Last week in the NFL we saw more injuries pile up, more players come out of nowhere and even more surprising matchups across the board in fantasy football. By now, guys have either proven themselves to be reliable or their inconsistency has landed them on the bench or dropped altogether.
As trade deadlines come and go, the waiver wire continues to be a vital part of a playoff run in fantasy football.
With four teams on a bye (Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings), here are six waiver wire pickups for Week 12.
(AP Photo/AJ Mast)
RB Jonathan Williams: <1% rostered (ESPN)
With Jordan Wilkins still out (ankle) and Marlon Mack suffering a broken hand in Indy’s 33-13 win against Jacksonville on Sunday, the Colts needed someone to step up big in the run game. Williams fit the bill.
He finished the day with 13 carries for 116 yards and also added a huge reception for 31 yards. With a short week before the Colts travel to Houston to face the Texans, the Colts do not have much time to get healthy. Williams and fellow back Nyheim Hines will carry the workload in the backfield for the time being.
Last week, we took a deeper dive into the coming fantasy playoff schedule, pointing out to fantasy players what teams had the best and worst schedules heading down the stretch, with the emphasis being on Weeks 14-17.
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, we took a deeper dive into the coming fantasy playoff schedule, pointing out to fantasy players what teams had the best and worst schedules heading down the stretch, with the emphasis being on Weeks 14-17.
As we saw Nov. 10 in the Carolina-Green Bay game, the weather made a significant impact with a thin layer of snow covering the field in the second half of the game. When it gets to late December, the potential for bad weather that – whether it be snow, cold, wind or a combination of all of them – can virtually ground an offense.
It’s the reason why players routinely post eye-popping numbers in the regular season, but the team that runs the ball and plays defense wins in the playoffs.
We took a look at all 32 teams and based our top/bottom rankings on the potential for bad weather, not their opponents. Teams like the Rams with have a gauntlet down the stretch and Miami may have the easiest slate of opponents of any team during the typical fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14-16), but when you flip the script on how December weather in outdoor stadiums can impact the outcome of games (and fantasy production), the Rams will likely have the best of all worlds, while Miami will have to struggle through the potential for dismal weather..
If you have players that you’re convinced won’t be used or are expendable, you may to look to pick up a player from one of two of the teams with the most favorable schedules and consider having a backup plan for those on the downside of the list.
THE FIVE BEST
Minnesota Vikings (DETROIT, at L.A. Chargers, GREEN BAY, CHICAGO) – It doesn’t get much better than this. Three home games in their unfriendly dome environment and their one road game in Los Angeles. No complaints.
Los Angeles Rams (SEATTLE, at Dallas, at San Francisco, ARIZONA) – Simply in terms of the potential for weather impacting their games, three of them are in California and the other is under the roof at Jerry World. If they’re making it to the playoffs, they will have to cut through those guys to potentially knock one of them out of a spot, but they will very likely be able to execute their game plan.
Carolina Panthers (at Atlanta, SEATTLE, at Indianapolis, at New Orleans) – Again, three road games are never a picnic, but all of them are in domes – a blessing for a warm-weather team that finds it hard to replicate frigid conditions in practice. Christian McCaffrey should be at his need-for-speed best.
Houston Texans (DENVER, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay, TENNESSEE) – Texas teams don’t like heading north in December or January (and they struggle when they do). Houston drew the good straw on this closing schedule. They got saddled with two road games when most championships are decided, but it is against Tennessee and Tampa Bay – teams who have been capable of being exploited and in venues that don’t see snow.
Los Angeles Chargers (at Jacksonville, MINNESOTA, OAKLAND, at Kansas City) – If Week 17 is when a champion is crowned in your league, this takes a bit of hit, but if you’re in a Weeks 14-16 title scenario, one game in Florida and two in Los Angeles doesn’t get much more likely for seasonable weather.
THE FIVE WORST
Miami Dolphins (at New York Jets, at New York Giants, CINCINNATI, at New England) – If you look at the opponents, you salivate. At the moment, the teams they play in Weeks 14-16 have a combined record of 5-25, but for a team from South Florida, the prospect of heading to MetLife Stadium in back-to-back weeks and closing out in Boston is not conducive to good weather probability. Most fantasy players have rid themselves of Dolphins, but those who haven’t may want to consider it – even with a schedule full of losing teams.
Chicago Bears (DALLAS, at Green Bay, KANSAS CITY, at Minnesota) – If you were to pick the two stadiums known for awful late-season conditions due to cold and wind, Lambeau Field and Soldier Field top the list. The Bears will play all three games in Weeks 14-16 in those venues.
Baltimore Ravens (at Buffalo, New York Jets, at Cleveland, PITTSBURGH) – Buffalo is always a concern and Cleveland can be brutal when the wind is coming off the lake. For a team predicated on running and speed, that could pose a problem.
Buffalo Bills (BALTIMORE, at Pittsburgh, at New England, NEW YORK JETS) – There are no gimmes on this slate, from two games in Buffalo to road games against the Steelers and Patriots. If the Bills are going to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to play January football in December.
Dallas Cowboys (at Chicago, L.A. RAMS, at Philadelphia, WASHINGTON) – Nothing comes easy here and road trips to Chicago and Philadelphia are no picnic for a team from Texas.
