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.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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