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The Morning After Week 13 - Shootout Night
Dallas and Seattle engaged in a long, gritty, exhausting, and penalty-filled track meet
BOB STURM
DEC 1, 2023
It was everything this team needed in one game. That is not some postgame rationalization. Instead, it was the call in this space and on the radio in the pregame. This 2023 Dallas Cowboys team may not have had the proper preparation for how to win games like this until Thursday; Games that are uglier than you want and the opponent is more determined than that, too.
We see this often in boxing and MMA. A top talent is coasting along with decisive wins and fearful opponents. The 1st round stoppages are partly based on a force of violence and the other part is a terrified foe who just wants to survive to see tomorrow. These types can be useful, but only to a degree. There comes a point, however, where you know your fighter needs to move up a level where the opponents have been in enough wars that they are not scared of you. They are going to make you work harder than you want and go deeper into the water and the late rounds than you would prefer. They are going to hit back hard and try to rock you. They are going to make you dig deep and provide you with a stiff test.
That was what Dallas needed from Seattle as they walked into December. They needed a team that belongs in the playoffs to push them to the brink. Something between the best teams in the league and the very worst. A game against an opponent playing for something, too. They needed games like this to show that sometimes you will need to use the 4th Quarter for more than stretching out the reserves.
And boy, did Seattle give them all they wanted and plenty they didn’t.
When it was over, Dallas had its hard-fought 41-35, victory, but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty. Dallas moves to 9-3 on the season but for the first time since Week 6 in Los Angeles, they won a game against a team that could push back and that wasn’t going to back down. It was a tough fight and the ability to “find a way or make a way” will make the Cowboys a better team moving forward.
This is exactly what they needed.
It was a game with no punts from either team and pure chaos from both. It was cleanly played in that there was 143 plays and just one turnover. But, it was not cleanly played in that we witnessed 257 yards in 19 combined penalties assessed with countless others declined.
It took all night to play it and even the viewers were exhausted when it was finally over. But, doggone, what a night of football to witness. And what a game for Dallas to grind out. After being told all year that they will need the defense to drag them to victories because the offense couldn’t do it, I think we saw the truth last night. This offense is clicking at a level that puts them in a very scary category. It appears for large swaths of each performance, they simply can boss the game right down the field repeatedly.
And I think we all know what that means – this is easily the best version of Dak Prescott that any of us have ever seen. He appears to have certainly leveled-up and therefore this team can win in more ways than one and looks capable of more than they have in a long time.
Now, before anyone gets too worked up, let’s acknowledge a few things. It was just Seattle and that team is definitely not going to contend for a Super Bowl. Their offense seldom looks like it did against Dallas, so, allowing them to roll up 400 yards, 35 points, and nine different 3rd down conversions won’t make anyone in Dan Quinn’s office too happy.
It was an extremely rough night for Cowboys corners and DaRon Bland, in particular. Bland, who was actually part of the game promo as “DaRon Bland and the Cowboys defense” before hand by one of the broadcasts. To be the singled out name on a marquee over Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, or even former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore must have messed with his head a bit, but not nearly as much as trying to tangle with DK Metcalf. Metcalf is a freak of nature with a combination of size and speed that was having its way with Bland. The 3rd and 8 throw that Metcalf turned into a 73-yard touchdown – partly because the safety appeared a bit out to lunch himself – set the tone for a very difficult first half for a guy we just spent an entire thousand words singing his praises. Massive credit to the adjustment at the intermission to switch Gilmore over to him to travel with him and continue playing man coverage. Also, we must question Seattle deciding to look elsewhere and allow Metcalf to be a much smaller initiative as they kept attacking Bland and Jourdan Lewis, instead.
Also, we must point out that this was not a wonderful game-management job by Mike McCarthy. One thing about 25-point wins is that your in-game decisions do not seem terribly weighty and vital. Not every choice of taking a field goal or going for it seems to be so important and therefore scrutinized. But, in this game, one where the Cowboys spent time trailing in each and every quarter, McCarthy seemed to take some reckless chances and some others that looked ill-informed. We certainly try not to argue based on outcomes, but the passing of a 2-point conversion late in the 3rd quarter to tie the game at 28-28 was bad enough. But the late game, 3rd down throw into the end zone seemed incredibly perilous and the type of decision that can get you beat. There was 1:52 left, with Dallas facing a crucial 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 14. They were up just three points at 38-35 with Seattle out of timeouts.
Now, on one hand, this coach’s aggressiveness is mostly on point. He is modern and understands the numbers at a very impressive level and one that is polar opposite to his predecessor. He is always on the attack and is willing to roll the dice. He knows that settling for a field goal here is a great way to lose on a night where the defense has had a hard time mixing in stops, so he wants seven. But, throwing to try to end the game with a touchdown will preserve at least 45 more seconds if the throw isn’t successful. Then, the throw selected was a fade to the end zone – a play we know has a low level of probability relatively speaking.