Weather is going to impact the NFL in the closing weeks of the season. It always does. While in most cases, if a fantasy owner has leaned on the same players all season, they likely aren’t going to make radical lineup changes, but, if you have roster spots that can be swapped out in the event you need it on game day if one or two of your players are going to be playing in blizzard conditions, it’s an option you may want to explore before your hands are tied in Week 15 or 16.
Here is the Week 12 Fantasy Market Report:
RISERS
Lamar Jackson – Jackson has been posting crazy good numbers all year, but it seems like he is finding another gear over the second half of the season. He hit a stretch in the middle of the season where his touchdown passes fell markedly (two TD passes in four games), but, in his last two games, he has emerged in the middle of the MVP discussions. He has thrown seven TD passes in his last two games and has five rushing TDs in his last five games. He’s been a fantasy stud all season, but he’s kicked into a second gear in November.
Jarvis Landry – In his first seven games of the season, Landry was catching passes and posting modest yardage totals consistently, but what was frustrating fantasy owners was that he wasn’t hitting the end zone. But, in the last four games, he has been targeted 40 times, catching 24 passes for 256 yards and has scored a touchdown in each of his last three games – a pace over the last month that would translate into 96 catches for 1,024 yards and 12 TDs over the course of a full season.
Josh Allen – Allen still doesn’t get the fantasy respect he deserves despite becoming one of the most consistent scorers in the league. He has accounted for two or more touchdowns in his last six games, including 10 passing TDs and four rushing touchdowns. He likely isn’t the No. 1 QB on many rosters, but he’s been playing like one since the beginning of October.
Randall Cobb – His role in Green Bay was reduced his final couple of seasons with the Packers and it didn’t appear to be changing in Dallas. Between Weeks 2 and 9, Cobb had more than three catches just twice and his high yardage total was 53 with no touchdowns. However, in his last two games, he has caught 10 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Dak Prescott has become a fantasy must-start because he’s finding ways to incorporate more players into the mix and Cobb has become a player owners will find hard to bench.
Jameis Winston – If your league doesn’t penalize you for interceptions (he has 18 on the season and 13 in his last five games, he has been a yardage monster. In his last eight games, he has thrown two or more touchdowns in six games, has one in both of the other two and thrown for more than 300 yards in seven of them. For leagues that deduct points for interceptions, Winston can kill you at times, but, if not, he’s putting up fantasy MVP type numbers on a weekly basis.
FALLERS
Alvin Kamara – While his numbers are still solid in PPR formats, Kamara was the first or second player taken in most drafts or auctions because of his ability to post giant numbers. In 15 games last year, Kamara rushed for 883 yards, caught 81 passes for 7089 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. In eight games this season (he’s missed two), he has rushed for 472 yards and caught 51 passes for 373 yards. Those numbers are similar to his 2018 numbers, but, he has scored just two touchdowns. He’s still putting up decent numbers, but not the numbers fantasy owners invested so heavily in.
Jacoby Brissett – He was one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league coming out of the gate, throwing 14 TD passes in his first six games as the starter. Over the last month, he has missed one game due to injury and, in the other three games, he has just one TD pass and one TD run. He has the ability to make big plays, but the shine is starting to come off of Brissett with fantasy owners that fell in love with him in September.
Joey Slye – Kickers aren’t given much credit for their contributions to fantasy lineups, but you remember them if you win or lose by a couple of points and kicker made the difference. In his first four games of the season, Slye scored 39 points with totals of 9, 12, 8 and 10 points. In his last six games, he has scored just 33 points, including two weeks with three points, two with four and one with six. If you’re wondering why he’s available in so many leagues, those point totals are probably the answer.
Jared Goff – In 2018, Goff took the fantasy world by storm, averaging 293 yards a game and throwing 32 touchdowns. While he is still posting decent passing numbers (averaging 278 yards a game), he has thrown just 11 touchdowns in 10 games (a pace for just 17 or 18 over the course of the season). Those are unacceptable numbers in the pass-happy era we live in now and when you haven’t thrown more than two TDs in any game with that supporting cast, it’s even more maddening.
Tevin Coleman – In the first four games returning from injury in Week 4, Coleman looked like one of the best running backs in the league, rushing for 309 yards and scoring six total touchdowns. But, in the last three games, he rushed 33 times for just 77 yards and hasn’t scored any touchdowns. At a time when fantasy owners have been putting him in starting lineups every week because of what accomplished in October, he has been an unqualified bust since Halloween.
Cowboys WR Michael Gallup’s circus catch changed the game and capped his career-best outing on the anniversary of his brother’s suicide.
November 17, 2018 was one of the darkest days imaginable for wide receiver Michael Gallup. November 17, 2019 was one of his very best as a Dallas Cowboy. On the one-year anniversary of his younger brother’s death, the second-year wideout logged a career-high nine receptions for 148 yards in an important 35-27 win over the Detroit Lions.
Gallup provided perhaps the turning point of the game with an improbable catch in the second quarter. And while it would be a cheap cliche for some sportswriter to suggest that the 23-year-old wideout had some sort of divine intervention in making the acrobatic grab of a tipped ball, Gallup himself says his brother was with him.
