4 Takeaways: Cowboys shrink in big moments, waste defensive effort

The Cowboys made mistakes at the wrong time in their 19-12 divisional playoff loss to the 49ers. @BenGrimaldi says fans are tired of the script.

The Dallas Cowboys are the most predictable team in the NFL. They’ll do things that make fans believe one week, only to make them want to pull their hair out the next. Nothing ever changes with the Cowboys.

Another year, another disappointing playoff loss for the Cowboys, and for the second year in a row, it comes at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. It’s another season that ends where the Cowboys had the opportunity to win and finally end their embarrassing streak of not appearing in the NFC title game.

Players and coaches may change, but the results in the playoffs for the past 27 years haven’t. Most Cowboys fans have grown numb to the experience of losing before NFC Championship contest, they’re just waiting on how the team will blow. In the latest loss, it was a combination of things that doomed Dallas, including the quarterback coming up short in his chance to silence the critics.

Here are four takeaways from the Cowboys in their latest failure of the divisional round of the playoffs.

4 Takeaways: How early Amari opens up Cowboys offense

From Dak Prescott’s home dominance to the special teams and defense’s ascension, the quality of the 2021 Cowboys was on full display. @CDBurnett7 dives into it all.

The Dallas Cowboys absolutely walloped the Washington Football Team, 56-14, on Sunday Night Football. 42 points by halftime, two takeaways and two touchdowns from units other than the offense are the main examples of the domination. This was the first complete performance from Dallas in 2021 and it came after Dallas had already secured the NFC East crown earlier in the day.

Quarterback Dak Prescott looked perfect, finding wide receiver Amari Cooper early and often after the latter vocalized concerns earlier in the week and the impressive performances at home make the No. 1 seed more and more valuable with two weeks left.

Dan Quinn’s defense continued its string of unconscious performances, while the special teams showed out yet again as John Fassel’s system is really clicking in the second half of the season. Here are four takeaways from the Cowboys’ beatdown of Washington.

4 Takeaways: Cowboys flip script and prove they are more than just Prescott’s greatness

The Cowboys stole an unlikely win against the Vikings, changing the narrative on a franchise that has fallen into traps in recent years. | From @CDBurnett7

Odds didn’t favor the Dallas Cowboys with backup Cooper Rush making his first career start on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. Dallas didn’t care, stealing the game, 20-16, in U.S. Bank Stadium.

Rush, in relief for Dak Prescott who was ruled out prior to the game, totaled an impressive 325 passing yards and two touchdowns while turning the ball over twice with a fumble and interception. Thankfully, the Cowboys’ defense also rose to the occasion, forcing three-and-outs on short notice after the turnovers.

This was a game Dallas would’ve lost in the past, but there’s something to be said about the work head coach Mike McCarthy is doing, leading the Cowboys to a 6-1 start.

Dallas looked helpless in 2020 without Prescott, but they brushed it off on Sunday night. Perhaps, the Cowboys are brewing something special in 2021. Here are four takeaways from the unlikely win in Minnesota.

4 takeaways from Broncos’ 16-15 win over the Raiders

The Denver Broncos closed out the 2019 campaign with a thrilling victory over the Oakland Raiders. Here are takeaways from the game.

Wow, what a wild finish to the season for the Denver Broncos, who handed the Oakland Raiders a loss in their last game before heading to Las Vegas. Though other results sealed the Raiders’ playoff fate, the Broncos ending the season with a win over their bitter rivals starts the offseason off on the right foot.

With the win, the Broncos finish the year 7-9, which isn’t bad after an 0-4 start. There is a lot for Broncos fans to be excited about heading into the offseason.

Here are four takeaways from Sunday’s season finale.

1. Phillip Lindsay makes history… barely

With 53 yards rushing on the day, Lindsay becomes the first undrafted player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. But it didn’t come easily.

He needed 42 yards entering the game, meaning he finished at 1,011 yards on the season. He was sitting at 1,002 late in the fourth quarter and was tackled for a one-yard loss while the Broncos were trying to run out the clock.

Luckily, he was able to finish above 1,000 yards on the season. He becomes the first Broncos running back to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Clinton Portis back in 2002-03.

2. Denver dodged some terrible decisions at the end of the game

With 1:41 remaining on the clock and holding a 7-point lead, the Broncos faced a fourth down from Oakland’s 39-yard line. The Raiders were out of timeouts.

Vic Fangio could have brought in Colby Wadman to punt it and try to pin the Raiders deep in their own territory, but he instead brought out Brandon McManus for a 57-yard field goal attempt. He missed.

Now, the Raiders had excellent field position and plenty of time to go down the field and get a touchdown. They did.

That score was helped by unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Garett Bolles and Isaac Yiadom, which almost cost them the game.

