Also, breaking down the Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt, Jr. hires, Cowboys coaches decide on Senior Bowl trip, and moving on from Dak Prescott?
The 2021 Dallas Cowboys defense is taking some semblance of shape following the hires of new coordinator Dan Quinn and now passing game coordinator Joe Whitt, Jr. There’s plenty to dissect as Cowboys Nation reads the tea leaves on the connection between Quinn and Whitt… and Whitt and Mike McCarthy. Read on to learn why there’s both optimism and cause for concern regarding the Whitt news and what Quinn may bring to Dallas.
Also on tap, looking back at what worked in 2020, looking ahead to the Cowboys’ quarterback situation, looking closely at Aldon Smith’s future with the club, and looking for answers as to why Jerry Jones the owner won’t move on from Jerry Jones the general manager. There’s also news on the Cowboys contingent heading to the Senior Bowl, a battle of former Dallas pass-catchers on this weekend’s playoff slate, and a Hollywood superstar standing up for America’s Team to one of the Cowboys’ biggest and loudest haters. All the News and Notes, coming right up…
The Raiders fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther late in the season, and his replacement is moving full speed ahead toward improvement.
The Raiders’ first season in Las Vegas has already been derailed, after a late-season slide reminiscent of last year’s campaign. The team has multiple issues, most notably scoring in the red zone and a porous defense.
Coach Jon Gruden fired former defensive coordinator Paul Guenther late in the season, in a last-ditch attempt to shore up that side of the ball. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli was given the job on an interim basis, and he sees improvement in his group’s play since he took over Week 15 against the Chargers.
“No question. I think you can see it, too,” Marinelli told reporters Wednesday when asked if he thinks the defense is playing better. “I love the intensity they’re playing with; their hitting has picked up. It’s really clear what they have to do. That’s who I am. I cut things back and let’s really get good at a few things. I think it’s starting to show.”
Despite the simplifications, the defense has still been suspect and downright awful at times since Marinelli took over. But to fix this defense in short order is probably an impossible task. At the least, Marinelli attempting to establish a culture of consistently competent play and growth, not to mention winning.
“Environment can change, situations change, but we don’t,” he says. “And I just want to keep growing. That’s the No. 1 thing is to keep developing, keep growing, secure a win. It’s how we play, the effort. I want to keep building on that. The tackling, playing together as a unit.”
It’s important that the Raiders’ defense plays well against the Broncos on Sunday, as Las Vegas goes for its eighth win of the season. But it’s even more important for next year’s defense to show marked improvement. It’s possible that Marinelli could return as defensive coordinator, and how the defense responds in Denver cold impact Gruden’s decision. Marinelli says he’s not concerned about next year just yet.
“I just let things go as they go,” he said. “That’s always been me. I just really concentrate. And everybody says the same thing, but I really do. I really look at the situation. I love being with these guys. I love seeing them grow and I’ll just leave it at that.”
Marinelli says he’ll go with the flow, but it’s more important what Gruden thinks. Though the offense hasn’t produced enough in the red zone, it’s the defense that’s most holding the Raiders back. Las Vegas’ next defensive coach will have a lot of work to do, whether it’s the steady Marinelli or a new face from outside the franchise.
Sunday’s devastating loss in historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay was noteworthy in the pantheon of negative accomplishments from the Detroit Lions
Sunday’s devastating loss in historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay was noteworthy in the pantheon of negative accomplishments from the Detroit Lions. Given the franchise’s relative lack of success during the Super Bowl era, this one is a doozy of a downer.
With the loss in Week 2, Matt Patricia’s record as the head coach of the Lions dropped to 9-24-1. Through his first 34 games, Patricia has somehow sunk below the winning rate of former Lions coach Rod Marinelli.
In 2006-2008, Marinelli went 10-24 in his first 34 contests as the Lions head man. The 34th game was the second loss in the winless 2008 season, which Marinelli finished to drop his overall record in Detroit to 10-38.
Patricia now has a worse winning percentage than the man who ineptly presided over the first 0-16 season in NFL history through the same points in their Detroit careers. The Lions have now lost 11 games in a row, the longest current streak in the NFL.
