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By Bob Sturm
Oct 17, 2022
We should start at the beginning of this journey to fully comprehend what we have seen.
The last time the Cowboys were on Sunday Night Football, they were demolished by a very good team and we were left wondering if this was the last that the Dallas Cowboys would matter in 2022.
Thirty-five days later, they played again on Sunday Night Football. In many ways, they were demolished by another very good team, but this time there is no doubt that these teams will meet again in 2022 — and it will surely matter.
The best way to discuss Sunday night is through the lens of 35 days. During those five weeks, the Cowboys had to count on a backup quarterback with a substandard NFL arm along with a young and unproven offensive line to save their season.
• Could that combination help get them two wins? If so, it is conceivable that a 2-4 start might still be in the general hunt for a wild card.
• Could they miraculously find three wins? Going 3-3 would be fantastic and it would be game-on with the return of Dak Prescott.
• And 4-2 or 5-1 is so far-fetched and ridiculous, we don’t even need to consider those possibilities.
The scriptwriters are certainly not based in Dallas.
And yet, after a loss in Philadelphia that became far more entertaining than anyone could have hoped at halftime, Dallas is alive and well in the NFC at 4-2. It is still true that its worst performance of the year was 36 days back and this team remains on the proper path and all of its goals for 2022 can still be attained.
Yes, this is a matter of perspective. I think it is fair to use the proper perspective this morning that Cooper Rush and friends can feel great about how they not only kept this thing afloat, but actually were able to improve the Cowboys’ position in the race quite a bit. Especially in the case of Rush, we knew (at least those who were not completely insane) that this moment in time where he was able to outlast his scouting reports and known limitations should be cherished and appreciated for what it was. It was a magnificent confluence of many elements allowing this franchise to survive potential catastrophe. It was the validation of a defensive focus and the maturation of an offensive line. It was a masterclass in coaching a team and stubbornness to not deviate until made to do so. It turned out better than anyone could have hoped.
The Cowboys are 4-2 and are much more than still alive.
I felt that this all needed to be said at the very top of this review of their trip to Philadelphia because Sunday night felt in many ways like a “free spin” to attempt to see how hot the hand truly was.
Dallas lost this return to Sunday Night Football in a way that will feel largely off the patterns of the past five weeks, as it decided to throw caution to the wind as soon as the Eagles took a lead. Dallas has barely trailed in this five-week journey and therefore never had to play offense in a way that was not completely safe and sound in risk-taking and approach. They could dictate terms and avoid pitfalls on their terms.
That wasn’t the case Sunday. The Eagles took the lead and when they did, the Cowboys functioned as a team with nothing to lose. The very first snap that they were behind in this game they deviated from their month-long disciplined approach.
It’s first-and-10 from the Cowboys’ 25 with 14:55 to go in the second quarter. You have seen my tracking of this situation the entire time Rush has been QB. Two things have been happening as we get to this spot in the season. Dallas had not forced the moment of the ambush strikes on first down and Rush had not forced the ball into a place where he definitely cannot and should not.
Here, they put Matt Farniok at fullback which is clearly a sign that you are about to get Ezekiel Elliott right at your face. The trap has been set. But, as we said for so long, why would the opponent fall for this? If passing the ball out of run looks has been the complete supply line for this limited attack, why would the opponent push a safety up to stop the run? Surely, the Eagles know that even Elliott playing very well is not going to bust a 75-yard run on them. He is always a single-digit run threat and for that reason, if the Cowboys are on their own end of the field starting a possession, why give them an invitation to throw the ball deep?
Maybe the Giants, Commanders and Rams didn’t do their homework of logic, but it sure appeared Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon did. Gannon knows that he can live with Elliott on the ground, but he cannot let Dallas hang around with easy chunk plays on first down play-action. Gannon counters with a two-deep pass coverage and has four defensive backs behind Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb. When that happens, Rush has to see the safeties and simply check down so they can move on to second down.
Instead, the stadium is loud and you feel urgency even though it’s only five seconds into the second quarter. It is 7-0. You have to get it all back right now, right?
And that mental urgency betrayed Rush because he threw the ball right in the middle of the field. At no point was it going to be a high-percentage throw, but he tried it anyway. James Bradberry stepped in front of Gallup and the ball went high into the air before falling into the waiting arms of CJ Gardner-Johnson. The finest attribute Rush had exhibited for a month was avoiding bad decisions. Last week, we wondered if his decision-making was aided by the game situation and the idea that Dallas never trailed and therefore never felt the urge to go “get it back.” We must enter this brain-dead decision into that evidence. Because once this throw was made and the damage was done, 7-0 quickly turned into 14-0.