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ 27-17 win over Lions

The Denver Broncos improved to 6-9 following a 27-17 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 16. Here are four takeaways from the game.

The Denver Broncos fell behind 10-0 early against the Detroit Lions on Sunday and momentarily, it looked like fans were in for a rough day. You could already see the headlines questioning whether or not Drew Lock was the “answer” or not.

Instead, the Broncos came back and outscored the Lions 27-7 from that point and got their sixth win of the season. If the season ended today, the Broncos would not even be selecting in the top 10 in next April’s draft. That can be looked at as a bad thing, but suddenly the 2019 season doesn’t even seem like it has been that bad.

1. Lock is a difference-maker

When you look at the box score, nothing about Drew Lock’s stats will jump off the screen. He attempted 33 passes and completed 25 of those. He threw for 192 yards and one touchdown.

But he is playing with the same guys that Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen played with and he is able to make the kind of throws that neither of them could. He also helps lead the offense to points.

Don’t believe me? Well here’s the stat of the day: the Broncos have scored over 25 points in two of the four games that Lock has started. Since winning Super Bowl 50, the Broncos have played 60 regular-season games. They only surpassed 25 points in 11 of those.

2. There is plenty to be excited about on defense

When you think of Denver’s defense, you think about Von Miller and maybe Justin Simmons. But this defense has some talented players.

Shelby Harris has had a career year. Alexander Johnson has been fantastic. Jeremiah Attaochu has been a terrific find. Todd Davis is among the league’s leaders in tackles. Dre’Mont Jones is growing into a terrific young player.

This isn’t the defense that won Super Bowl 50, but it could be. Vic Fangio could make this into the league’s top defense next season with the progression the unit as a whole has made.

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ 23-3 loss to Chiefs

The Broncos went into snowy Arrowhead Stadium in Week 15 and came away with a 20-point defeat against the Chiefs. Here are our takeaways.

On a snowy day at Arrowhead Stadium, the Denver Broncos saw one streak sadly come to an end while another unfortunately continued.

The Kansas City Chiefs have now beaten the Broncos nine straight times. The Broncos’ two-game winning streak is now a thing of the past as well.

The game was never close as the Chiefs controlled from the outset. The Broncos weren’t able to muster up much offense and had only a field goal to show for their efforts.

With the loss, the Broncos drop to 5-9 on the season and will return home to face the Detroit Lions next Sunday. But before we talk any more about next week, let’s take a look back at this loss.

1. The snow was a big factor

Yes, the Chiefs had to play in the same elements and had no problems, but the snow really slowed down what the Broncos wanted to do in this one. It could have been worse if the Chiefs didn’t have a heated field, but the conditions were far from ideal.

The Broncos mustered just 251 total yards on the day (52 yards rushing) and just could not get going. The same team went up and down the field against the Houston Texans last week.

That likely had more to do with the field conditions than it did the Chiefs’ defense, which is average at best.

2. Travis Kelce is a Bronco killer

Kelce probably gets a big grin every time he sees the Broncos are next on the schedule. He has had some huge games against them during his career and Sunday was no different.

Kelce caught 11 passes for 142 yards in the game. Every time Patrick Mahomes needed a play, he looked Kelce’s way. Kelce was making the catches with ease and seemed indefensible at times.

In future meetings, the Broncos need to find a strategy to slow the talented tight end down.

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ brutal loss to Vikings

The Denver Broncos held a 20-0 lead over the Minnesota Vikings at halftime and found a way to lose the game.

If you stopped watching at halftime for some reason, yes, the Denver Broncos actually found a way to lose to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Broncos could not have played a better first half in jumping out to a 20-0 lead over the Vikings. But having to settle for some field goals on short fields kept it at a three-score game and the Vikings made the proper adjustments at halftime to make the game truly a tale of two halves.

With the loss, the Broncos drop to 3-7 on the season and will face the Buffalo Bills in another tough road test next week. Here are some takeaways from a brutal defeat.

1. The Broncos were on the wrong side of history

In the stat that no Broncos fan wants to hear, the Broncos became the first team in the last five seasons to give up a 20-point halftime lead.

Ninety-nine times had a team held a halftime lead of at least 20 points in the last five seasons and all 99 of those teams won the game. The Broncos were team No. 100 and they are now the one in 1-99.

2. If only the Broncos could learn to finish

The Broncos are 3-7 this season but could just as easily be 7-3 if there was some better execution in key moments. Losses against the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts could have all been wins if not for some crucial miscues.

Sunday’s result was much of the same as the team just couldn’t find a way to make a big play when it needed one. That will come, particularly with this kind of experience.

The Broncos’ record suggests they are a poor team, but there is plenty to be optimistic about. Vic Fangio is a first-year head coach and there are some great young weapons on the squad with which to build on.

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