But Gallup admits his highlight moment almost didn’t happen at all.
“I wasn’t even supposed to run that route,” Gallup said after the game. “I kind of messed myself up. That’s really why I had to catch the ball, because I messed it up. I’d just seen [quarterback Dak Prescott] throw it in the air, and [Lions cornerback Mike Ford] was behind me, so I had to fight through him. Then luckily, the ball didn’t go too far after I missed it the first time.”
One year ago today, Cowboys WR Michael Gallup lost his brother Drew.
Today, with more than 100 yards in first half, Gallup is playing inspired football: pic.twitter.com/YYJR57eHrc
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Gallup wouldn’t rule out the possibility that his brother may have provided a slight nudge while that ball was fluttering in the air.
“I know he was right there with me when I bobbled that deep ball,” Gallup said. “I know he was right there with me.”
The circus catch moved the chains on a critical third down and extended the Cowboys drive. Two plays later, running back Ezekiel Elliott punched the ball into the end zone to give Dallas a lead that they would not relinquish. Gallup compiled over 100 of his receiving yards before halftime.
“We needed him,” Elliott told the media after the win. “We needed him right there. He definitely carried us through the first half. He’s the reason we won the game.”
“It’s no surprise. No surprise at all,” Prescott said of Gallup’s play during his postgame press conference. “If you watch practice or if you could see practice, that’s what he does week in and week out. He’s somebody that I have so much confidence in, the way that he wants to learn, he wants to get better. He’s a hungry player, and it’s fun to play with him.”
Gallup’s sideline grab impressed his fellow receivers, too.
“Even after he caught it, I said, ‘You wanted that one bad,'” Cooper joked with reporters. “I don’t think I’ve ever made a catch like that. Being interfered, not initially catching it because you’re being interfered, and then catching it? Like I said, he really wanted to catch that ball.”
“He’s an amazing player, he makes some incredible catches,” Randall Cobb said at his locker. “I think we’ve got to get him more involved and find ways to get him the ball and let him do what he does.
“He’s been making plays since I got here: through OTAs, through training camp. I think people are starting to understand exactly how good he can be. And he’s going to continue to grow, continue to get better. That comes with experience, but to see a young guy like him making plays consistently throughout the season is huge for him as a player, and it’s huge for our team.”
The concept of team is an important one for the 2018 third-round draft pick our of Colorado State. He’s demonstrated it repeatedly in his short pro tenure with the Cowboys, even in the devastating wake of his brother’s suicide last year.
The club was in Atlanta to play the Falcons. After the win, Gallup, a Georgia native, was joined by family members in a private room at the stadium. That’s when he was given the news of his brother Andrew’s death the previous day. Michael stayed behind with family when the players returned to Dallas. But the rookie rejoined his teammates and played just four days later, though, recording two catches against Washington and earning a game ball that Thanksgiving Day from coach Jason Garrett before returning to Georgia the next morning for the funeral.
“I just have so much admiration for Michael as a person and how he handled that situation,” Garrett offered Monday during a phone interview with 105.3 The Fan. “I can’t imagine what he was going through, what his family was going through. And he just handled it so beautifully, with so much grace last year. And I was just so impressed by him as a person and the character he has and his family and how they all came together around this tragedy. He’s just handled everything so beautifully since then. Obviously, we’ve talked a lot about how he continues to develop and grow as a player, and he certainly did a great job for us yesterday.”
Though obviously pleased with Sunday’s win and his contribution to it, Gallup admitted that his brother had been on his mind leading up to kickoff.
“Obviously, it’s going to be tough around this time every year,” Gallup said. “His birthday was November 10. So it’s always a hard one. But to go out here and have fun, do what I love, and he knows that. I’ve always loved this game and he’s up there watching me. It’s a good feeling, to be able to do that for him and have the family watch as well.”
But if the young speedster was struggling with memories of his brother, he kept it to himself. Most of his teammates didn’t even know about the tragic anniversary until it was pointed out to them by reporters after the win.
“Man, you just gave me chills,” Elliott said when told. “MG’s been a great dude ever since I met him. I knew he was going to be special. I knew he was talented. For him to go out there and have the day he did- today, on the one-year [anniversary] of his brother passing away- I’m sure it means a lot to him. I’m happy for the kid.”
“You did it for your bro?” Cooper asked Gallup directly in the locker room. “Yeah, he did it for bro. Hey, it explains a lot now, how he really wanted that ball? It explains a lot now. He did it for bro.
“Proud of him,” Prescott declared. “I know his brother’s proud of him. That’s what you do when you’re a player like that, when you’re a ballplayer, being able to go out there on that field and be at peace, it takes away and just allows you to be who you are. That’s what Michael Gallup did tonight. Just showed the type of player he is, in the midst of the anniversary. Proud of him. Proud of him.”
My interview with #Cowboys WR Michael Gallup post game. On that improbable catch and the personal significance of today's game. I dare you not to like this kid ❤️ pic.twitter.com/23fdc8H8OI
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is having an MVP-caliber season and among the historic elite, but he’s focused on Week 12 and the Patriots.
