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DQ Report, Week 17 - Appreciating Tank Lawrence
Dallas barely survives Detroit and has made some defensive adjustments at the end.
BOB STURM
JAN 3, 2024
DeMarcus Lawrence will finish his tenth season as a Dallas Cowboy on Sunday in Washington. He has played in 136 regular season games and another 8 playoff games, meaning his 144 games as a Dallas Cowboy currently position him as the fifth most of any defender in the last 30 years of Cowboys football.
On Sunday, he ties the other DeMarcus, Ware, for fourth. If the Cowboys can play two playoff games this January, then he will tie and ultimately pass Bradie James for third most. It will take a few more seasons to get to Greg Ellis (162) and Darren Woodson (175), but it is conceivable that in just a few years, Lawrence can be the most veteran Cowboys defender since the eras of career-long Cowboys like Jim Jeffcoat, Too Tall Jones, Bill Bates, and, of course, Bob Lilly.
They don’t make many like DeMarcus Lawrence anymore and since this game we are finally writing about this morning was played several days ago, I wanted to take a moment and do something I don’t do much these days, but used to be a common occurrence in my writings; which is, quite simply, to remind the Dallas Cowboys fanbase to appreciate and to savor the career of DeMarcus Lawrence.
Nobody has to ask you to do this with Ware or Micah Parsons. Deep inside, the sack producers have no issues with fans understanding what that does to a game or a drive or even an individual. Sacks are basically defensive touchdowns in that they are rare and when you get them, every person in the stadium is well aware of who we should be cheering and telling our neighbors about when we get home.
But, as you know, Lawrence has probably only had flashes of being a true “sack artist” and when he is done with his career, he will likely only have enough to get in the 60-70 career sack club. To compare, Greg Ellis was at 77 and Jim Jeffcoat was at 94 and Ware? Well, Ware had so many that they put him right into Canton. He had 146 career sacks when you add in his post-season work which puts him with the greatest of the great to ever play this sport at all.
Yet, that isn’t Lawrence. Tank is a different kind of defender and has always been that guy. He is the old-school defender who is not about edge defending. He is about run-destroying. Yes, he wants to get sacks, but he is just as interested in blowing up the run plays.
You know, stop the run? The grunt work of defense? The inside run plays that make the casuals look at their phone in the stadium? That seldom gets the people on their feet, but there is Lawrence, busting his tail again, taking on players at the point of attack when the sack guys play patty-cake, going to war.
I bring this up because Tank had a huge Tank game on Saturday. There is a real chance you didn’t realize he was the Cowboys best defender.
Now, that we are talking about our guy, it is a good time to point out that since 2014, he has been the Cowboys top graded run defender nearly every year. Here he is in 2024 and well past his 30th birthday and guess who the Cowboys top run defender is again?
It is always DeMarcus Lawrence.
Do you know who is the Cowboys top splash play defender in the last two seasons?
Of course you do. It is Micah Parsons. But, the margin to second place behind Micah might surprise you.
Since the start of 2022, look who is in a 2nd place position. And he is close enough that with a big game on Sunday, he could actually pass Parsons for the title at the finish line:
Did you know this? Did you realize Tank makes as many big defensive plays as even Parsons? Of course the sack totals are not close, but when you include them all – the tackles for loss, the run stuffs, the forced fumbles, third down and short tackles, the deflected passes and everything, Lawrence’s production is right there with the young man who people think might be the best defender in the league.
But, we still have to explain to people how good DeMarcus Lawrence really is to some folks (not the wise readers of this newsletter, of course)?
I made a reel. I made a reel of all of Lawrence’s splash plays from Saturday Night, when he was probably the best Dallas defender, but, of course, hardly talked about.
Take a look:
The Lions love to run the ball, but Lawrence blew up play after play and frustrated their run game most of the night. The man was great there, but he is always an excellent player in the trenches.
Hall of Fame? Probably not. But, some day, when the kid asks you about what kind of player Tank Lawrence was, make sure you tell him that he did all the dirty work on this defense for his entire career. He played hard every game and he didn’t need a bunch of people in his jersey to keep doing it.
In other words, he is just the type of player you want on your roster.
What a player.
Well, as you know, Dallas got away with one on Saturday. They played pretty well across the board defensively as this drive chart will show you.
Anytime you can play a Top 5 offense like Detroit (Seriously! They are!) and hold them to 3-points in the entire first half, you have to be delighted.
