cowboys just wanted a little breathing room in case they have to punt. It seemed pretty clear that Green Bay wanted to force that as they called a timeout after each of Zeke's two runs that set up a 3rd and 1 from their own 11. Had Green Bay been ok with going to the locker-room down 10-6, it sure appeared the Cowboys would have been happy to oblige them.

Green Bay wanted the ball back. They weren't expecting to get it back after a kickoff, though.

3rd and 1 at the Green Bay 11. 13 personnel with Lucky Whitehead coming in motion right across the formation as the Packers are expecting Zeke again. It is important to note that Whitehead was running at Julius Peppers, the fantastic edge player since his draft back in 2002. But, if there is something that always gets Peppers, it is being left unblocked with misdirection. He always "eats the cheese" in a way like DeMarcus Ware would. Those fakes get those legends to freeze at the moment of truth, and just like the Cowboys scouted, it worked like a charm. Peppers is seeing Zeke, takes one false step to crash down, and Whitehead is out of the gate for a massive gain of 26 yards down the sideline. And at that moment, the game changed.

Now, there is :40 to play in the 1st half, and the Cowboys are out of the shadow of their own goalposts. Still only at the 38-yard line, you can bet that on another day, the conservative Jason Garrett might have offered a few runs and went to the room. Not on this day. They decided to keep throwing punches. 1st down on the very next play, the Cowboys isolate another questionable defender, this time it is Ladarius Gunter, a corner who is only playing because the Packers are down to their 4th and 5th corners for this game. Gunter is sitting at the sticks for Terrance Williams on a double move. The corner then slips and cannot recover, leaving Dak Prescott's throw over the top as easy as any practice field rep and Williams grabs another quick 42 yards in a matter of 9 seconds. This is likely the longest throw of the season for the rookie QB, and as he demonstrated at Mississippi State, that deep throw is no big deal for him, even though the Cowboys have barely unveiled that feature.

One play later, Prescott smells blood and goes right back at Gunter with Brice Butler on a very similar fade and a beautiful fingertip catch in the back corner of the end zone which completed an amazing 98-yard drive that took thirty-three seconds and put the game at 17-6 going into halftime.

The game wasn't over, but it was going to be way uphill for a struggling Packers offense the rest of the way.

Prescott continued to pass every test. His work against the blitzes was so thorough and impressive in the first half that the Packers almost stopped trying it by halftime. He knew where to go each time, and aside from the play where Peppers was able to knock the ball loose after going around Doug Free, Prescott looked like a veteran against the blitz.

And then in the 2nd half, Elliott provided the exact performance that his investment promised. He was brought in here to convert halftime leads into wins behind that unreal offensive line, and in the 2nd half, it was pretty special. He had 12 carries for 60 yards in the first half, so I don't mean to underestimate that part of his contribution. But, the 16 carries for 97 yards in the 2nd half is when the plays start to go downhill and the life is taken completely out of the stadium. The team ran for 191 yards, which is 14 more than the Packers had allowed all season to that point.

It is pretty clear who won the battle of #1 rushing offense versus #1 rushing defense. One side will likely still be ranked at the top all season. The other will likely be league-average soon enough.

It would be foolish to not properly recognize the other side of this performance, as well. The Cowboys defense was the next in the line to assist the Packers in driving that once pristine offense off the side of a cliff, but give the Cowboys plenty of credit for stripping that football loose and taking it away four times on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers has started 67 games at Lambeau Field and his offense has been guilty of four giveaways on one day just one other time. And they won that game. This one was simply impossible to win as the team stripped Jordy Nelson with a big hit from Barry Church, then Church stepped in front of a route to Randall Cobb on a play where Rodgers said he never saw Church. After that, a strip of Rodgers at the 1-yard line and another strip of Ty Montgomery late showed that David Irving has a knack for going to get the ball. Rodgers left several available plays on the field, but the Cowboys walked the tightrope well enough and when you go get the ball for your offense that many times, you erase a lot of other mistakes.

Now, the Cowboys can rest for a bit and get some players healthy. They are now the talk of the league and while we can debate where they rank amongst the best teams and we can certainly debate whether the Cowboys are smart enough not to block a moving train, we cannot debate what we have just witnessed in the last two weekends.

The Cowboys have played two teams who have perfect attendance in the playoffs the last 5 seasons (ten for ten) with the Bengals and the Packers. Not sure either is a Super Bowl contender, but they are definitely teams that play in January every year. The Cowboys have dismantled both without Romo or Bryant or Scandrick and it wasn't particularly close in either case.

These wins should do all sorts of good for the confidence level of their locker-room, and the feeling of promise of what lies ahead. They are absolutely firing on all cylinders.

