Instant Analysis: 20-17 Week 1 loss sends Cowboys back to drawing board

The Dallas Cowboys opened the Mike McCarthy era with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, 20-17 inside SoFi Stadium.

The Dallas Cowboys hung with the Los Angeles Rams for almost the entire game, but fell just short 20-17 in Week 1. Dallas had a chance late, but their first comeback attempt of the season was dashed on a questionable call with the game on the line.

It was over when . . .

. . . Dak Prescott’s 47-yard bomb to Michael Gallup with 0:31 left was negated due to offensive pass interference. Dallas would’ve been set up at the Rams’ 19-yard line with a chance to at least tie the game, but the penalty instead pushed the Cowboys back to 3rd and 20, effectively ending the game.

Game balls:

Game Ball No. 1 – RB Ezekiel Elliott

The freshly-tattooed Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 96 yards on 22 carries, caught three passes for 31 yards, and scored two touchdowns. He was featured heavily by McCarthy and Kellen Moore, and seemed to run harder as then game went on.

Game Ball No. 2 – Dak Prescott

Picking up right where he left off last season, Prescott completed 25 of 39 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown. He also made multiple gutsy plays with his legs, nearly scoring rushing TD and picking up a crucial 12 yards on a 3rd and 13 late in the game. Unfortunately, he couldn’t finish off the comeback, but the game could’ve gone very differently had the Gallup OPI not been called.

Game Ball No. 3 – Aldon Smith

In his first game in four years, Aldon Smith still looked like a monster on the field. He tied for the team lead with 11 tackles, and provided one of the few consistent sources of pressure to Jared Goff, picking up a big fourth-quarter sack to force a punt late in the game. The Smith Comeback Journey definitely got off to a great start in Week 1.

Key stat: 422

The Los Angeles offense looked very different than what many were accustomed to, but the Dallas defense allowed 422 yards of total offense to Sean McVay’s Rams. Los Angeles relied on quick screen and swing passes. and rarely took deep shots down the field.

Malcom Brown also bowled over the Cowboys for most of the game, rushing for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. The Dallas defense just couldn’t get off the field, especially in the first three quarters, as the Rams converted 9 of 17 third downs, and only punted three times.

Dallas did not have the same 3rd down ability this week, converting just 3 of 12 third down opportunities.

Quick Hits:

  • Without La’El Collins, the Cowboys somewhat surprisingly opted to start 2020 UDFA Terence Steele at RT. It went about as expected, as the rookie had moments where he looked lost, but also didn’t seem particularly exploited until late, when Los Angeles was sending heavy pressure to thwart the Cowboys comeback attempt. The new-look offensive line had a hard time giving Prescott much time to throw down the field, and allowed three sacks. Without Cam Erving, who lost during the game with a knee injury, the offensive line might have to figure things out on the fly.
  • Robert Woods (six catches, 105 yards) and Aaron Donald (4 tackles, 1 sack, 4 QB hits) were probably the two Rams who did the most damage against Dallas. Donald especially feasted against the Cowboys OL.

  • The Dallas linebackers, a sore spot on the defense last year, again played poorly. Jaylon Smith came close to making a few plays, and Joe Thomas brought some pressure down the middle, but the Dallas LBs were continually targeted in the passing game. Making matters worse is Leighton Vander Esch’s broken collar bone, the latest occurrence among his injury woes.
  • Mike McCarthy was both daring and head-scratching in his first game back from his year-long sabbatical. He opted for a Jason Garrett-esque 53-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal attempt in the 2nd quarter, which he missed. That led directly led to three points for the Rams, who traveled a short field and kicked an easy 31-yard field goal.McCarthy’s most controversial decision however came early in the fourth quarter, when he chose to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Los Angeles 11. A field goal would’ve tied it, but McCarthy aggressively wanted more. It was likely the right decision to go for it, but rookie WR CeeDee Lamb came up just a yard short of the sticks, leaving a bad taste in what was ultimately a promising debut for him as well.Reinforcing McCarthy’s decision was the fact that the Cowboys defense forced a punt on the ensuing Los Angeles possession, giving their offense the ball back with 6:22 left in the fourth. Unfortunately, the game still didn’t turn out in the Cowboys’ favor, but giving this offense multiple opportunities to make things happen should yield more positive results going forward.
  • The Cowboys best offensive drive was their last of the first half, where they traveled 73 yards on 9 plays in just 99 seconds. Prescott completed passes to four different receivers, and Dallas found the end zone with 17 seconds to spare, taking a 14-13 lead into halftime.
  • Also making his team debut was CB Trevon Diggs, who was on the receiving end of some tough plays, including this 31-yard pass to fellow rookie Van Jefferson.

Diggs also missed a great opportunity to pull down his first NFL interception on a tip drill, but redeemed himself let in the game by coming through with a huge 3rd down tackle on Brown late in the game to force a punt.

  • The Cowboys will look to pick up their first of the season next week, as they take on Atlanta inside AT&T Stadium.