Jim Caldwell, Patricia’s predecessor, went 19-15 in his first 34 games. Jim Schwartz went 10-24 in his first 34 games as Lions coach after taking over the winless team Marinelli left behind. Schwartz’s Lions won the first two games of the 2011 season after going 8-24 in the first two, and they eventually made the playoffs with a 10-6 record. It would be a stunning turnaround for this current Lions team to taste the postseason in 2020.
Through one lens, Hill’s rookie season was a disappointment. Through another, it was an internship for a prospect starting at the bottom.
There the Dallas Cowboys sat, lucked into the perfect scenario. No one in their right mind figured they’d be this fortunate when they came on the clock for the first time in the draft. The team sat back and let team after team make selections without making an attempt to move up, and now had a clear chance to boost their talent base, with not just one player inexplicably sliding to them, but they had choice.
As mock draft after mock draft played out in the weeks leading up to draft weekend, it was wholly inconceivable the Cowboys would ever be this fortunate. Yet there they were, on the clock ready to seize the gift handed to them by the football gods.
Only the Cowboys zigged instead of zagged. Oh, you thought this was a retelling of how the club selected CeeDee Lamb? Silly rabbits, this is the tale of how just a year earlier, Dallas passed on the obvious choice of any of three safeties in Taylor Rapp, Nasir Adderley or Juan Thornhill and instead selected defensive tackle Trysten Hill.
Entering the 2019 draft, the safety position was largely seen as the achilles heel of the Dallas defense. The prior season had come to an inglorious end at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams’ rushing attack in the division round. Lasting memories of strong safety Jeff Heath looking the wrong direction as Goff scrambled for a crucial third-down conversion in the fourth quarter are etched in fan’s cerebrals.
The 2019 draft was celebrated to have several safeties who could start immediately, but after trading their first-round pick midseason for WR Amari Cooper, most felt Dallas was too far back at No. 58 to grab any of the top six prospects at the position.
So when their time on the clock came and not one, not two, but three of them sat waiting, it felt like the jackpot to the fanbase. Only Dallas didn’t select any of them. Despite a breakout season from NT Antwaun Woods, big money and a couple years remaining in Tyrone Crawford, Maliek Collins and free agent signings Christian Covington and Kerry Hyder, the club selected Hill.
The fuse of the fan’s short temper was lit before Hill ever donned the proverbial draft cap and then he failed to change their minds.
Hill’s Time at UCF
Drafted out of Central Florida, Hill had an interesting story that raised red flags in some quarters. Recruited as a 30-front nose tackle, Hill showed great promise as an 18-year old, notching a sack and five TFLs in nine games. He stepped that up to two sacks as a sophomore, but a coaching and scheme change moved him from budding prospect to a bench player.
Coach Scott Frost moved him to the bench in a 40-front and Hill started just one game though he notched three sacks and 10.5 TFLs.
There was plenty of discussion about Hill’s reported attitude problem as the reason he landed in Frost’s dog house, but defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli spent extensive time researching and with the young prospect predraft and convinced the team’s brass he was a diamond in the rough.
Marinelli, now in Las Vegas as the Raiders’ DL coach, also convinced the club to draft Taco Charlton – a player with apparent self-motivation issues who is now on his third NFL team in four years after being Dallas’ first-round pick in 2017.
“Leading up to the draft, he helped me with the whole process. You know, he was really that person I could talk to, call on the phone. He’d call me, hey how you doing, who talked to you, he wanted to know the inside stuff too, you know. With him, having him, you know kind of watch over me and guide me through it helped out tremendously. And when I was picked here, I mean not a lot of people get to go to the team they want to, so it was a blessing.”
Hill’s First Season and What’s Next
Hill couldn’t crack the rotation though, and was inactive the first two games of the season. He saw snaps in four of the next five contests and was generally ineffective, seeing his snaps decrease from 34 in Week 3 to just 13 in Week 7. He’d sit for several weeks before reemerging a bit, playing just 36 snaps from Week 12 on.
He recorded just four tackles on the season, two quarterback hits and no sacks.
That’s about as big a disappointment for a team’s first pick in a draft as one can imagine.
But all hope isn’t lost, or at least it shouldn’t be.
First and foremost, Hill’s extremely young, still the youngest member of Dallas’ DL at just 22 years old. Both defensive linemen drafted in 2020, Oklahoma’s Neville Gallimore is already 23 and Hill is two months behind Utah’s Bradlee Anae.
