Tag: 2023 Week 3

Cowboys CB DaRon Bland proving lightning can strike twice

The second-year pro proves he’s more than ready to fill the shoes for the All-Pro he’s replacing. | From @TimLettiero

Cowboys fans got to sit back and enjoy the good version of Dallas this week as they strolled to a win against the New England Patriots. From start to finish, it was an assertive victory with very few negatives in the 38-3 victory. The offense moved the football downfield at will against one of the league’s better, defenses. Once again though, it was the Cowboy’s defense, turning in another dominant display.

Dallas allowed a field goal on their first drive and seemed to take it personally. Midway through the second quarter, a defensive score extended the lead to 18-3 and soonafter the star of the show went to work. As New England attempted to make something happen before the half, QB Mac Jones looked left and threw a too-late hitch in the direction of second-year star DaRon Bland.

The Cowboys made sure to get Bland, who spent 2022 playing slot duties, a ton of work on the outside during the offseason. It’s paying immediate dividends in 2023.

Now up 28-3 going into the half, Dallas was in the driver’s seat to put the game to bed. Once more, “anything but” Bland did what needed to be done.

With All-Pro Trevon Diggs out for the season with a torn ACL, Dallas was in desperate need of someone to step up in the secondary. Bland has done more than his part since entering the league and is now entering superstar territory and the aforementioned Diggs has something to say about that.

It took Diggs half a season in his rookie year to acclimate himself to the league. Once he did, he went on a historic run with 14 interceptions across 21 games. Bland seems to be on a similar trajectory. Diggs started from Day 1 but didn’t have an interception until his eighth contest.

Bland had an interception as a part-time player, with just 63 snaps across his first seven games. He’s added seven interceptions in the 14 contests since, for a total of eight in his young career. The sky seems to be the limit for the youngseter and for the Cowboys, who continue to corner the market at the position.

By The Numbers: Red zones woes, play-calling insights from Cowboys’ Week 3 debacle

The Cowboys had a lot of issues come to light against the Cardinals in Week 3, here’s a look inside the numbers. | From @ReidDHanson

Number don’t always tell the story, but they can certainly explain a situation. The Dallas Cowboys’ Week 3 numbers take on the brutal role of breaking down the debacle in Arizona.

Losing 28-16, the Cowboys dropped to 2-1, losing their grip on the top spot in NFL power rankings and calling into question nearly every facet of the team. From scheme, to strategy, to player performance, the team is feeling the heat from every angle. With any luck, diving into the numbers will not only show the problems but also offer the solutions.

3 major takeaways from Cowboys’ loss in Week 3

The three major takeaways in the Cowboys’ Week 3 loss to Arizona are all negative but they’re also all correctable. | From @ReidDHanson

The mood in Dallas couldn’t have changed more in Week 3. After dominating the NFL over the first two weeks of the 2023 season, the Cowboys were humbled and humiliated, falling 28-16 to the previously winless Cardinals.

The loss highlighted deficiencies of both players and coaches. They struggled in all three phases of the game with not a single unit beyond reproach in the aftermath.

Opening as 12-point favorites, the Cowboys loss marked one of the biggest upsets of the season and humbled a Dallas franchise that may have been drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid.

It’s games like this that can provide potentially season-saving takeaways. Weaknesses were exposed, but in just the third game of the season, corrections can still be made.

Cowboys WR Michael Gallup returns to form in a disappointing loss

From @timlettiero: Michael Gallup, our Player of the Game, turns back time and proves his worth against the Arizona Cardinals on a rough day in the desert.

The Cowboys traveled to Glendale in their Week 3 bout with the 0-2 Arizona Cardinals but seemingly left their abilities in Dallas. Struggling to get anything going on either side of the ball, the Josh Dobbs-led Cardinals had their way for four quarters. They dominated Dallas on the ground offensively and stifled multiple red zone trips defensively, giving Dallas no room to breathe.

