The Dallas Cowboys may have thought it was one thing, but this Week 9 matchup against the Denver Broncos is decidedly something else. Coming home after two road wins bookended their bye week, the 6-1 Cowboys were welcoming back their star quarterback. Dak Prescott missed the win in Week 8 and wasn’t very sharp in the first half of his return.
The team has sorely missed Tyron Smith, out with an ankle injury and to compound things RB Ezekiel Elliott came up hobbled after a first-quarter run and has looked hurt in the few snaps he played since. If anyone was expecting one of the other units to step up, they have been sorely disappointed. The Cowboys are off on all accounts, and find themselves down 16-0 at intermission.
With Prescott recovering from a calf injury and without their starting left tackle, the Cowboys seem intent on trying to give Terence Steele help.
Dallas went for it, and failed, on their opening two possessions of the game and the Broncos took offense to it and have been rolling ever since, scoring on three consecutive drives.
After a strong defensive effort on their first possession, Dallas has been run over, run around and run past as Teddy Bridgewater and the Denver offense has humbled whatever feelings of pride Dan Quinn’s unit had after their effort in Minnesota.
Some quick notes:
- Offense went pass on 1st down four straight times for 0 yards, then followed it up with runs on 2nd and 10.
- Special teams with errors on first two plays, Cedrick Wilson muffed the punt but Joseph recovered, then Goodwin wasn’t aware of where the punt was with a chance to pin Denver deep to start 2nd quarter
- It was a bad sign when RB Javonte Williams carried defensive tackle Justin Hamilton for six yards on the second Broncos possession and the tackling never improved throughout the first half. The Broncos are averaging 5.6 yards per run.
- Trevon Diggs is having a hideous game. He was called for pass interference in the end zone, gave up a big bomb for a score to Tim Patrick later and at the end of the half held Patrick to negate a Jourdan Lewis interception on the other side of the filed.
- Dak Prescott is 5 for 14 for 75 yards and a 54.2 passer rating.
- Teddy Bridgewater is 12for 16 passing for 154 yards and a 125.5 passer rating.
- The Broncos get the ball to start the third quarter.
- The Cowboys have three sacks of which Micah Parsons has 1.5 of them.
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