Dak Prescott had the hot hand in Week 10 versus the Minnesota Vikings but the Dallas Cowboys didn’t ride it sufficiently in the minds of most, and the team dropped a game they could have won. When Prescott began to heat up on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, this time the coaching staff did what they could to fan the flames.
Once the smoke cleared after the 35-27 win at Ford Field, the Cowboys had moved ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East standings. And Prescott had moved even further ahead of his already-lofty status in the eyes of his teammates.
“Dak’s playing the best football I’ve ever seen him play,” running back Ezekiel Elliott told the media following the win. “Definitely took his game to the next level, just the things he’s been able to do: come up to the line, changing plays, getting us in the right place versus certain looks.”
“He’s playing phenomenally,” wideout Amari Cooper said in the visitors’ locker room. “Shoot, we can’t ask for much more out of him. He’s throwing for a lot of yards, he’s really adjusting to the offense, taking command, he knows exactly how to go out there and shred the defense that we’re going up against every week. He’s doing a lot of really great things.”
“A lot of people don’t realize how good he actually is,” echoed receiver Randall Cobb after the game. “I think he’s just continuing to prove people wrong, week in and week out.”
But Prescott’s big day wasn’t just a one-off fireworks show. And it’s not just the second installment of a short-lived hot streak. Put together his numbers from his past 16 games, and it’s plain to see that Dak is straight up dealing.
Dak Prescott's last 16 games:
69.3% comp pct 4,968 yards 8.5 YPA 37 TD (32 pass, 5 rush) 12 INT 104.8 passer rating 11-5 record
Had those 16 games been the 2018 regular season, Prescott would have finished in third place among all qualifying league quarterbacks in passing yardage, behind only Ben Roethlisberger and league MVP Patrick Mahomes. His completion percentage would have ranked him 5th, his yards per attempt would have placed 3rd, and his passing touchdowns would have been good enough to tie for 6th.
just so we’re clear: Dak Prescott is playing out of his mind.
if (IF!) Dallas can string together some wins, he’s going to wind up in the MVP conversation. https://t.co/muuSGBRXWk
But Prescott doesn’t feel like he’s maxed out his potential.
“I know I can continue to play better, and play better than I did tonight. That’s what I focus on,” he said in his postgame address. “I don’t think about performances in the past. I’m not going to sit here and look too much on this performance. It’s about what we can do now, how I can get better.”
The 4th-year veteran is quick to downplay his play of late, but the Mississippi State product is entering some historically rarified air for NFL passers.
Dak Prescott had his third 400-yard passing day of the season Sunday, tying Tony Romo’s team record. In NFL history, only Dan Marino (1984), Peyton Manning (2013) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2018) have had four 400-yard games in a single season.
Prescott’s 400-yard performances came against the Giants in the season opener, against Green Bay in Week 5, and against Detroit on Sunday. He missed the plateau by just three yards in Week 10 versus Minnesota, a game in which he still tossed three touchdowns to go with his 397 yards. That group of outings catapults Prescott into an even more exclusive club.
Once again, Prescott chose not to dwell on the accomplishment when it was pointed out after the victory.
“Sure, it’s great,” Prescott shrugged. “That’s what stats are for, to be able to look back and compare, whatever. But for me, it’s about ‘let’s go get another win’ and maybe I’ll get the fifth one. Just all about moving forward, getting better. It’s humbling anytime to be thrown in with the name Montana.”
Prescott’s monster day was due in no small part to the amount of time he was given in the pocket by the Dallas offensive line. He was sacked just once on the afternoon, his protection causing FOX play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt to quip at one point that Prescott had enough time to “bake a cake” as he went through his reads.
“It gives you a lot of confidence,” Prescott offered. “Gives you so much confidence. You sit back there… there was a couple times I literally went through the progression two or three times.”
He ended up targeting eight different receivers on the day, often rolling out of the pocket and altering his throwing motion while on the move to sidearm several balls to teammates in traffic.
“He has that ability,” coach Jason Garrett remarked in his postgame press conference. “He’s not one of these guys who’s just a statue in the pocket. He can get out and move, he can throw from funny body positions, he can throw going left, he can throw going right. That’s just part of what makes him such a good player, his ability to do that and handle different situations that come up over the course of a play, and he did that a number of times today.
“He just continues to grow and develop as a quarterback.”
Every bit of growth, every step in his development, every 400-yard game further cements Prescott’s place in Dallas. And while he’s put his contract extension talks on the shelf in order to focus on the season, his play is putting him squarely in the elite category. There is now little doubt that soon his pay will be elite, too.
Prescott is on a tear, by whatever measuring stick is being used. And while it will eventually result in some fat figures next to his bank account, his Cowboys teammates are happy for the moment to see him racking up big numbers on the field. They hope he can maintain his hot hand next week in chilly New England.
“Something’s clicking there,” observed Elliott. “He’s throwing the [expletive] out of the ball. We’ve got a bunch of weapons on the outside he can throw it to; it’s hard for a defense to stop him. So keep that thing rolling.”
The record-setting stats and comparative accolades thus far have made for a nice chapter in Dak Prescott’s story. But he’s not interested in re-reading the same pages over and over; he says he’s already focused on his next challenge in the Patriots.
Dissecting the biggest plays in the Dallas Cowboys’ 35-27 victory against the Detroit Lions using EPA and Win Probability metrics.