The second half was not as impressive as Detroit scored on three of five drives for 16 points and tried to steal the game at the final gun. It sure looked like they did – until the officiating controversy of the week hit our TV screens in earnest.
You never want to surrender 150+ yards in the fourth quarter alone, but Dallas did and it nearly cost them all of the good vibes everyone is feeling this week with a chance to nick the No. 2 seed through hard work and some crazy luck.
The Weekly data is absolutely a mixed bag:
You will take 19 points every day, but 420 yards and 6.3 yards per play are not good. So, Saturday was a story of plenty of mixed results. The Cowboys got their big plays on defense with two great takeaways and ten stops on 3rd and 4th down. And yes, to their credit, they weathered three two-point conversions at the end with the lone exception being when they did not cover a receiver that was not announced as eligible (Taylor Decker controversy and all).
The Dallas defense is scrambling right now and we should credit them for the level of battle they have shown since the Buffalo humiliation. There is a universe where a moment like that can be used for good and the way they have defended since that day in Miami and on Saturday against Detroit suggests that they took it personally. Good. That was what we hoped.
But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some strategic adjustments being made, too.
Above, please see how Dallas is moving some of the levers on their call sheet. For the first time, we are seeing Dallas really lean into zone defenses in Weeks 16-17 and even more-so into split-safety coverages.
As we look at what this means, with more safeties high to help in coverage, you have less players to play the run and to blitz. Hypothetically, they are not as worried about getting pass pressure with numbers. They want to count on the front four.
Check the blitz rate chart below and notice Weeks 16 and 17.
Is Dallas trying to do something different for January or is it matchup specific against two offenses that aren’t that different with Miami and Detroit in how they attack you. Or, are we reading too much into this and is Dallas just trying to ease up on the reins to give the horses a chance to replenish energy reserves for the playoff games?
Our theories are all just theories without inside information.
JARED GOFF THROW CHART
What an interesting player and QB decision for Detroit for the years to come. Do you marry him or keep looking? I assume they extend him and lean into what he does well, but he does always seem to be a guy you can pressure into mistakes at just the wrong time, despite playing the position really well the rest of the time.
He is a very difficult evaluation, but he is also a guy who has and will make a ton of money in this league (and was the No. 1 pick overall in 2016).
WEEK 17 SPLASH PLAYS
SEASON TO DATE SPLASH PLAYS
DeMarcus Lawrence just keeps producing. And yes, Jourdan Lewis does, too. I guess veteran presence actually has more value than just being “good guys in the room.”
FILM STUDY
OK, quick pass through a game that had a lot of talking points. I will try to keep the descriptions brief (lol).
1Q - 5:15 - 3rd and 8 - DAL 40 - J.Goff sacked at DAL 47 for -7 yards (D.Armstrong).
Four-man rush. Who caused pressure for this sack? Everyone. Dallas can win a lot of games if you can just send four and they all get home on 3rd and 8. This is what you want to see from your defensive front. And yes, now you can dedicate seven to coverage and play man with a bunch of robber-types and this is as sound as it gets.
1Q - 2:00 - 3rd and 2 - DET 33 - D.Montgomery up the middle to DET 30 for -3 yards (D.Fowler).
Dallas won on a lot of third downs on Saturday and we cannot lose sight of that role in this win. On 3rd down and short, you know Detroit is planning on running for these and here the motion man is the rookie standout TE Sam LaPorta who has a running start to light up Fowler on the edge. If he does, this is an easy 3rd down, but Fowler makes him miss and then lights up the RB for a TFL and just makes an outstanding play. Fowler is a very nice piece to have. Great work.
2Q - 14:10 - 1st and 10 - DAL 38 - J.Goff pass short left intended for D.Montgomery INTERCEPTED by J.Lewis at DAL 46. J.Lewis to DAL 46 for no gain (D.Montgomery).
Takeaway No. 1 was early in the 2nd Quarter and I just want to make sure we are being rightfully fair to Jourdan Lewis. He is a smart defender who is prepared and plays with an edge. I have grown to appreciate him more and more when we started focusing on what he is rather than worry about what he is not. For him to sniff out this screen and notice he actually can make a play on the ball is nothing short of fantastic defense. Heck of a job by the Michigan man.
2Q - 10:06 - 3rd and 2 - DET 28 - J.Goff pass incomplete short middle to J.Williams [O.Odighizuwa].
