10 things Cowboys have to change during bye week

The season may not be salvageable, but that doesn’t mean things can’t be gleaned from the final seven games. Make these moves and prosper.

The Dallas Cowboys sit at 2-7; a place no one imagined when predicting how the 2020 season would play out. Of course, no one predicted how the calendar year would play out either, but here the country is, entering another phase of lockdowns.

The Cowboys haven’t been able to lock anyone down, and are no longer capable of scoring at will either, making the entire process of watching them so painful an entire fan base is overjoyed at the slightest glimmer of adequate quarterback play. The reality is, whether or not the front office says the quiet part out loud, there isn’t anything left to play for this season. The players and the coaches need to use the remaining seven games after the bye week in order look towards the future.

Here are a few ways Mike McCarthy, his staff and his roster need to move forward down the stretch of the season.

5 takeaways from Seattle’s 28-23 divisional-round defeat in Green Bay

The Seattle Seahawks fell to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 28-23 in the divisional round of the playoffs. Here are five takeaways.

The Seattle Seahawks fell to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the 2019 NFL playoffs, extending their losing streak at Lambeau Field to nine games. Here are five takeaways from the loss on Sunday.

Disastrous first half

The Seahawks went into halftime trailing 21-3 as their defense could not stop a nosebleed. They could not generate much offensively, only scoring a 45-yard Jason Myers field goal and a subsequent 50-yard miss and a failed Hail Mary attempt at the end of the half. The Packers outgained the Seahawks in yards 201 to 135, as well as the time of possession with 18:05 to Seattle’s 11:55. Green Bay would match Seattle’s subsequent touchdown in the second half with one of its own, and this would ultimately prove too much to overcome.

No answer for Davante Adams

Davante Adams finished with eight receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns and had 120 yards and one TD in the first half. He burned whoever covered him and the Seahawks defense simply had no answer for him in particular. He caught all four of his targets of 10 or more yards downfield, and one of those was a clutch third-and-8 conversion that went for 32 yards when the Packers needed a play to run the clock down. He averaged 5.7 yards per route and was Aaron Rodgers’ most reliable target, as well as Green Bay’s biggest contributor to its offensive production.

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Strong second-half surge

The Seahawks came out of halftime to score three consecutive offensive touchdowns, getting them back into the game. They could not capitalize on opportunities when the contest was on the line, but the Seahawks continued to make the statement that they are a no-quit team, as they have often been throughout the Pete Carroll era. They always find a way to stay in the game and receive a chance to win it. Unfortunately, they could not pull it off this time.

Defense horrid on third down

Ken Norton Jr.’s defense got torched on third down all game long, including several times with the game hanging in the balance. The Packers converted nine of their 14 third-down attempts and were six of eight after making the score 28-10 in their favor. In addition, all three of Green Bay’s first-half TDs were on third down. The Seahawks defense could not get stops when they needed to, and this played a huge role in the outcome.

Former Seahawk Jimmy Graham makes the game-winning catch

Tight end Jimmy Graham made perhaps the biggest catch of his career when he converted a third and 9 with 1:48 remaining in the game. The spot was controversial, as it appeared Graham was short of the first-down marker, but the Seahawks defense could have prevented him from making the crucial catch, and they did not, nor did they get to quarterback Aaron Rodgers when they needed to. Graham caught two additional passes on third down and was clutch for the Packers with the game on the line. This will obviously sting Seahawks fans quite a bit, but it must have felt good for Graham to win against his former team.

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Josh Gordon appreciates Seahawks culture, playing for Russell Wilson

The Seattle Seahawks’ new wide receiver Josh Gordon expressed an appreciation for the team’s culture and playing for Russell Wilson.

The Seattle Seahawks claimed wide receiver Josh Gordon off waivers after being cut by the New England Patriots and he is very satisfied to be with his new team in the Emerald City.

“I’m just grateful to be here,” Gordon said following Saturday’s practice. “I’m grateful to be here. There’s a lot of gratitude. Definitely thankful to land in a spot like this. Could’ve been anywhere, I couldn’t control that. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to have this opportunity to just go out there and do what I do.

“It has been great. It’s been a smooth transition. A great environment, a great football team, and organization. I’m really happy to be here.”

Gordon expressed his appreciation for the culture in the Seahawks’ locker room from the players to the coaches.

“The energy is high energy, all the time, everybody,” he said. “Top to bottom, all across the board. Offense and defense, staff. I love it. Keeps everybody kind of moving, everybody’s on their toes and in the right frame of mind to come in and do what you have to do and just perform, work, and compete.”

Gordon stated he and Russell Wilson discussed playing together for years, and he is looking forward to finally making it happen.

“Me and Russ have been talking about (playing together) for a long time, for a while behind the scenes – how nice it would be,” Gordon said. “Admire his game. I think maybe he respected mine mutually. I love the way he plays, it’s as simple as that. He’s a great ballplayer, he can make it happen from pretty much anywhere.”

Wilson offered words of praise for his new wide receiver after team practice this week.

“Josh, he’s been great since he’s gotten here,” Wilson told reporters on Friday. “He’s been studying like crazy. He sits up (front) and takes tons of notes. He’s highlighting like crazy. He’s in his playbook nonstop. He’s prepared. He’ll be prepared and ready to roll. He’s a true pro. He’s been in different systems and stuff like that. I think that helps him. I think he’s really fired up to be here. We’re fired up to have him.”

Fans hope Gordon can contribute to Seattle’s ambitions as they head into a brutal stretch of schedule through the second half of the season.

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