There was plenty of talk about Hill’s skill set when he was drafted, but he left school a year early rather then spend another season in Frost’s dog house.
If one views Hill as a draft pick who spent his senior season interning with an NFL club, gaining actual experience practicing against professionals, then the outlook on someone with his physical gifts warrant consideration as a redemption story.
Like Gallimore, Hill’s best trait is an insanely quick first step. If the rest of the package can come together, that elite trait is one that can be the basis of a solid NFL career.
Hill's quick first step jumps off the screen. Tough for a center to handle that kind of quickness/explosiveness off the snap. Hill can certainly penetrate and play in the backfield. pic.twitter.com/EId6IRMDli
After spending a year with Rod Marinelli, Hill will now work with DL wizard Jim Tomsula. The latter will be incorporating plenty of 30-front principles, which is where Hill showed a lot of promise at Central Florida. With a year of added strength, and lowered expectations, he could surprise in 2020.
Everyone wanted a safety, and then safety play in 2019 was underwhelming, further exacerbating the issue of Hill’s selection and lack of contribution.
With a gluttony of talent now ahead of him, starting with free agent signings Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, no one thinks Hill will be much of a contributor, and it could turn into the perfect opportunity for him.
This is part of our Countdown to the Regular Season player profile countdown. With 96 days remaining until the NFL’s first game, up next is defensive end Jalen Jelks.
Where did pieces of last year’s Cowboys team land within the rest of the league?
The Dallas Cowboys’ roster has undergone substantial turnover this offseason, with several players and coaches finding new homes for 2020. For some, it represents their first time venturing outside the organization. Other players were just passing through, having spent only a year in Dallas before moving on elsewhere.
What effect will these departures have on the Cowboys this season, and how do those moving on fit in with their new teams? Some of the changes figure to make a bigger impact than others.
OC Jason Garrett: New York Giants
Dallas finally changed head coaches, bringing in Mike McCarthy for longtime fixture Jason Garrett. It’s a decision that represents a fundamental shift in team philosophies, and one that will hopefully yield immediate results in helping a talented roster take the next step.
Garrett landed on his feet rather quickly, within the division where he’ll serve as offensive coordinator under first-year coach Joe Judge for the New York Giants.
Garrett’s had more of a hands-off approach in recent years, but he’s long been lauded for his offensive mind. He takes over somewhat of a blank canvas in New York, with young QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley. Will this year be a renaissance for the veteran coach, or will he revert to the same tendencies and strategies he relied on the last ten years in Dallas?
DL coach Rod Marinelli: Las Vegas Raiders
The Cowboys defensive coordinator since 2014, Marinelli is another familiar face who will be on a different sideline in 2020. He joins a collection of ex-Dallas players in Las Vegas, filling in as Jon Gruden’s defensive line coach.
New DC Mike Nolan will apparently give the Cowboys defense a face lift, moving from traditional Tampa 2 concepts into something more complex. Look for Dallas to blitz much more often than they did under Marinelli, and move players like Jaylon Smith and Chidobe Awuzie into new roles and positions.
OL Marc Colombo: New York Giants
Joining Garrett in New York is Marc Colombo, where he’ll be their offensive line coach. Colombo played for the Cowboys from 2005 – 2010. He became an assistant offensive line coach in 2016, and was promoted OL coach during the 2018 season.
Replacing Colombo in Dallas is Joe Philbin, former Dolphins head coach and longtime McCarthy assistant.
Continue for a look at players who will be donning new uniforms…
After three seasons in Dallas, Daniel Ross is headed to Las Vegas to reunite with Rod Marinelli on the Raiders’ defensive line.
Another Dallas player has defected to the Las Vegas desert. Following in the footsteps of Jason Witten, Maliek Collins, and Jeff Heath, defensive tackle Daniel Ross is the fourth ex-Cowboy expected to sign with coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders.
Ross will be reunited with the Raiders’ new defensive line coach, Rod Marinelli. It will be the 70-year-old Marinelli’s first year in Las Vegas after seven years on the sidelines in Dallas.
Ross, who went undrafted out of Northeast Mississippi Community College, spent two seasons in the Canadian Football League before bouncing around the practice squads in Houston, Detroit, and Kansas City. He joined the Cowboys in November 2017, when Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension opened up a spot on Dallas’s active roster.