Simply put, there is little positive to take away from this game. Thankfully, everyone came out of it healthy, but no one stepped up when they desperately needed someone to. What we did see, however, was multiple names answer questions about their future, wide receiver Michael Gallup specifically.

Gallup has gotten next to no shine this season after a rough 2022 campaign but made his presence known Sunday.

Early on, Gallup took a rotine catch and quickly turned away from his man for a nice 19-yard, first-down gain on second and long.

Fast-forward to the middle of the third, and vintage Michael Gallup returns for the first time in a long time for a beautiful pitch and catch.

 

To cap his solid day, he moved the chains with a clutch grab on a nasty slant to keep the offense moving in the fourth.

 

Gallup didn’t light up the stat sheet with his performance, but for a player that has struggled to return to the form everyone knows he can reach, this was a fantastic day at the office for him.

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Cowboys-Cardinals inactives: Martin, Biadasz out while multiple starters return

From @Cdburnett7: The Dallas Cowboys are without two starters on the offensive line in Arizona, while two return after absences last week.

The Dallas Cowboys will be nursing more than just the loss of cornerback Trevon Diggs in Arizona. While Diggs’ absence will last till 2024, the offensive line is suddenly going through a carousel of changes against the Cardinals.

For Dallas, the good news is Tyler Smith will make his season debut while left tackle Tyron Smith is active, but the right side of the offensive line will be in flux. All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and center Tyler Biadasz are both out, and it’ll be a completely different unit up front for quarterback Dak Prescott in the desert. Brock Hoffman is set to start at center for Biadasz; T.J. Bass will replace Martin.

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks returns after missing the home opener, and it’s a massive reinforcement for Mike McCarthy’s offense given the offensive line concerns. Safety Donovan Wilson is also set to make his season debut for Dan Quinn’s defense. Take a look at the full list of inactives before Cowboys-Cardinals kicks off at 3:25 p.m. CT, televised on FOX.

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Behind enemy lines: Cowboys-Cardinals preview with Cardinals Wire

The Cowboys look to stay undefeated when they meet Arizona in Week 3, so to find out how we go “behind enemy lines”.

Week 3 has arrived and the 2-0 Cowboys travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals in an attempt to keep their winning streak alive. The winless Cardinals are at an early crossroads in their season. Are they an injured team in need of reinforcements or are they a complete tear down needing a fresh start?

The Cowboys have their own questions to answer. They lost Trevon Diggs to a season ending injury in practice this week and are hoping his replacement, DaRon Bland, is up the task.

The Cardinals may need to get creative to find success against this dominant Dallas team so for insight into their strategy we turn to Jess Root from Cardinals Wire and go “behind enemy lines.”

 

Cowboys News: Diggs’ injury aftermath, positive injury news in Dallas

From @Cdburnett7: Unpacking Trevon Diggs’ season-ending injury, the return of key contributors on both sides and the argument for Parsons as the NFL’s best.

The Dallas Cowboys were riding an unbelievable high through a dominant first two weeks of the 2023 season. Dreams of recreating the ‘Doomsday’ defense were being realized when All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a torn ACL, ending his season.

There’s no way to replace him, and that was reflected by team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy. Both were very candid in their first availabilities since the injury. That said, no team is more prepared to mitigate this level of loss than Dallas, whose offseason trade for cornerback Stephon Gilmore looks like a godsend today.

It certainly also helps to have Micah Parsons making his case as the best defender in football and a hungry defense around him. The cavalry on both sides has arrived in time for the trip to Arizona as well. All the analysis from the loss of Diggs, how they’ll adjust and an abundance of belief in the Cowboys to move to 3-0 in the latest News and Notes.

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3 key matchups for the Cowboys in Week 3 against Arizona

The 2-0 Cowboys face a familiar foe in Week 3 so today we look at three key matchups in their game against the 0-2 Cardinals.

The 2-0 Cowboys are understandably favored over the 0-2 Arizona team they’ll be facing in Week 3.