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys picked up a much needed victory as they beat the Detroit Lions 35-27 in a close game. The Cowboys dominated on the offensive side of the ball while their defense continued to struggle, this time against a Lions team led by backup quarterback Jeff Driskel. The team’s defense has been a let down despite some stellar play from the defensive line. That being the case, the burden is on Dak Prescott to lead the offense in high scoring games, and on Sunday he once again proved more than capable.
It was an explosive game for both passing offenses as each team’s pass defense was lackluster.
Here are the biggest plays of the game in terms of Expected Points Added (EPA) and Win Probability (WP) with data via nflscrapR. EPA measure the value of a play based on down, distance to first downs, field position and time remaining in the game.
Make sure to check out the multiple views of the player tracking data for unique insight into how the plays unfolded.
The Plays
No. 1: Ezekiel Elliott up the middle for 2 yards, FUMBLE
Another game, another turnover on the Cowboys’ opening drive. The team has been known for their slow starts in 2019 and turnovers have been one of the biggest culprits. On the first rush of the game Elliott fumbled after being gang tackled by a pair of Lions. It was edge rusher Trey Flowers that forced the ball out with a recovery from linebacker Jarrad Davis.
The turnover proved to be a costly one as the Lions were able to turn it into their first score of the game. It was a seamless opening drive for the Lions who would start at their opponents’ 28-yard line. After a short drive, running back Bo Scarbrough scored on a 5-yard rush up the middle.
No. 2: Dak Prescott sacked by Devon Kennard for a loss of 10 yards
The Cowboys’ third drive of the game looked to be a promising one. Beginning at their own 14-yard line, they would slowly inch their way into a scoring opportunity. The drive spanned 14 plays, 79 yards gained and five first downs. Eventually the Cowboys found themselves at the Lions’ 2-yard line on a goal-to-go situation. On third down it was Lions edge rusher Devon Kennard that would generate the sack on a well-timed blitz call for a loss of 10 yards.
After the sack the Cowboys would have to settle for a 30-yard field goal try from Brett Maher putting the score at 7-3 late in the first quarter.
No. 3: Prescott pass short middle to Tony Pollard for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN
Trailing by four points to start the second quarter the Cowboys would get their first touchdown of the game in style. Much like in their previous possession, their fourth drive would also be a long one. This drive covered 7 plays, 70 yards gained and three first downs. Their success was rewarded when Prescott connected with Pollard on a 21-yard reception for the score. Pollard flashed his explosive potential by forcing a missed tackle in route to his first career receiving touchdown.
The Dallas Cowboys were almost saved by a few heroes against the Minnesota Vikings, but there were too many bad performances to get the win.
The Dallas Cowboys bungled away another game where the team killed its chances of walking away victorious. This time, it was a 28-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings has put a playoff run in jeopardy with the tough, upcoming schedule.
Here are the heroes and goats from a disappointing Week 10 loss that dropped the club’s regular-season record to 5-4.
Hero: Dak Prescott
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The only thing the QB didn’t do was put on a cape. Prescott tried to rescue the Cowboys on a night where the play calling put the offense in a bind for 60 minutes. Long second and third down conversions were easily picked up by Prescott, who threw the ball well all game. Prescott carved up the Vikings, throwing for 397 yards and three scores.
Goats: The rush defense
It was a sad performance from the run defense, who was gashed by RB’s Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. The defense gave up 153 yards rushing and was bullied for most of the game. The most embarrassing part was the drive where the Vikings ran it 10 straight times, leading to the game-clinching score.
Hero: Amari Cooper
(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Cooper continues to impress, despite his numerous ailments. The stud WR caught 11 passes for 147 yards and a score, and Cooper’s footwork along the sidelines was silly. Cooper played at a high level to help the Cowboys’ offense moving the chains and coming back from an early deficit.
Goat: Chidobe Awuzie
It hasn’t been a good stretch for the third-year CB and his shotty play against the Vikings continued. Awuzie remains lost in coverage and still has MAJOR issues with ball location. Awuzie’s poor play on the two-point conversion to Kyle Rudolph was a big part of stunting the comeback.
Hero: Randall Cobb
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
It was Cobb’s first 100 yard game for the Cowboys and he scored on a beautiful 22-yard strike from Prescott. Cobb made some big catches to keep drives alive after getting behind on the down and distances.
Goat: Sean Lee
As good as he played last week, Lee got smoked against the Vikings. Lee was beat twice for touchdowns and got washed out on too many screen plays.
Hero: Robert Quinn
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The veteran DE continued his stellar season with his seventh sack when he took down Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in the second quarter. It also netted Quinn a cool $800,000-plus bonus.
Goats: The coaching staff
We can sit here and talk about not being prepared to start the game, but that’s foolish. The coaches don’t drop passes or miss tackles. What we can blame them for is their decision making and stubbornness.
There is no reason to continue to bash your head into a brick wall; the running game wasn’t working, and the passing game was on fire. Yet here was Kellen Moore’s play calling on first down:
The Cowboys still had a chance to win the game late before two running calls essentially killed Dallas’ chances of winning the game. The play calling was a big issue in the loss.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi
While the team wouldn’t cast doubt on the playcalls in the Week 10 loss, coach Jason Garrett revealed more about their ill-fated late runs.