The worst happened in that they didn’t get the touchdown or the time. In an either/or situation, you took neither the time nor the points. Its the kind of decision that can absolutely cost you the game and perhaps, in the month of January, the whole season.
Coaches are allowed off nights as well – especially if you survive them – but, we should hope that this isn’t a sign of things to come as the games get tighter. It is said that one issue with a head coach calling plays is that it hinders his in-game “head coach decisions” a bit, but again, these things aren’t widely relevant in mid-season blowouts vs horrendous teams. In other words, maybe the coach needed a test game before the Eagles showdown, too.
But, the sieve pass defense and the head coach’s rough night were saved by two separate but equally important components that should have unanimous agreement today.
First, the performance of Prescott was sensational and continues his revenge tour of 2023 where things started with national shows slicing him up for throwing three interceptions in an early-August training camp practice. He has played his best football and the alliance with his head coach to find that level of excellence when many were wondering if he could ever climb another tier is fantastic news. The ability for him and CeeDee Lamb to replicate the relationship McCarthy oversaw between Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams is starting to convince. Opponents are trying to stop it, but they simply cannot. Now, Jake Ferguson and Brandin Cooks both appear to compliment that duo and with a reasonable running game and pass protection, 35 points seems to be a routine destination.
Not only is Dak seeing the offense clearly and searching out explosives without much concern about the catastrophic moment, but we are also seeing a determination and a competitive edge that is showing itself. If we didn’t know better, we might wonder if he has taking all of this quite personally and now wants to throw a shoulder into a defender or flex at them in a way that shows his intent. He has heard your complaints and doubts and this is his response; a push up the hill unlike anything you have ever seen from him. Will it work? Time will tell. But, we can assure you he appears ready to give it his best performance yet to try to slay his demons.
It doesn’t seem too big for him at all.
And then the other component was the ability to find defensive stands at the end. Now, look, I agree that there is little to get excited about when your defense is getting tossed around the stadium by a trio of receivers who all had moments of excellence. DFW guy Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks every bit of the star we thought he would be last spring, Tyler Lockett is still a thorn in the side every meeting, and you celebrate that Metcalf is not on your schedule very often.
The defense had as rough a day as it has had in a long time. But, I am absolutely willing to extol their merits in allowing just one score in the final five Seahawks drives. From late in the 3rd Quarter until the end of the game, Dallas was able to get four vital stops – they needed each one – and that was as close to a Josh Sborz World Series save as it gets.
Yes, Seattle did find a touchdown on a drive that ended the 3rd Quarter and started the 4th when Geno Smith hit Noah Fant for 25 yards and a quick hitter to RB Zach Charbonnet for 39 down the left sideline before DK Metcalf was open in the back of the end zone again to take a 35-27 lead.
But, Dallas was able to score three times from there and win the final 14 minutes, 14-0, partly because the defense was able to stop Seattle on three consecutive 4th down attempts.
The first, a 4th-and-1 from the Dallas 46 with 7:08 to go was a beautiful job by DeMarcus Lawrence to slice into the backfield around young left tackle Charles Cross and stop Charbonnet’s attempt to pick up a yard. The quickness and determination there demonstrated his value yet again.
The next, a 4th-and-4 from the Seattle 49 was with 3:16 left. This was a 6-man blitz by Quinn’s men who were able to get back to Geno quick enough that he had to throw a hopeful heave to Smith-Njigba’s general vicinity which had no chance of landing. Bland almost secured his 2nd interception on the play.
And then the last, a 4th-and-2 from midfield that should probably not have existed if the Cowboys time management was more squared away. But, it happened, so they needed the defense to make one more play. This was another 6-man pressure where Seattle had designed a slip out to their RB DeeJay Dallas into the flat behind Micah Parsons who they would let come free. Parsons is too fast for this play and Lawrence was behind him sensing the play to Dallas so he was there to stifle the plan, as well. Geno was dealing with Parsons in his lap as he tried to get the ball out, but it never had a chance. Parsons would not register a sack in this game, but he absolutely did his Sborz tribute and got the final out.
The game ended and Dallas grabbed the victory. They would not cover any point spread or win any beauty points. But, they would win a gritty, gutty tester in a meaningful way. They would also beat a team with a winning record.
There will be many things to learn from a game like this and many lessons to apply (perhaps lining up on-sides will be one of them). But, one thing will not be produced from this victory: An apology for how the win was won.
For there are no official stats for ugly wins in the NFL. Just wins. Sometimes, like our friends in Philadelphia, it seems tougher than it should. But, “just finding a way to win” is an admirable and useful attribute.
This one was just the type of win they needed before those Eagles come calling.
