A Whole New Low for the Cowboys

Honestly, I don’t know what happened yesterday. This is the same feeling I had last year when Dallas lost to New York in the playoffs. I am just absolutely befuddled about how the lowly, hapless Rams could not only beat the Cowboys but blow them out 34-14…and the game wasn’t near as close as the final score indicates. This has left this whole city with a big “?” above it’s collective head. I mean, only one month ago, Dallas was regarded by many as the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL and they were expected to not only get to the Super Bowl but win it. But now? I don’t think anyone knows what will happen next. Is this the bottom? Or will this season spin completely out of control and the team not even make the playoffs? There are so many problems with this team, I don’t know where to begin. But, really, they are the same things that have kept this team from playing well for the past 4 games such as a lack of intensity, lack of urgency, being unfocused and not prepared, mental mistakes, blown assignments, poor play from the offensive line, poor play from the defensive secondary and on and on and on.

The thing I noticed the most yesterday was that the team lacked any kind of urgency and just seemed to wilt after the Rams went up 14-7. St. Louis had gone up by only 1 touchdown and the Cowboys looked like they had just lost the Super Bowl. What?!?!?! Where is the fight in this team? Where is the intensity we saw in the Filthadelphia game earlier this year? Is this team composed of nothing but mental midgets? The basics of football dictate that each guy beats the guy across from him and quite honestly, Dallas just isn’t doing it. This team looks defeated, whipped and beaten. And this was against one of poorest, if not the poorest, teams in the league (before yesterday’s game that is). What will Dallas look like against better competition like Tampa Bay and New York in the next 2 weeks? I’ve got to be honest, I’m flat out scared about what those teams are going to do to Dallas…because the Cowboys doesn’t look like it’s got the stomach for any kind of fight.

The mental mistakes and turnovers are also killing this team. Mistakes like a false start on a 3rd and 1; a false start on a 4th and 1; 3 interceptions by Brad Johnson (who I erroneously thought was better than he really is); an untimely fumble by Marion Barber; a blown coverage resulting in WR Donnie Avery (who is that?) getting behind the whole defense and scoring, with Roy Williams giving chase…again; mistackles by just about every linebacker. These things aren’t new. They have been happening over and over again for the past month. So my question is, where is the accountability for this team? Are the coaches not doing anything to address this? And if so, why are the same mistakes being made? If players are not playing to their potential, what is being done to address that? Will anyone be benched? Do any of the coaches or players even care or are they just satisfied to collect a check every week, slop through another game and get to the end of the season where they will magically be transported to the playoffs just because they have a blue star on their helmet?

This team needs to figure out what and/or who it is. I’d like to say that I think yesterday was a wake up call; that this was truly the bottom and now the team can move on onward and upward; that after some adversity, the team and coaches know what needs to be done and knows how they are going to get it done. But I can’t say any of that. The loss yesterday was truly among one of the worst losses I’ve ever seen from the Cowboys, ever…and I’ve seen quite a few horrible losses. The Rams, took pity on the Cowboys and called off the dogs when they pooch punted toward the end of the game. And when the camera showed the St. Louis sideline, the Rams players were laughing at the Cowboys. One of the worst teams in the NFL actually took pity and laughed at the Cowboys. And Dallas doesn’t seem to care.

The backup QB is so done that he shouldn’t even be on this team. I was wrong, wrong, wrong about that guy. I knew he didn’t have the arm strength that Romo has but I didn’t know his skills had so diminished that there were several times where I didn’t even know who he was throwing to. There were a few times where he threw the ball so early that the intended receiver hadn’t even looked for the ball yet. Brooks Bollinger probably would have done a better job yesterday than Brad Johnson. Maybe at one time Johnson was an adequate QB but that time is long gone. The only time he should be in the game, going forward, is in an emergency. He is that bad. My question is, why didn’t the coaching staff know this?

The offensive line, yet again, had a horrible day. Flozell Adams (or Fatams, as a friend of mine calls him) consistently got beat on the edge yesterday by a guy that I don’t even know his name. It’s a dang good thing Jerry gave him a brand new top dollar contract this year to the tune of $7 million a year. But the rest of the line didn’t do any better as St. Louis got to Johnson multiple times without even blitzing…and sometimes only rushing 3 guys. Rushing 3 guys?!?!?!? And those 3 can beat 5 o-lineman and get to the QB? What?!?!? This team will not get any better until that line starts to play to their potential. Take that to the bank. They may win a game here or there but they most certainly will not make the playoffs playing uninspired ball like they did yesterday and the last 4 weeks.

The defense is in shambles, except for DeMarcus Ware who is really the ONLY player on defense who matters and brings ‘A’ effort every game. The rest of the defense doesn’t seem to know up from down. The first game that Roy Williams is back in the line up he get caught chasing Donnie Avery into the end zone while pointing to other team mates trying to defer blame. Nothing’s changed with that guy and now we hear he has fractured his arm, in a different place than he fractured it the first time, and will be put back on the injured list. Truthfully, he shouldn’t be activated again this season and should be released in the off season. He’s not going to get back to where he was 4 years ago when he was a player that made a difference and had to be accounted for by the opposition. He’s done and the Cowboys should cut their loss with him at the end of the season.

The game yesterday was marred by poor effort, poor execution and poor coaching all the way around in a game that Dallas really needed to win. There aren’t many players that can truly look in the mirror and say they left it all on the field yesterday. And that’s what bugs me the most. And Wade doesn’t seem to have a clue what to do about it. You can’t fire the whole team though…but you can fire the head coach. Do I hear any objections to that?