From the moment Kellen Moore was named the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, the questions started. Who would actually be calling the plays? What plays would they use? Would it be all flea-flickers and Statues of Liberty as Moore reached back into his Boise State bag of tricks? Or would Moore just trot out the same predictably ineffective Scott Linehan/Jason Garrett plays that were already in place?
In the wake of a disheartening loss to the Minnesota Vikings, playcalling is once again the focus. The Cowboys were positioned to pull off a dramatic comeback after being behind for most of the game, with the ball deep in enemy territory and down by four points with under two minutes to play. That’s when the passing game that had found success all night was inexplicably shelved for consecutive runs by Ezekiel Elliott that lost three yards and wasted almost 50 seconds of precious time. The sequence put the Cowboys in a fourth-down situation where a pass was expected by everyone, including Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks, who tipped the throw away and ended the Dallas drive 14 yards away from the end zone.
So who’s to blame? In a phone interview on Monday morning, coach Jason Garrett made it clear who’s selecting the plays.
“Kellen’s calling the game,” Garrett told 105.3 The Fan, “and in that situation, it’s 2nd-and-2. And he felt like he had a good opportunity against a favorable box to run the ball in those situations. On each of those plays, we had options beyond just the run. And unfortunately, we weren’t able to convert. We got into that 4th-down situation; we didn’t convert that.”
Garrett’s answer was interesting in several ways. First, it confirmed that Moore is the one actually dialing up the plays off the big laminated sheet, or at least the majority of them. Garrett still retains oversight, not just philosophically, but even on the sideline as the game is being played.
“We just try to communicate as an offensive staff throughout the ballgame,” Garrett explained, “and Kellen’s done a great job for us all year long. And I certainly have input throughout the ballgame. Situationally, I have input about how to handle certain situations. That’s how we’ve operated all year long, and that’s how we operated last night, and unfortunately we didn’t get it done.”
But the second part of Garrett’s answer is also telling. Quarterback Dak Prescott “had options beyond just the run,” according to the coach.
He had said as much in his postgame press conference late Sunday night.
“There are a number of different options on that play based on what they play,” Garrett told reporters. “If they heat you up, you have some answers. If they play a certain kind of zone, you have some answers. If they play man-to-man, you have some answers. So we wanted to give Dak some different options, depending on what they were going to play on a critical down situation.”
After the game, Elliott said of the play, “It was just an RPO [run-pass option]. It was a give read. There really wasn’t anywhere to go.”
That was the story all game, as Elliott finished with a mere 47 rushing yards on 20 attempts. With Prescott finding far more success through the air- 397 yards and three touchdowns- the obvious question swirling around Cowboys Nation is: why not just let Prescott continue to lay waste with his military-grade flamethrower instead of continually coming back to a pea-shooter that had been firing blanks all night?
It’s a matter of strategy. Some coaches tend to seek out an opponent’s weakness and then pull out whatever tool from their bag will work best to exploit that weakness. Others seem to want to establish an identity and then hammer it home, whatever it is… and whether it’s working or not. It feels like Garrett is firmly entrenched in the latter category. He wants the Cowboys to be a tough, physical football team who will run it right down anybody’s throat. So he does. Even if the passing game is doing all the damage in a certain matchup. It’s “we’re-going-to-do-this-because-it’s-who-we-are” versus “we’re-going-to-do-that-because-it’s-working.”
Prescott put it up 46 times Sunday night, Garrett explained on The Fan, to just 22 rushing attempts. He clearly wanted more balance, because in his world, balance is just objectively good. Maybe, but most who watched this particular game felt like one or two more throws (and one or two fewer runs) would have actually won it for Dallas.
Prescott was careful on Sunday night when asked if he wished Moore and Garrett had kept the ball in his hands with a pass on every play of the ill-fated second-to-last drive. “It’s safe to say I’ll throw the ball every play of the game,” Prescott smiled. “That’s the obvious part, right? So, for sure.”
But as Garrett explained during his radio interview, Prescott did have at least the option to throw on the run plays in question. So for fans looking to place blame after a difficult defeat, it seems there needs to be some to go around: some for Moore for calling the plays, some for Garrett for not stepping in and suggesting something else based on the situation, and some for Prescott for the option he finally went with as the plays unfolded.
“That’s the way we evaluate everything,” Garrett said Monday. “We’ll go in today- win, lose, or draw- and we say, ‘Okay, what was good about the game? Okay, let’s continue to build on that. What were areas that we as coaches need to do a better job? Maybe we didn’t communicate it well enough, maybe we didn’t practice it well enough, maybe it just wasn’t executed. I’m not talking about those specific plays, but that’s generally how you approach it.”
How to divvy up the blame for the Vikings loss may be up for debate, but one thing that was unanimous was the players’ reactions to any queries casting aspersions on the team’s playcalling or the coaches responsible.
“I’m not going to question the playcalling,” Prescott said. “There were opportunities; we’ve just got to do better and execute those plays, simple as that. And every guy in that locker room would say that.”