Another third-and-short and the Lions want a play-action crosser to Williams. This is where you ask questions about Goff in the big situation as he misses on these passes at the moment of truth a bit too often. The Cowboys are dead here, but the pass bounces at Williams feet for no discernible reason. I don’t get this miss, but they call it the “money down” for a reason.
2Q - 10:01 - 4th and 2 - DET 28 - J.Reeves-Maybin pass deep right to K.Dorsey to DAL 41 for 31 yards (J.Tolbert).
So, very next play. After your QB misses a throw in this situation, I guess you are tempted to allow a defensive back to make a better throw here on a fake punt from your own 28-yard line. I think this is a good time to point out that Dan Campbell may be nuts. He is SO aggressive. And it worked. The other thing is that Jalen Tolbert has been burned on this twice this month and I bet that isn’t helping his standing with the coaching staff to let this happen again. Tough job, but he is being targeted and it is up to him to close that door.
2Q - 5:45 - 4th and Goal - DAL 4 - J.Goff pass incomplete short middle to S.LaPorta.
So, the Lions extend the drive and on 4th and Goal decide to pass on a sure 3-points (which we would find out are a pretty big deal) and go for it again. As Troy pointed out on the broadcast, it looks like the slant to the right is there, but otherwise, Dallas has nice coverage that holds up and Goff isn’t able to fit it in there to LaPorta.
3Q - 4:38 - 3rd and 2 - DAL 3 - D.Montgomery left guard for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is where the game feels like it is turning some late in the 3rd Quarter and they punch it in with authority with a Montgomery run that washes out Mazi Smith and Markquese Bell a bit in what we would call one snap to sort of demonstrate the Cowboys run defense if Lawrence or Parsons cannot make a play in the backfield.
4Q - 14:21 - 2nd and 12 - DET 23 - J.Goff pass deep middle to J.Williams to DAL 14 for 63 yards (D.Bland)
Speed kills, we have been told. This is a good example of that as Jameson Williams laughs at your Cover 4 and Malik Hooker is not much help (not sure where he was going, but it wasn’t helping) for DaRon Bland when Williams shows you what 4.3 looks like. Goff can throw it a mile and when he does, the ominous feelings in the stadium can be felt through the televisions.
Detroit will take a 13-10 lead at this point. Dallas scores to go back up 17-13 and then come the save situations. Dallas got two stops and those could have both been the “save,” but we know it didn’t quite happen that way.
4Q - 2:11 - 1st and 10 - DET 26 - J.Goff pass short left intended for S.LaPorta INTERCEPTED by D.Wilson at DET 29.
Here is another example of why Jared Goff is not terribly well trusted. Heck of an interception by Donovan Wilson, but this ball placement is very poor. This is the type of decision that put Kyle Shanahan out on Jimmy G and even Sean McVay out on Jared Goff in Los Angeles, despite the fact those teams were winning games. This is a pattern and it simply cannot happen.
And then, Dallas did not kill the game so Detroit has a 2-minute drill that is on the next video that shows you how to give up 75 yards in five throws. Yeesh.
2 Minute Drill - 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:18 drive
Soft Cover 2 and Cover 4 all the way down and the Lions just shredded it. It was very poorly done by the defense and I just don’t think you should ever defend like that in this league anymore. If you do, your pass rush has to win.
2 PT Conversion - 70-D.Skipper reported in as eligible. TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. J.Goff pass to T.Decker is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. PENALTY on DET-T.Decker, Illegal Touch Pass, 5 yards, enforced at DAL 2 - No Play.
I have been asked to deconstruct this in the mailbag on Friday and I will attempt to do so, but my main takeaway is two-fold. One, Decker is not covered up on the left end and that makes him eligible. But, two, the Cowboys were not told “68” is eligible and as long as he wears that number, if the Cowboys are not told he is eligible, then they do not have to cover him. If they were told, they surely would have covered him, so I do not agree that this is a case of the Cowboys “getting away with murder.” It is not their job to report or to officiate.
2 Pt Conversion No. 3 - TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. J.Goff pass to J.Mitchell is incomplete. ATTEMPT FAILS.
And then this final attempt is another case of your QB making a poor throw with a game on the line and why I don’t think I can trust him as my QB in these spots. The play works and LaPorta screens off Mitchell’s man. A proper throw is a win. The Cowboys were saved by Goff being Goff.
So, take your win and Kyler Murray’s moment of greatness the next day, and run!