In 16 games as a Cowboy in 2017 and 2018, the 27-year-old Ross logged 19 combined tackles, two sacks, two fumbles recoveries, and a forced fumble. He sat out 2019 on injured reserve with a shoulder ailment. In November, Ross was arrested for possession of marijuana and a weapons charge.
Ross did not receive a restricted tender offer from the Cowboys, as the team’s revamping of the interior defensive line continues. Free agent nose tackle Dontari Poe and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, both most recently with the Panthers, were signed by the club in recent days.
The NFL is just days removed from the Super Bowl and already the 2020 offseason is in full swing. When it comes to the big changes in Dallas there is no time to waste. The public gets to know a little bit more about new Cowboys defensive …
The NFL is just days removed from the Super Bowl and already the 2020 offseason is in full swing. When it comes to the big changes in Dallas there is no time to waste.
The public gets to know a little bit more about new Cowboys defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan. There are predictions of who has the best chance to get to Super Bowl 55. A bold Jason Witten projection his fans may want to look away from.
If things don’t work out in Dallas, there’s a look at potential different landing spots for Amari Cooper. 2020 over-under bets are filing in for season win totals. An introduction to the new individual responsible for linebackers Jaylon Smith & Leighton Vander Esch’s growth. All this and more in this edition of News and Notes.
A great read from Todd Archer profiles new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Among the tidbits, there’s a glimpse back at Nolan’s introduction to the Cowboys as a five-year-old sitting atop the shoulders of Ring of Honor quarterback Don Meredith, the collaborative lengths he’s going to with his newly-assembled staff to marry his coaches’ various defensive philosophies, and the thing that Troy Aikman told him about Deion Sanders 15 years ago that still resonates with him today.
At the heart of everything Nolan does in Dallas, though, will be his emphasis on creating takeaways. “You want it to look like a swarming type of mentality,” Nolan says. He adds, “The number one thing in football is getting the ball for your offense.”
Though some have been quick to already christen the Chiefs the league’s next “dynasty,” there are actually several teams for whom the proverbial window is wide open to win a championship of their own in 2020. NFL.com columnist Adam Schein ranks the nine teams for whom the time is now. Or at least now-ish.
The Cowboys come in fifth, thanks in large part to the hiring of Mike McCarthy as head coach. Schein thinks he’s the ideal leader to make the most of quarterback Dak Prescott hitting his football stride: “McCarthy and Prescott comprise the kind of coach-quarterback tandem that can carry a franchise to years of contention.”
The Worldwide Leader tasked its NFL Nation reporters with making a “bold prediction” for the 2020 offseason for each team in the league. While some of the crystal-ball calls aren’t exactly exciting (The Browns will add two starting tackles! The Broncos will be active in making moves!), several are worthy of at least a slight eyebrow raise (The Rams will try to trade Todd Gurley).
As for Dallas, Todd Archer’s calling his shot on a topic that’s already gotten a good deal of traction with many fans: “Jason Witten will play a 17th season… but it won’t be with the Cowboys.”
Rod Marinelli found a new home in the business, one with a familiar face, Jon Gruden. Gruden and Marinelli worked together for four seasons in Tampa Bay in the early 2000’s. On Wednesday, the now Las Vegas Raiders announced the hiring of two coaches. While his stint in Dallas didn’t end how he wanted, Marinelli’s resume speaks for itself and his time with the Cowboys was more positive than negative.
The Cowboys management has made it clear they would love to re-sign Cooper. Stephen Jones even openly stated that Cooper was Dallas’ second highest priority this offseason, only behind the contract negotiations of Prescott. Cooper has reciprocated these feelings in recent weeks, and so you would think a deal would be likely to get done.
Cooper, coming off his best season, is sure to attract looks for a number of teams in need of an upgrade at the position. Former NFL quarterback David Carr explains his top 5 landing spots for Cooper.
In 2020, Dallas has been given the early over/under total of nine wins. RJ Ochoa goes on to explain that with the team being in win-now mode, nine wins would be a complete disaster. Whether it being losing close games, or just plain old bad luck, anything short of a double-digit win season would have Cowboys fans once again in a frenzy.