Wide receiver Randall Cobb did in his postgame comments. “I don’t call the plays. That’s not my job. My job is to make the plays and execute the plays that are called. The play that’s called is the play that we go out there and run, and we’ve got to make it happen on the field.”
“We would never question Kellen’s calls,” tight end Jason Witten said at his locker Sunday night. “That’s been a good run for us in third-and-short, kind of spreading them out this season, and kind of find[ing] the soft spot. Zeke does such a good job, Dak, they’re kind of used to running that type of play… That’s been a good play for us. I’m not surprised that he went back to that.”
Deep down, Cowboys fans weren’t surprised either. It’s just that they wanted to be. Because for all the early questions about the new-look Dallas offense and the glimpses of brilliance that peek through now and again, when the team had a do-or-die shot at punching it in, the answers they got were the same ones they’d been hearing for years.
A look back at the 7 biggest plays from the Cowboys’ 28-24 loss to the Vikings using EPA and WP metrics from nflscrapR.
The Dallas Cowboys might have suffered their worst loss of the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. The final score was 28-24, but the biggest takeaway from the game was the plethora of questionable play-calls and mismanaged opportunities. The Cowboys were clearly the better offensive team from a passing standpoint. However, the rushing attack they heavily relied on in the past was a non-factor against the Vikings, and ultimately, it might have been the driving force behind the daunting loss.
It was a game that featured plenty of explosive plays from both offenses. Here are the biggest plays that stood out in the game as measured by Expected Points Added (EPA) and Win Probability with data via nflscrapR. EPA measures the value of a given play based on down, distance to first downs, field position and time remaining in the game.
The Plays
No. 1: Kirk Cousins pass short right to Dalvin Cook for 27 yards
The Vikings’ first big play of the game came on simple screen pass to Cook. He managed to turn the short pass into an explosive 27 yard catch and run. Cousins was not asked to throw deep against the Cowboys, his average pass on Sunday traveled seven yards through the air. Instead he relied on Cook to generate yards after the catch. Cook totaled 109 yards after the catch and his ability to break tackles and create extra yardage was crucial for the Vikings.
This play would end with a facemask penalty from cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. The resulting catch and 15-yard penalty gave the Vikings field position at the Cowboys’ 10-yard line. They would eventually end the drive with a score, putting them up 7-0 early.
No. 2: Cousins pass short left to Cook for 30 yards
Once again Cook showed why he is one of the best running backs in the NFL. He turned another short screen pass into a huge gain, this time for 30 yards. And much like his first big play this one also ended with a penalty for the Cowboys. A 14-yard roughing the passer call on DeMarcus Lawrence would result in a 44-yard gain for the Vikings.
The Vikings would end the drive with another touchdown. It was tight end Kyle Rudolph that would pick up his second score of the game with linebacker Sean Lee in coverage. The score was now 14-0, but the Cowboys have developed a reputation this season as a team that rallies later in games. This game was no different.
No. 3: Cousins sacked for a loss of 9 yards by Robert Quinn
To start the second quarter the Cowboys found themselves in a dire situation. The defense had struggled to contain Cook throughout the first quarter and they desperately needed a stop on third down. So it is no surprise that Quinn came up big for his team when it mattered most. The team needed momentum and Quinn was able to give it to them following this sack.
No. 4: Prescott pass deep right to Amari Cooper for 20 yards
Due to some questionable play-calling on early downs the Cowboys faced plenty of third-and-long situations. Luckily for the Cowboys the combination of Prescott and Cooper has turned into on of the most dependable QB-WR tandems in the NFL. The duo consistently lifted the team in these tight situations, and on this play Cooper displayed his elite awareness skills with a toe drag catch.
No. 5: Prescott pass short left to Michael Gallup for 23 yards TOUCHDOWN
The Cowboys’ offense finally got back on track in the second quarter. After an impressive 20-yard catch from Cooper, it was Gallup that would give the Cowboys their first score of the game. The Vikings were in zone coverage here, but it was a well designed offensive play that had linebacker Eric Kendricks covering Gallup down the middle of the field for the easy score.
No. 6: Prescott pass deep right to Randall Cobb for 22 yards TOUCHDOWN
Late in the first half the Cowboy were presented with a scoring opportunity. From the 22-yard line the expected points from this part of the field was 2.6. Even so, the Cowboys were not looking to enter half-time with a field goal. The team would even the score at 14-14 on a free play as the defense was called for an offside penalty.
Prescott’s improvisation skills came in handy on the explosive pass play and Cobb showed great focus in making the catch. Cobb had his best game as a Cowboy as he accounted for 106 yards, six receptions and a touchdown.
No. 7: Prescott pass deep right to Cooper for 12 yards TOUCHDOWN
The duo of Prescott and Cooper connected on plenty of immaculate catches on the night, but this one by far was the most impressive. This play was a pass with some jet-action from RB Tony Pollard. Prescott rolled out to his right as Cooper ran a comeback route. The ball placement essentially left Cooper in a spot that was impossible to defend. But the accuracy from Prescott was also uncanny.