Dallas barely survives Detroit and has made some defensive adjustments at the end.
BOB STURM
JAN 3, 2024
DeMarcus Lawrence will finish his tenth season as a Dallas Cowboy on Sunday in Washington. He has played in 136 regular season games and another 8 playoff games, meaning his 144 games as a Dallas Cowboy currently position him as the fifth most of any defender in the last 30 years of Cowboys football.
On Sunday, he ties the other DeMarcus, Ware, for fourth. If the Cowboys can play two playoff games this January, then he will tie and ultimately pass Bradie James for third most. It will take a few more seasons to get to Greg Ellis (162) and Darren Woodson (175), but it is conceivable that in just a few years, Lawrence can be the most veteran Cowboys defender since the eras of career-long Cowboys like Jim Jeffcoat, Too Tall Jones, Bill Bates, and, of course, Bob Lilly.
They don’t make many like DeMarcus Lawrence anymore and since this game we are finally writing about this morning was played several days ago, I wanted to take a moment and do something I don’t do much these days, but used to be a common occurrence in my writings; which is, quite simply, to remind the Dallas Cowboys fanbase to appreciate and to savor the career of DeMarcus Lawrence.
Nobody has to ask you to do this with Ware or Micah Parsons. Deep inside, the sack producers have no issues with fans understanding what that does to a game or a drive or even an individual. Sacks are basically defensive touchdowns in that they are rare and when you get them, every person in the stadium is well aware of who we should be cheering and telling our neighbors about when we get home.
But, as you know, Lawrence has probably only had flashes of being a true “sack artist” and when he is done with his career, he will likely only have enough to get in the 60-70 career sack club. To compare, Greg Ellis was at 77 and Jim Jeffcoat was at 94 and Ware? Well, Ware had so many that they put him right into Canton. He had 146 career sacks when you add in his post-season work which puts him with the greatest of the great to ever play this sport at all.
Yet, that isn’t Lawrence. Tank is a different kind of defender and has always been that guy. He is the old-school defender who is not about edge defending. He is about run-destroying. Yes, he wants to get sacks, but he is just as interested in blowing up the run plays.
You know, stop the run? The grunt work of defense? The inside run plays that make the casuals look at their phone in the stadium? That seldom gets the people on their feet, but there is Lawrence, busting his tail again, taking on players at the point of attack when the sack guys play patty-cake, going to war.
I bring this up because Tank had a huge Tank game on Saturday. There is a real chance you didn’t realize he was the Cowboys best defender.
Now, that we are talking about our guy, it is a good time to point out that since 2014, he has been the Cowboys top graded run defender nearly every year. Here he is in 2024 and well past his 30th birthday and guess who the Cowboys top run defender is again?
It is always DeMarcus Lawrence.
Do you know who is the Cowboys top splash play defender in the last two seasons?
Of course you do. It is Micah Parsons. But, the margin to second place behind Micah might surprise you.
Since the start of 2022, look who is in a 2nd place position. And he is close enough that with a big game on Sunday, he could actually pass Parsons for the title at the finish line:
Did you know this? Did you realize Tank makes as many big defensive plays as even Parsons? Of course the sack totals are not close, but when you include them all – the tackles for loss, the run stuffs, the forced fumbles, third down and short tackles, the deflected passes and everything, Lawrence’s production is right there with the young man who people think might be the best defender in the league.
But, we still have to explain to people how good DeMarcus Lawrence really is to some folks (not the wise readers of this newsletter, of course)?
I made a reel. I made a reel of all of Lawrence’s splash plays from Saturday Night, when he was probably the best Dallas defender, but, of course, hardly talked about.
Take a look:
The Lions love to run the ball, but Lawrence blew up play after play and frustrated their run game most of the night. The man was great there, but he is always an excellent player in the trenches.
Hall of Fame? Probably not. But, some day, when the kid asks you about what kind of player Tank Lawrence was, make sure you tell him that he did all the dirty work on this defense for his entire career. He played hard every game and he didn’t need a bunch of people in his jersey to keep doing it.
In other words, he is just the type of player you want on your roster.
What a player.
Well, as you know, Dallas got away with one on Saturday. They played pretty well across the board defensively as this drive chart will show you.
Anytime you can play a Top 5 offense like Detroit (Seriously! They are!) and hold them to 3-points in the entire first half, you have to be delighted.