The stadium grows even louder and desperation grows with it.
From there, things were unraveling quickly. Dallas was trying to stay alive, but it was a night where every action caused another problem. They pushed Jason Peters into the game at left guard with the Cowboys down, 14-0. On second-and-9 of the next possession, Rush airmailed an open Jake Ferguson on another throw that had danger written all over it with Eagles circulating all around. But, on third-and-9, Rush hit Lamb underneath and he made a very nice struggle to get to the 35. For whatever reason, it was marked short of the marker, despite Lamb appearing to have enough. This is where you would love to see Mike McCarthy throw the challenge flag to get his fresh set of downs.
Is it a cheap second guess? I don’t think so. Down 14-0, this might be the game. You need to challenge that. Instead, Dallas rushed to the line for a fourth-and-inches. The Cowboys will try their favorite Rush play, the bootleg levels play with Lamb shallow and Hendershot behind him. Noah Brown is supposed to get a chip inside on Haason Reddick off the edge, but in doing so, he actually takes out Lamb who is dragging across the formation and will give Rush an easy first down. Lamb gets covered by Avonte Maddox and Rush tries Hendershot who is open but trailed by Bradberry again. The throw is badly behind Hendershot and incomplete. When the ball hits the ground, the game is officially out of hand.
I wish I understood the thought process there. If you have a franchise QB, sometimes rushing to the line and letting him have the tempo advantage makes sense. In this situation with this score and this stadium, I need the adults to rush in and grab the steering wheel. Stop the game, challenge the spot and contemplate whether you want to go for it at your own 34-yard line in the second quarter with the defense you have on your side. At no point would clear heads come to the conclusion that putting the entire game on one desperation play on your own end is a great plan.
Cooper Rush threw three interceptions Sunday vs. the Eagles. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)
It is clear that for several weeks the coaches and Rush have made almost every decision properly. On this night — even if it was only in the second quarter of an otherwise decent performance — it looks like the important decision-makers lost their collective minds for a bit.
The lack of a challenge and fourth-down adventure pushed the game to 17-0 and now alarms are blaring. Dallas has not even made Philadelphia snap the ball on its side of the field in the last two scoring possessions, mitigating any value of an elite defense. Dallas took its own defense out of the game.
Apparently unconvinced that they had done enough damage, here comes the offense a third time in this fateful quarter. Already an interception and a turnover on downs, the Cowboys faced third-and-9 at their own 26. Down 17-0, you could argue that it is a little late for the safe option. Like putting on your seatbelt after the crash, it might be better than no seatbelt, but the damage is done.
Rush drops back and sees Gallup with a safety over the top and Darius Slay in his hip pocket in the trail position. At no point should this throw be attempted, but this is life on third-and-long in the NFL. You feel desperate so you try a desperate throw and this one was an easy interception. Slay caught the ball perfectly in stride as he was helping Gallup run his route. Another turnover and another short field for the Eagles, extending their lead to 20-0 with 1:47 left in the half.
From that point, Dallas steadied the ship and played with fight and resolve. We have seen bad nights in Philadelphia where a battered and beaten Cowboys side taps out to a 44-6 final. But, this one is not giving in. Not with Micah Parsons inspiring a defensive effort that nearly pulled them all the way back. At 20-17, Dallas had the stadium concerned and fidgety. They made the fourth quarter relevant, which really says something. They finally allowed an opponent to break the 20-point barrier, but I would say the offense did most of the damage. The defense did not allow much of anything.
Seeing the spine and the stubbornness of the Cowboys’ second half offers a series of what-if questions.
What if the Cowboys challenged that spot?
What if Noah Brown secured the touchdown before halftime?
What if Dallas ended every drive in a kick as it had for a month?
Would the recipe have worked in Philadelphia?
We won’t know. We do know that every throw Rush attempted Sunday looked heavy and labored. He did not have enough velocity on his ball and he looked tired. He has probably given all he has to give and to be 4-2 when Prescott returns from a five-week absence is beyond any franchise’s wildest dreams. The coaches schemed all they could out of the last month and can only make so many bombs out of chewing gum, aluminum foil and an orange peel (shoutout to MacGyver). The tanks are empty.
But, they are empty with a mission accomplished. The goal was to stay alive and not only are they alive, but they are well. On Sunday at noon CT, Prescott will take the field with a team that is right where it needs to be in the playoff race.
Yes, the battle was lost Sunday night, but the big picture tells us many good things about where the Cowboys are and where they could be going.
The Cowboys will see the Eagles again on Christmas Eve. At that time, Dallas will be eager to show the Eagles that it is more than capable of dealing with them.
But, there is plenty of work to be done before then.