Dak Prescott-Amari Cooper 12-yard TD had a 29.9% Completion Probability, Prescott's 5th completion of the game under 30%, the most by a QB in a game over the last two seasons.#MINvsDAL | #DallasCowboyspic.twitter.com/Ml4kaq1Q2U
It was a tough loss for the Cowboys as Prescott put on another MVP-caliber performance. They lost to a good team, but it did not have to be that way. There were plenty of opportunities to seize the game, but it was the coaching staff that came up short with a game plan that featured plenty of runs on first-and-10. All night the Cowboys had struggled to establish the run. Passing on the other hand was a completely different story. Much like they have all season, the Cowboys have possessed on of the best passing offenses in the league through 10 weeks of football.
Right now the biggest question marks come from the Cowboys’ defensive side of the ball. What has been concerning is the team’s never ending battle against the run despite being at full strength on the defensive front. Even the pass defense has suffered as of late, as Awuzie has failed to take a major leap in his game now in his third year in the league. Overall, the Cowboys do have the talent and the right personnel to compete for a Super Bowl, but reality has not lined up with the expectations for the 2019 season.
The Cowboys yet again failed to get the job done against another top-team, falling 28-24 to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Cowboys can’t seem to do themselves any favors, once again starting slow and digging themselves into a hole which ultimately did them in. They were down two touchdowns before the first quarter ended, but managed to briefly take the lead 21-20 halfway through the third quarter.
Unfortunately, they yet again found themselves on the wrong end of a shootout against one of the better teams in the league. Dallas fell, 28-24, to the Minnesota Vikings, dropping their record to 5-4 on the season. It was a game they rarely looked like things would go their way.
It was over when . . .
. . . Eric Kendricks broke up Dak Prescott’s attempt on 4th and 5 from the Minnesota 14. The Cowboys looked to be in the catbird seat, having drove from their own six to the Minnesota 11, but two Ezekiel Elliott runs pushed them back, and against the wall. Unfortunately, Prescott couldn’t bail them out, after playing so well for the entire game.
Game balls
WR Amari Cooper
It’s impossible to overstate how much Cooper transformed this offense. He had another monster night, catching 11 passes for 147 yards and one touchdown. He was able to showcase everything against the Vikings secondary, but his dramatic sideline toe-taps were the plays that really stood out.
The best season of Prescott’s career took another step, as he put up a valiant effort in yet another comeback that fell just short. He took it upon himself to throw Dallas back into the game, fearlessly throwing into tight windows and converting third down after third down.
In the end, he threw for 397 yards on 28 of 46 pass attempts, three touchdowns, and one interception (on the last play of the game, a heave into the end zone). The results haven’t been there yet, but these moments and games will soon pay off in the last half of the season.
WR Randall Cobb
It’s been a tough go for the former Packer, but Cobb was able to put together a really nice game, joining Cooper in eclipsing 100 receiving yards (106 on six catches), a feat he accomplished for the first time this season. His beautiful 22-yard touchdown grab at the end of the second quarter made up for the many near-misses that have marred the first half of his season.
Ezekiel Elliott entered the game averaging 4.7 yards-per-carry this season, yet registered only 2.35 YPC against Minnesota. That didn’t stop the Cowboys from running him 20 times however. The run game was atrocious and entirely unhelpful, seemingly costing the team big, especially considering how well they were able to throw the ball. As a team, they recorded only 50 rushing yards, the second-lowest total of the season (45 in Week 4 vs New Orleans).
Quick takes:
As poorly as the Cowboys ran the ball, it was the opposite story for Minnesota. Vikings RB Dalvin Cook rumbled all over the Dallas defense, reminiscent of C.J. Anderson’s performance against them in the playoffs last year. In total, the Vikings ran for 156 total yards, Cook responsible for 97 of them.If only Dallas had a highly-drafted defensive tackle to plug the middle of the defensive line.
The Cowboys possess one of the more unique weapons in the NFL in the leg of K Brett Maher. Unfortunately tonight, it seemed to cost them points, as Jason Garrett decided to try a 57-yard field goal that missed badly. It set up Minnesota with a short field, who had no problems marching 53-yards on their first drive of the game to go up 7-0. Situational football has been a problem for the Cowboys this season, and this was yet another example of this team holding itself back..
Minnesota’s Kyle Rudolph only had 14 receiving yards, but he was a huge difference maker, scoring two touchdowns and picking up a two-point conversion. His success against the Cowboys secondary was unfortunately unsurprising and predictable, as they’ve seemed to have a lot of trouble containing TEs this season.
Dallas was 31st in DVOA against tight ends going into this week.
The Dallas offense converted more than half of their third down opportunities (9 of 15, 60%), which normally leads to success. Unfortunately, the Vikings essentially matched them, converting 8 of 14 third downs (57%).
Perhaps the most frustrating and inexplicable moment of the game occurred when WR Tavon Austin signaled for a fair catch despite having tons of real estate in front of him at the end of the game. Minnesota was giving the ball back to the Cowboys, punting from their own 10-yard line with 24 seconds left. If there was ever a time for for Austin to have his signature moment with Dallas, this seemed like it. Apparently, the coaches didn’t let him try.
The coaching staff telling Tavon Austin to fair catch that punt still has me speechless.
The Cowboys are now tied for first place in the NFC East at 5-4. They’ll try to again separate themselves from the Philadelphia against another NFC North opponent next week in the Detroit Lions, who are 3-5-1.