The second half was not as impressive as Detroit scored on three of five drives for 16 points and tried to steal the game at the final gun. It sure looked like they did – until the officiating controversy of the week hit our TV screens in earnest.
You never want to surrender 150+ yards in the fourth quarter alone, but Dallas did and it nearly cost them all of the good vibes everyone is feeling this week with a chance to nick the No. 2 seed through hard work and some crazy luck.
The Weekly data is absolutely a mixed bag:
You will take 19 points every day, but 420 yards and 6.3 yards per play are not good. So, Saturday was a story of plenty of mixed results. The Cowboys got their big plays on defense with two great takeaways and ten stops on 3rd and 4th down. And yes, to their credit, they weathered three two-point conversions at the end with the lone exception being when they did not cover a receiver that was not announced as eligible (Taylor Decker controversy and all).
The Dallas defense is scrambling right now and we should credit them for the level of battle they have shown since the Buffalo humiliation. There is a universe where a moment like that can be used for good and the way they have defended since that day in Miami and on Saturday against Detroit suggests that they took it personally. Good. That was what we hoped.
But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some strategic adjustments being made, too.
Above, please see how Dallas is moving some of the levers on their call sheet. For the first time, we are seeing Dallas really lean into zone defenses in Weeks 16-17 and even more-so into split-safety coverages.
As we look at what this means, with more safeties high to help in coverage, you have less players to play the run and to blitz. Hypothetically, they are not as worried about getting pass pressure with numbers. They want to count on the front four.
Check the blitz rate chart below and notice Weeks 16 and 17.
Is Dallas trying to do something different for January or is it matchup specific against two offenses that aren’t that different with Miami and Detroit in how they attack you. Or, are we reading too much into this and is Dallas just trying to ease up on the reins to give the horses a chance to replenish energy reserves for the playoff games?
Our theories are all just theories without inside information.
JARED GOFF THROW CHART
What an interesting player and QB decision for Detroit for the years to come. Do you marry him or keep looking? I assume they extend him and lean into what he does well, but he does always seem to be a guy you can pressure into mistakes at just the wrong time, despite playing the position really well the rest of the time.
He is a very difficult evaluation, but he is also a guy who has and will make a ton of money in this league (and was the No. 1 pick overall in 2016).
WEEK 17 SPLASH PLAYS
SEASON TO DATE SPLASH PLAYS
DeMarcus Lawrence just keeps producing. And yes, Jourdan Lewis does, too. I guess veteran presence actually has more value than just being “good guys in the room.”
FILM STUDY
OK, quick pass through a game that had a lot of talking points. I will try to keep the descriptions brief (lol).
1Q - 5:15 - 3rd and 8 - DAL 40 - J.Goff sacked at DAL 47 for -7 yards (D.Armstrong).
Four-man rush. Who caused pressure for this sack? Everyone. Dallas can win a lot of games if you can just send four and they all get home on 3rd and 8. This is what you want to see from your defensive front. And yes, now you can dedicate seven to coverage and play man with a bunch of robber-types and this is as sound as it gets.
1Q - 2:00 - 3rd and 2 - DET 33 - D.Montgomery up the middle to DET 30 for -3 yards (D.Fowler).
Dallas won on a lot of third downs on Saturday and we cannot lose sight of that role in this win. On 3rd down and short, you know Detroit is planning on running for these and here the motion man is the rookie standout TE Sam LaPorta who has a running start to light up Fowler on the edge. If he does, this is an easy 3rd down, but Fowler makes him miss and then lights up the RB for a TFL and just makes an outstanding play. Fowler is a very nice piece to have. Great work.
2Q - 14:10 - 1st and 10 - DAL 38 - J.Goff pass short left intended for D.Montgomery INTERCEPTED by J.Lewis at DAL 46. J.Lewis to DAL 46 for no gain (D.Montgomery).
Takeaway No. 1 was early in the 2nd Quarter and I just want to make sure we are being rightfully fair to Jourdan Lewis. He is a smart defender who is prepared and plays with an edge. I have grown to appreciate him more and more when we started focusing on what he is rather than worry about what he is not. For him to sniff out this screen and notice he actually can make a play on the ball is nothing short of fantastic defense. Heck of a job by the Michigan man.
2Q - 10:06 - 3rd and 2 - DET 28 - J.Goff pass incomplete short middle to J.Williams [O.Odighizuwa].
