The Dallas Cowboys finally started off hot. For the first time all season, the club marched downfield on the game’s opening possession and punched it into the end zone. Ezekiel Elliott was rolling, Amari Cooper was heavily involved and Dak Prescott ended a 75-yard drive with a nice slip-out by a faux-blocking Jason Witten to take an early 7-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills.
And then the rest of the game happened.
What transpired after that was a miserable excuse for execution, coaching and a fortitude as the Bills rolled off the next 26 points en route to a 26-15 victory. The Cowboys got fooled on trick plays, turned the ball over more than they had in any game this year – including a couple that didn’t happen due to penalty or self-recovery – and generally looked disinterested in finishing the fight. The result may be the finish of the tenure of head coach Jason Garrett.
Dak Prescott played his worst game of the season, Brett Maher missed multiple field goal attempts and the defense allowed Cole Beasley to live his best life, with a
ESPN’s Ed Werder reported prior to the game that the front office had decided to let Garrett finish the season. This performance is going to test the patience of owner Jerry Jones. It has to be a total sense of frustration for the team to fix one of it’s biggest ailments, starting out slow, and then not do any of the other things that had let them stay afloat.
Here's the decision level.
Cowboys STILL have great odds to win NFCE and make playoffs.
You know interim coaches don't normally work, but why not roll the dice for this roster?
It will be wholly different in 2020, so why not salvage it with change?
That's Jerry's conundrum.
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) November 29, 2019
So yes, the Cowboys are still in prime position to make the playoffs, unbelievably based on their performances since starting 3-0.
Cowboys Playoff Chances With Loss Per ESPN's Football Power Index:
Make Playoffs: chances fall from 76% to 65%
Win Division: chances fall from 74% to 65% pic.twitter.com/GzWIrTkWdn
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 29, 2019
Normally, Dallas would have 10 days before their next contest; a fair amount of time to consider an interim situation, but Dallas has to play next Thursday night when they travel to Chicago to take on the Bears. The club will still be in first place, no matter what the Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) do on Sunday, when that game kicks off.
The Cowboys (6-6) have not won a game against a team with a winning record this season, but only have one more of such games on their remaining schedule.
Outsiders will likely find out sooner rather than later on if the Garrett will be the man charged with fixing that record.
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