There are many different opinions on the contract status of Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Now, with the new reports that a franchise tag is coming, the new question is whether or not Prescott will show up to the off-season programs when the new NFL calendar year starts in just a few short months.
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback, Troy Aikman told 96.7 FM/1310 AM The Ticket that he thinks that it’s “inevitable” that it gets done. He mentions that Prescott would be there for the off season programs because he wants to get better and that he would want to be there for his teammates.
“I think the Cowboys, they’ve said it, I believe they really want him back. I have no reason to think otherwise,” Aikman said. “I believe Mike McCarthy really wants him back. Dak wants to be there. I think it’s inevitable that they are going to reach a deal.
“I think everyone understands that he’s the quarterback of the future.”
The majority of the coaching staff has been changed and revamped under the new direction and vision of head coach Mike McCarthy. For a few weeks the focus has been on all of the coordinators such as Kellen Moore (offensive), Mike Nolan (defensive)and John Fassel (special teams).
This article focuses in on a position coach with very high expectations due to the group of individuals he’ll be working with; the linebackers. Scott McCurley will be tagging along with Mike McCarthy for a second time as he begins his job as Cowboys linebackers coach. McCurley started with McCarthy in Green Bay as an intern in 2006 and after Mike McCarthy was fired in 2018, McCurley remained loyal. The journey of getting to Dallas and how McCurley turned down an opportunity to latch on with the college football National Champions, LSU, is quite the read.
Raiders announce hire of Rod Marinelli as Defensive line coach, Austin King for Offensive Quality Control
Though initial reports of the move came out three weeks ago, the Raiders have finally made the hiring of Rod Marinelli as Defensive Line Coach official. In addition, they announced one other coaching hire, adding Austin King as Offensive Quality Control coach.
Marinelli will enter his 25th season as an NFL coach. He most recently was the Defensive Coordinator on Jason Garrett’s staff with the Cowboys the past six seasons.
In his seven total seasons with the Cowboys, Marinelli helped the defense lead the league in run defense in 2016 and the defense finish in the top ten three times (2017-19), led the league in run defense in and the club won three NFC East titles (2014, 2016 and 2018) during his tenure, having advanced to the divisional round in each of those three seasons.
For five consecutive seasons (2014-18), Marinelli’s defense improved its total ranking from the year prior, finishing seventh in 2018 after ranking eighth in 2017.
A longtime respected defensive mind, Marinelli got his first NFL gig as the Defensive Line coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996. When Jon Gruden took over in 2002, he kept Marinelli on, promoting him to Assistant Head Coach and that defensive line was a major factor in leading the Bucs to a Super Bowl title. Though, oddly, no one can remember who they beat in the Super Bowl.
Over his 10 seasons with the Buccaneers, the defensive line tallied an NFL-best 328.5 sacks. Prior to 2019, the team’s top-five single-season sack totals all came under Marinelli’s tenure (1997, 1999-2000, 2002 and 2004), with a franchise-best 55 sacks recorded in 2000 that still holds today. From 1999-2003, the team logged a sack in 69 consecutive games, marking a new NFL record.
He would leave Gruden’s staff in 2005 to become the head coach of the Lions, a job he held for three seasons. Then he spent four seasons with the Bears, three as Defensive Coordinator.
Over his three years in Chicago leading the Bears defensive unit, the team forced a league-best 59 fumbles and recorded 65 interceptions, third-most in the NFL over that span, while returning a league-high 13 interceptions for touchdowns. His defense also allowed just 904 points during that same time frame, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
Austin King joins the team as an Offensive Quality Control coach. He brings eight years of collegiate coaching experience. He has spent the past five years with the University of Dayton, including the past three years as an offensive coordinator.
Gruden is familiar with King because he drafted him. In 2003, while head coach of the Buccaneers, Gruden selected King in the 4th round (133 overall) out of Northwestern. The former center/guard never played for Gruden in Tampa. He would later play 34 games in three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons.
Just like Gruden to keep bringing in familiar faces.
The New York Giants will hire Joe Judge as their next head coach on Wednesday, so here’s a look at nine potential assistant coaches.
The New York Giants hired 38-year-old New England Patriots wide receivers/special teams coordinator Joe Judge on Tuesday.
While Judge has been described as a “no nonsense” type of guy and is a disciple of the Bill Belichick and Nick Saban coaching tree, he has zero head coaching experience at any level.