Another third-and-short and the Lions want a play-action crosser to Williams. This is where you ask questions about Goff in the big situation as he misses on these passes at the moment of truth a bit too often. The Cowboys are dead here, but the pass bounces at Williams feet for no discernible reason. I don’t get this miss, but they call it the “money down” for a reason.
2Q - 10:01 - 4th and 2 - DET 28 - J.Reeves-Maybin pass deep right to K.Dorsey to DAL 41 for 31 yards (J.Tolbert).
So, very next play. After your QB misses a throw in this situation, I guess you are tempted to allow a defensive back to make a better throw here on a fake punt from your own 28-yard line. I think this is a good time to point out that Dan Campbell may be nuts. He is SO aggressive. And it worked. The other thing is that Jalen Tolbert has been burned on this twice this month and I bet that isn’t helping his standing with the coaching staff to let this happen again. Tough job, but he is being targeted and it is up to him to close that door.
2Q - 5:45 - 4th and Goal - DAL 4 - J.Goff pass incomplete short middle to S.LaPorta.
So, the Lions extend the drive and on 4th and Goal decide to pass on a sure 3-points (which we would find out are a pretty big deal) and go for it again. As Troy pointed out on the broadcast, it looks like the slant to the right is there, but otherwise, Dallas has nice coverage that holds up and Goff isn’t able to fit it in there to LaPorta.
3Q - 4:38 - 3rd and 2 - DAL 3 - D.Montgomery left guard for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is where the game feels like it is turning some late in the 3rd Quarter and they punch it in with authority with a Montgomery run that washes out Mazi Smith and Markquese Bell a bit in what we would call one snap to sort of demonstrate the Cowboys run defense if Lawrence or Parsons cannot make a play in the backfield.
4Q - 14:21 - 2nd and 12 - DET 23 - J.Goff pass deep middle to J.Williams to DAL 14 for 63 yards (D.Bland)
Speed kills, we have been told. This is a good example of that as Jameson Williams laughs at your Cover 4 and Malik Hooker is not much help (not sure where he was going, but it wasn’t helping) for DaRon Bland when Williams shows you what 4.3 looks like. Goff can throw it a mile and when he does, the ominous feelings in the stadium can be felt through the televisions.
Detroit will take a 13-10 lead at this point. Dallas scores to go back up 17-13 and then come the save situations. Dallas got two stops and those could have both been the “save,” but we know it didn’t quite happen that way.
4Q - 2:11 - 1st and 10 - DET 26 - J.Goff pass short left intended for S.LaPorta INTERCEPTED by D.Wilson at DET 29.
Here is another example of why Jared Goff is not terribly well trusted. Heck of an interception by Donovan Wilson, but this ball placement is very poor. This is the type of decision that put Kyle Shanahan out on Jimmy G and even Sean McVay out on Jared Goff in Los Angeles, despite the fact those teams were winning games. This is a pattern and it simply cannot happen.
And then, Dallas did not kill the game so Detroit has a 2-minute drill that is on the next video that shows you how to give up 75 yards in five throws. Yeesh.
2 Minute Drill - 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:18 drive
Soft Cover 2 and Cover 4 all the way down and the Lions just shredded it. It was very poorly done by the defense and I just don’t think you should ever defend like that in this league anymore. If you do, your pass rush has to win.
2 PT Conversion - 70-D.Skipper reported in as eligible. TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. J.Goff pass to T.Decker is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. PENALTY on DET-T.Decker, Illegal Touch Pass, 5 yards, enforced at DAL 2 - No Play.
I have been asked to deconstruct this in the mailbag on Friday and I will attempt to do so, but my main takeaway is two-fold. One, Decker is not covered up on the left end and that makes him eligible. But, two, the Cowboys were not told “68” is eligible and as long as he wears that number, if the Cowboys are not told he is eligible, then they do not have to cover him. If they were told, they surely would have covered him, so I do not agree that this is a case of the Cowboys “getting away with murder.” It is not their job to report or to officiate.
2 Pt Conversion No. 3 - TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. J.Goff pass to J.Mitchell is incomplete. ATTEMPT FAILS.
And then this final attempt is another case of your QB making a poor throw with a game on the line and why I don’t think I can trust him as my QB in these spots. The play works and LaPorta screens off Mitchell’s man. A proper throw is a win. The Cowboys were saved by Goff being Goff.
So, take your win and Kyler Murray’s moment of greatness the next day, and run!