This all snuck up on us in August again. But, by October, it is undeniable:

This team is very good.
 

Cotton

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That drive to end the first half showed everything you needed to see from Dak. 98 yards in 33 seconds. Dropped a dime on a deep ball and then threw a perfect pass for the TD.

 

Cowboysrock55

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That drive to end the first half showed everything you needed to see from Dak. 98 yards in 33 seconds. Dropped a dime on a deep ball and then threw a perfect pass for the TD.

Dak's deep balls were beautiful in this game. Sort of disproved the theory that he can't throw one. Now if only Butler would have caught the other one. He may have been off to the races if he could keep his feet.
 

Cotton

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Oh, and Sturm, I don't disagree with you often, but I do not believe this is a poor division this year.

 

Texas Ace

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Oh, and Sturm, I don't disagree with you often, but I do not believe this is a poor division this year.

That's what I was gonna say.

It was definitely a "very poor" division last year, but all of the teams are competitive this year and no one has a losing record.
 

Jiggyfly

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This just needs to be repeated again.

Now, there is :40 to play in the 1st half, and the Cowboys are out of the shadow of their own goalposts. Still only at the 38-yard line, you can bet that on another day, the conservative Jason Garrett might have offered a few runs and went to the room. Not on this day.
That is the biggest difference in this years offense and years past.
 

Cotton

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This just needs to be repeated again.



That is the biggest difference in this years offense and years past.
Maybe Garrett has more faith in Dak than Romo?

:tippytoe
 

ravidubey

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Maybe Garrett has more faith in Dak than Romo?

:tippytoe
The importance of Lucky's play can't be underestimated. I'm sure Garrett would have been as conservative as in the past had Whitehead not broken that long run. I was even shouting for Whitehead to stay in bounds until I realized how far he had gotten.
 

1bigfan13

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This is one of those Mondays where I feel so good about the win that I read every Cowboys article that I can get my hands on.

My productivity has been pretty negligible today. :lol

I recorded the game and plan on watching it again on Wednesday night.
 

UncleMilti

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Free is the only weak link on that OL.
 

1bigfan13

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Maybe Garrett has more faith in Dak than Romo?

:tippytoe
Or maybe Dak actually ran the play instead of a checking to a pass like a certain QB probably would have done. :tippytoe
 

Genghis Khan

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The importance of Lucky's play can't be underestimated. I'm sure Garrett would have been as conservative as in the past had Whitehead not broken that long run. I was even shouting for Whitehead to stay in bounds until I realized how far he had gotten.
Alas, I've been timestamped.
 

Smitty

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The importance of Lucky's play can't be underestimated. I'm sure Garrett would have been as conservative as in the past had Whitehead not broken that long run. I was even shouting for Whitehead to stay in bounds until I realized how far he had gotten.
And yet when he calls an aggressive play and Choice fumbles he's the worlds biggest moron. Now he's getting props for not being "conservative old Garrett."

:lol

Fans.
 

boozeman

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Maybe Garrett has more faith in Dak than Romo?

:tippytoe
I think if Romo is in there, the play call is not as patient in that no Jet to Whitehead and Romo probably chucks it to Witten a couple of times.
 

Texas Ace

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And yet when he calls an aggressive play and Choice fumbles he's the worlds biggest moron. Now he's getting props for not being "conservative old Garrett."

:lol

Fans.
Throwing a swing pass to Choice at the LOS with 80 yards to go and like 10 seconds is not an aggressive playcall.

We know you love Garrett, but don't be ridiculous and pretend that either if these situations is even remotely similar.
 

Rev

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Or maybe Dak actually ran the play instead of a checking to a pass like a certain QB probably would have done. :tippytoe
A 7 yard pass to Witten.
 

Smitty

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Throwing a swing pass to Choice at the LOS with 80 yards to go and like 10 seconds is not an aggressive playcall.

We know you love Garrett, but don't be ridiculous and pretend that either if these situations is even remotely similar.
Well I don't think the called play was a swing pass to Choice.
 

Texas Ace

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Well I don't think the called play was a swing pass to Choice.
Do you even remember the scenario? Because I don't think you do.

No one in their right mind could look at that scenario that night and think that they should do anything other than kneel the ball, and even worse, compare it to the way the 1st half ended yesterday because they weren't even remotely similar.

That night in Washington, we had a 1st and 20 from our own 35 with 4 seconds to play. There was neither a play we could run nor time enough on the clock that would've allowed us to put any points whatsoever on the board before the half.

So I don't care if the call was to Choice or not, we never should've run a play there.

You comparing that to yesterday is just another example of you arguing just to argue when it comes to Jason Garrett.
 
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