It was reported that Judge will be allowed to select his own coaching staff and picking the right guys will be critical in the early stages of his young coaching career
Let’s take a look at nine possible candidates, who could help Judge on Big Blue’s staff.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Jason Garrett, Offensive Coordinator
Jason Garrett was originally linked to the Giants’ head coaching position after being let go in bizarre fashion by the Dallas Cowboys. Although Garrett was recently let go as a head coach, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t give the Giants offense a boost as their play caller.
The Cowboys’ offense was certainly not the problem last year ranking No. 1 in total offense with 431 total yards per game. They also ranked sixth in the NFL scoring 27.1 points per week.
Garrett went 85-67 as head coach of the Cowboys with a 2-3 postseason record, but did not get the most out of a star-studded roster that failed to reach an NFC Championship game in nine seasons.
Prior to becoming lead man, Garrett’s had a high reputation as an offensive mind dating back to first year as coordinator in 2007, where the Cowboys earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and had the second best offense in the league.
Garrett has experience developing young quarterbacks, as well including Tony Romo and Dak Prescott and if he is brought in by Judge, he could help Daniel Jones take the next step in year two.
The defense for the Dallas Cowboys played a major role in the drubbing the Buffalo Bills handed the team on Thanksgiving
The Dallas Cowboys left a sour taste in fans mouths after a putrid performance against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving. Second helpings were rendered flavorless after watching the team fail in all three phases and several folks’ job security has become a hot topic.
While it’s the head coach who most want canned, and the offense continues to take their lumps for not getting it done, the defense and its coaches should not go unscathed.
Dallas’ defense looked lost against the Bills’ middle-of-the-road offense. It was a confusing game plan, to say the least. QB Josh Allen makes plays more with his legs more than through the air, yet the Cowboys had no spy on the quarterback. The Cowboys have employed one in similar games, the wild card against Russell Wilson’s Seahawks last year comes to mind, but chose not to use the strategy against Allen. It allowed Bills QB to rush for 43 yards and a score.
The defense also chose to sit back, rather than attacking Allen and forcing the QB into mistakes. Allen has a propensity to throw easy interceptions when pressured, yet on too many occasions, the pass rushers appeared to stand up and play their gap instead of getting after the quarterback. The result was Allen having too much time and finding open receivers late on plays. It’s a bad combination to give a quarterback time and having a group of cornerbacks who have struggled this season.
Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard’s unit wasn’t nearly good enough. Their defense has now gone 15 quarters without creating a turnover and they had their chances in this game. Xavier Woods had a would be interception go right through his hands and Jourdan Lewis couldn’t make a play on another possible pick. It’s clear the technique of not looking back at the ball in the air isn’t working.
The linebackers weren’t very good either. One of the strengths of team coming into the season has failed this defense. Jaylon Smith was lost in coverage, got washed on too many running plays and looked like he had trouble changing direction.
Sean Lee was also an issue; he often had no problems diagnosing the play, but too often he couldn’t bring the ball carrier down on first contact.
The defense failed the Cowboys too often against the Bills. There were three big possessions where the defense came up small.
In the first quarter, after Chris Jones pinned the Bills deep, the defense gave up a 3-and-10. It allowed the Bills to flip the field and kept the Cowboys from getting the ball back around midfield. Dallas was leading 7-0 at the time and could’ve added points to put the Bills in catch-up mode.
Instead, the Bills got a few first downs changed field position and scored on their next drive.
The second fail encapsulated the game perfectly. Late in the second quarter, on 4th-and-1, Allen fumbled the snap, but no Cowboys defender managed to touch Allen or pull him down after the muff. The QB didn’t give up on the play and fought for the first down, while too many Cowboys defenders quit playing.
The next snap gave the Bills a lead they would never relinquish, a trick play resulting in a 28-yard touchdown reception for running back Devin Singletary from the arm of wide receiver John Brown.
The final failure from the defense occurred on a drive that began late in the third quarter and ended in the fourth. Dallas’ defense allowed a 13-play, 72-yard drive that took almost seven minutes off the clock and led to the three points that put the game on ice. The Bills converted on three-straight third downs to chew up the clock and kept the offense from being able to mount a comeback.
It was a rough day for the offense, especially Dak Prescott, but the defense wasn’t good enough either.
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