Dallas and Seattle engaged in a long, gritty, exhausting, and penalty-filled track meet
BOB STURM
DEC 1, 2023
It was everything this team needed in one game. That is not some postgame rationalization. Instead, it was the call in this space and on the radio in the pregame. This 2023 Dallas Cowboys team may not have had the proper preparation for how to win games like this until Thursday; Games that are uglier than you want and the opponent is more determined than that, too.
We see this often in boxing and MMA. A top talent is coasting along with decisive wins and fearful opponents. The 1st round stoppages are partly based on a force of violence and the other part is a terrified foe who just wants to survive to see tomorrow. These types can be useful, but only to a degree. There comes a point, however, where you know your fighter needs to move up a level where the opponents have been in enough wars that they are not scared of you. They are going to make you work harder than you want and go deeper into the water and the late rounds than you would prefer. They are going to hit back hard and try to rock you. They are going to make you dig deep and provide you with a stiff test.
That was what Dallas needed from Seattle as they walked into December. They needed a team that belongs in the playoffs to push them to the brink. Something between the best teams in the league and the very worst. A game against an opponent playing for something, too. They needed games like this to show that sometimes you will need to use the 4th Quarter for more than stretching out the reserves.
And boy, did Seattle give them all they wanted and plenty they didn’t.
When it was over, Dallas had its hard-fought 41-35, victory, but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty. Dallas moves to 9-3 on the season but for the first time since Week 6 in Los Angeles, they won a game against a team that could push back and that wasn’t going to back down. It was a tough fight and the ability to “find a way or make a way” will make the Cowboys a better team moving forward.
This is exactly what they needed.
It was a game with no punts from either team and pure chaos from both. It was cleanly played in that there was 143 plays and just one turnover. But, it was not cleanly played in that we witnessed 257 yards in 19 combined penalties assessed with countless others declined.
It took all night to play it and even the viewers were exhausted when it was finally over. But, doggone, what a night of football to witness. And what a game for Dallas to grind out. After being told all year that they will need the defense to drag them to victories because the offense couldn’t do it, I think we saw the truth last night. This offense is clicking at a level that puts them in a very scary category. It appears for large swaths of each performance, they simply can boss the game right down the field repeatedly.
And I think we all know what that means – this is easily the best version of Dak Prescott that any of us have ever seen. He appears to have certainly leveled-up and therefore this team can win in more ways than one and looks capable of more than they have in a long time.
Now, before anyone gets too worked up, let’s acknowledge a few things. It was just Seattle and that team is definitely not going to contend for a Super Bowl. Their offense seldom looks like it did against Dallas, so, allowing them to roll up 400 yards, 35 points, and nine different 3rd down conversions won’t make anyone in Dan Quinn’s office too happy.
It was an extremely rough night for Cowboys corners and DaRon Bland, in particular. Bland, who was actually part of the game promo as “DaRon Bland and the Cowboys defense” before hand by one of the broadcasts. To be the singled out name on a marquee over Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, or even former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore must have messed with his head a bit, but not nearly as much as trying to tangle with DK Metcalf. Metcalf is a freak of nature with a combination of size and speed that was having its way with Bland. The 3rd and 8 throw that Metcalf turned into a 73-yard touchdown – partly because the safety appeared a bit out to lunch himself – set the tone for a very difficult first half for a guy we just spent an entire thousand words singing his praises. Massive credit to the adjustment at the intermission to switch Gilmore over to him to travel with him and continue playing man coverage. Also, we must question Seattle deciding to look elsewhere and allow Metcalf to be a much smaller initiative as they kept attacking Bland and Jourdan Lewis, instead.
Also, we must point out that this was not a wonderful game-management job by Mike McCarthy. One thing about 25-point wins is that your in-game decisions do not seem terribly weighty and vital. Not every choice of taking a field goal or going for it seems to be so important and therefore scrutinized. But, in this game, one where the Cowboys spent time trailing in each and every quarter, McCarthy seemed to take some reckless chances and some others that looked ill-informed. We certainly try not to argue based on outcomes, but the passing of a 2-point conversion late in the 3rd quarter to tie the game at 28-28 was bad enough. But the late game, 3rd down throw into the end zone seemed incredibly perilous and the type of decision that can get you beat. There was 1:52 left, with Dallas facing a crucial 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 14. They were up just three points at 38-35 with Seattle out of timeouts.
Now, on one hand, this coach’s aggressiveness is mostly on point. He is modern and understands the numbers at a very impressive level and one that is polar opposite to his predecessor. He is always on the attack and is willing to roll the dice. He knows that settling for a field goal here is a great way to lose on a night where the defense has had a hard time mixing in stops, so he wants seven. But, throwing to try to end the game with a touchdown will preserve at least 45 more seconds if the throw isn’t successful. Then, the throw selected was a fade to the end zone – a play we know has a low level of probability relatively speaking.