Dallas is widely considered one of the best teams in the NFL, while the Cardinals are in the running for the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.

But a loss on Sunday wouldn’t be the first time a heavily favored Dallas team fell to the Cardinals on the road. As Ben Grimaldi breaks down in his game preview, the Cowboys are 1-5 in their last six matchups in the dessert.

As history has shown, the better team hasn’t always won, and the Cowboys will need to win a few key matchups in order to ensure victory over their former divisional foe.

The Cowboys offensive line is experiencing their best-case scenario 

The Cowboys couldn’t have hoped for a better start on their offensive line this season since quality and depth questions have been answered.

If there was one concern heading into the 2023 season for the Cowboys, what would it have been? Their ability to stop the run? Possibly. Their depth at linebacker? That’s valid. How about the inexperience at running back? Maybe.

While all of those concerns are understandable in nature, one area of the team seemed to take center stage in the amygdala of the minds of most Cowboys fans: the offensive line.

With Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin and Terence Steele populating the top of the depth chart, the Dallas O-line looked great on paper. Two of those players are widely considered to be future Hall of Famers while two more are some of the game’s biggest rising stars.

But a quick look beneath the surface revealed there were durability issues and depth concerns that couldn’t be ignored.

Steele was coming off a significant knee injury suffered last December, Tyron Smith was averaging less than six regular season games per year since 2020 and Martin was turning 33-years-old and coming off a holdout.

The only proven depth piece, Chuma Edoga, was widely considered a disappointment as a pro. He struggled significantly through training camp but still entered the 2023 season as Dallas’ top reserve.

Beyond Edoga was a collection of Day 3 draft picks and undrafted free agents (UDFA). Even the most optimistic Cowboys fans admitted an injury on the line had the potential to derail the offense.

Oklahoma Sooners among ESPN’s best remaining unbeaten teams

Where did the Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN’s ranking of each of the remaining undefeated teams in college football?

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a really nice start to the 2023 season. They’re one of 39 unbeaten teams remaining in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

While the schedule hasn’t been impressive, that’s not anything the Sooners can control. Everyone was aware of how favorable the schedule was entering the season, and that’s played out through three weeks.

Of the 39 unbeaten teams remaining in 2023, ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked the Sooners at No. 8 (ESPN+).

Why they’re ranked here: Oklahoma has faced two bad opponents in three games, but Dillon Gabriel‘s numbers are still hilarious: 83% completion rate, 10.8 yards per dropback, 11-1 TD-to-INT ratio, 92.5 Total QBR (third overall). Week 4 opponent Cincinnati might have the first decent defense the Sooners face, but OU hasn’t given us any reason to doubt so far. – Connelly, ESPN

The Sooners offense has been incredibly impressive through three games, winning by an average margin of victory of 46.33 points per game. They’re doing what they want through the air, and [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] has been much better than a year ago.

In the 2022 nonconference, Dillon Gabriel didn’t have a four-touchdown or 300-yard game. He’s had two of each in 2023.

In 2022, his best completion percentage was 75% in week two against Kent State, and his low was in the week three win over Nebraska at 59.3%. His low completion percentage this season came in the week two win over SMU, where he completed 70% of his pass attempts.

He’s completing 82% of his passes in 2023. Through three games in 2022, he only completed 66% of his pass attempts.

And that’s a big reason for Oklahoma’s success on offense, as the running game has been slow to get going in 2023.

Defensively, the Oklahoma Sooners have shown improvement, in particular on third down. The Sooners are allowing a third-down conversion just 30.4% of the time. Oklahoma’s run defense, which was an issue a year ago, is allowing just 2.29 yards per attempt this season, which is tied for tenth in the nation.

The Sooners are a better team than they were last year. Now will that translate to an 11-win season, Big 12 title berth, or College Football Playoff appearance? Only time will tell.

The Sooners take their next step toward returning to contender status this Saturday against Cincinnati.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.