The Dallas Cowboys have been off of playing football for 10 days, and on the heels of a third-consecutive loss, the outlook for the season couldn’t be further away from where it was to begin things in early September. There is little hope emanating from the fan base, and what is originating from within the organization seems faked and a facade as the club is biding their time before cleaning house on the coaching staff.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones determined a few weeks back that changing coaching staffs midseason was not going to be the best chance to salvage things. Now, what he says publicly to help boost merchandise sales and reap the benefits of free advertising from every sound bite, and what he believes internally can be two totally separate things.
Jones continues to allow questions about his pending head coaching search to fan the flames around the vacancy, despite refusing to put head coach Jason Garrett out of his misery. With no remorse, Jones implores that there’s no one he wants more to succeed than Garrett while simultaneously pouring gasoline on the conversation about who will replace him whenever the Cowboys season ends. He simultaneously says the words that he knows the failures of the franchise reside on his doorstep while definately refusing to admit that his brand of management – which serves him so well in business – preclude the on-field product from finding continued success.
If the Cowboys cannot emerge from their stupor on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, Jones will face another media scrum post-game, another round of radio interviews starting Tuesday and will emerge unscathed yet again, because that’s how this Jerry-go-round works.
While all eyes will be focused on Jones during those Fox cutaways during the action, there will be some lesser-known names on the field worth paying attention to. If Dallas has any hope of pulling off an upset against the team which they squared up against in last year’s playoffs, here’s some unfamiliar names who may end up starring.
Kai Forbath, kicker
The long nightmare is over, and about six months too late the Dallas Cowboys have finally walked away from the kicking disaster known as Brett Maher. After missing seven kicks in 2018, the Cowboys stuck with him despite missing 10 kicks through 13 games, the most in the last four years across the league.
Finally they brought in another option in Forbath, a journeyman who has played in just one game this season. He does have a 88% accuracy mark on field goals over the last several years, though his extra points have been shaky, including a miss that got him released in New England after just one game earlier this year.
The move is more so symbolic. It exemplified the coaching staff’s refusal to try something different, to believe that their original plan is always the best plan and failing to try something new despite all the evidence what they have done is not working. Whether Forbath is the answer or not isn’t really that important now. The damage of sticking to their guns has already infiltrated the aura of the team.
Luke Gifford, linebacker
It seems like Sean Lee is going to give it a go despite missing all week with pectoral and thigh issues, but fans shouldn’t be surprised if this rookie linebacker gets a handful of defensive snaps in the game.
Dallas needs a spark, as their backer play has been mediocre all year after being touted as a strength of the defense. Leighton Vander Esch is out, Jaylon Smith is not playing up to par and Lee looks his age. Joe Thomas will be the third linebacker, but the UDFA out of Nebraska was very impressive in training camp and preseason and should get a chance to show what he can do.
Tony Pollard, running back
Pollard was missed in the game against Chicago as his injury and ailments to both backs on the practice squad left the rarely utilized Jamize Olawale in the position to be featured and he came up wanting.
Ezekiel Elliott’s handcuff should see a ton of action against the Rams as the Cowboys offense looks to emerge from their doldrums that have infected their possessions over the last couple weeks. Pollard is a weapon in his shiftiness and tackle-breaking ability with excellent balance and needs to be part of both the passing and running game for the Cowboys.
Blake Jarwin, tight end
Free Blake Jarwin.
No, he hasn’t been wrongfully arrested by the law, but the powers-that-be are certainly handcuffing the superior passing-game weapon in Dallas. Jason Witten has had a remarkable career, he’s still the best blocking tight end on the team, but the insistence to allow him to be the primary focus down the seams is maddening.
Jarwin can actually produce yards after the catch and still has on-purpose big-play ability that Witten hasn’t sniffed in half a decade.
The coaching staff’s inability to devise more plays that feature him tells the tale of their season.
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