The worst happened in that they didn’t get the touchdown or the time. In an either/or situation, you took neither the time nor the points. Its the kind of decision that can absolutely cost you the game and perhaps, in the month of January, the whole season.
Coaches are allowed off nights as well – especially if you survive them – but, we should hope that this isn’t a sign of things to come as the games get tighter. It is said that one issue with a head coach calling plays is that it hinders his in-game “head coach decisions” a bit, but again, these things aren’t widely relevant in mid-season blowouts vs horrendous teams. In other words, maybe the coach needed a test game before the Eagles showdown, too.
But, the sieve pass defense and the head coach’s rough night were saved by two separate but equally important components that should have unanimous agreement today.
First, the performance of Prescott was sensational and continues his revenge tour of 2023 where things started with national shows slicing him up for throwing three interceptions in an early-August training camp practice. He has played his best football and the alliance with his head coach to find that level of excellence when many were wondering if he could ever climb another tier is fantastic news. The ability for him and CeeDee Lamb to replicate the relationship McCarthy oversaw between Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams is starting to convince. Opponents are trying to stop it, but they simply cannot. Now, Jake Ferguson and Brandin Cooks both appear to compliment that duo and with a reasonable running game and pass protection, 35 points seems to be a routine destination.
Not only is Dak seeing the offense clearly and searching out explosives without much concern about the catastrophic moment, but we are also seeing a determination and a competitive edge that is showing itself. If we didn’t know better, we might wonder if he has taking all of this quite personally and now wants to throw a shoulder into a defender or flex at them in a way that shows his intent. He has heard your complaints and doubts and this is his response; a push up the hill unlike anything you have ever seen from him. Will it work? Time will tell. But, we can assure you he appears ready to give it his best performance yet to try to slay his demons.
It doesn’t seem too big for him at all.
And then the other component was the ability to find defensive stands at the end. Now, look, I agree that there is little to get excited about when your defense is getting tossed around the stadium by a trio of receivers who all had moments of excellence. DFW guy Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks every bit of the star we thought he would be last spring, Tyler Lockett is still a thorn in the side every meeting, and you celebrate that Metcalf is not on your schedule very often.
The defense had as rough a day as it has had in a long time. But, I am absolutely willing to extol their merits in allowing just one score in the final five Seahawks drives. From late in the 3rd Quarter until the end of the game, Dallas was able to get four vital stops – they needed each one – and that was as close to a Josh Sborz World Series save as it gets.
Yes, Seattle did find a touchdown on a drive that ended the 3rd Quarter and started the 4th when Geno Smith hit Noah Fant for 25 yards and a quick hitter to RB Zach Charbonnet for 39 down the left sideline before DK Metcalf was open in the back of the end zone again to take a 35-27 lead.
But, Dallas was able to score three times from there and win the final 14 minutes, 14-0, partly because the defense was able to stop Seattle on three consecutive 4th down attempts.
The first, a 4th-and-1 from the Dallas 46 with 7:08 to go was a beautiful job by DeMarcus Lawrence to slice into the backfield around young left tackle Charles Cross and stop Charbonnet’s attempt to pick up a yard. The quickness and determination there demonstrated his value yet again.
The next, a 4th-and-4 from the Seattle 49 was with 3:16 left. This was a 6-man blitz by Quinn’s men who were able to get back to Geno quick enough that he had to throw a hopeful heave to Smith-Njigba’s general vicinity which had no chance of landing. Bland almost secured his 2nd interception on the play.
And then the last, a 4th-and-2 from midfield that should probably not have existed if the Cowboys time management was more squared away. But, it happened, so they needed the defense to make one more play. This was another 6-man pressure where Seattle had designed a slip out to their RB DeeJay Dallas into the flat behind Micah Parsons who they would let come free. Parsons is too fast for this play and Lawrence was behind him sensing the play to Dallas so he was there to stifle the plan, as well. Geno was dealing with Parsons in his lap as he tried to get the ball out, but it never had a chance. Parsons would not register a sack in this game, but he absolutely did his Sborz tribute and got the final out.
The game ended and Dallas grabbed the victory. They would not cover any point spread or win any beauty points. But, they would win a gritty, gutty tester in a meaningful way. They would also beat a team with a winning record.
There will be many things to learn from a game like this and many lessons to apply (perhaps lining up on-sides will be one of them). But, one thing will not be produced from this victory: An apology for how the win was won.
For there are no official stats for ugly wins in the NFL. Just wins. Sometimes, like our friends in Philadelphia, it seems tougher than it should. But, “just finding a way to win” is an admirable and useful attribute.
This one was just the type of win they needed before those Eagles come calling.