Tag: turnover margin

McCarthy: Turnover differential is ‘number one priority’ for Cowboys’ late-season chances

The Dallas defense logged 3 takeaways Sunday, and the offense had 0 turnovers. McCarthy’s history says a late-season surge could be huge.

On Sunday, the Cowboys had three fumble recoveries in the first fifteen minutes and ten seconds of play.

On Sunday, the Cowboys won 30-7, their largest margin of victory since last December.

No one in the Cowboys locker room believes that’s just a coincidence. And everyone believes duplicating that feat will be critical to the team’s success moving forward, this season and beyond.

“Defense definitely set the tone early with the takeaways, Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in his postgame press conference from Cincinnati after the Week 14 win. “When you see the takeaways are done on second-reaction, second-effort type plays, that’s how they usually come, they come in bunches. That was huge for us, plus-three. Winning the turnover battle was clearly a big part of our victory today.”

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence forced a Giovani Bernard fumble on just the second play from scrimmage. While the recovery by Jourdan Lewis gave Dallas excellent field position, the offense wasn’t able to turn it into more than three points.

On Cincinnati’s next series, Lawrence’s linemate took the matter of scoring a touchdown into his own hands. He picked up a ball dropped by Bengals running back Trayveon Williams- in after Bernard’s fumble- and took off on a 78-yard run, lumbering for the first touchdown of his pro career.

“I knew that I was, like, really fast,” Smith explained to reporters. “So as soon as I picked it up, I just knew that it was just going to be impossible for me to be caught.”

Just as with his touchdown run, Aldon barely made it all the way to the end of his answer. Then he broke out in a laugh.

“He’s an athletic guy,” linebacker Jaylon Smith said of the play. “It’s hard to get him down. Especially with that type of lead and no real pursuit. We knew he was going to get in. Just happy for him.”

It was Jaylon who recovered the next Bengals fumble as Cincinnati was nearing the end zone. Eighty-eight yards later, Dallas scored another six. The Cowboys suddenly had their largest lead of the 2020 season.

“That’s what happens when our defense goes out there and takes the ball away from their offense. They did a hell of a job,” running back Ezekiel Elliott noted. “They got turnover takeaways, and we were able to capitalize and get points off of it.”

Not only did the Dallas defense take the ball away multiple times, but their offensive counterparts didn’t give the ball away. Not once. That hadn’t happened since Week 1 of this season.

The Cowboys rank well toward the bottom of the league when it comes to turnover differential; McCarthy points to that as a key contributor toward the team’s disappointing 4-9 record.

“It’s huge. It’s number one priority,” he explained after Sunday’s win. “The turnover differential, if you look at the history of the National Football League, equates to success. Plus-three was probably clearly the most important statistic on the stat sheet. And you can see clearly, especially having three turnovers in the first half: we haven’t played with a lead, just gave our guys a chance to play a little differently. You can play run-pass mix on offense and you’re not paying catch-up. Then you got to see our pass rush at the end of the game. These are the kind of games you want to play in, and that’s why we spend so much time on those two fundamentals: taking care of the football and taking it away. It was great to see the ROI come into pay there.”

The coach believes that return on investment could continue to pay big dividends over the Cowboys’ next three games with wins. It’s worked for him before: his 2006 Packers squad were 4-8 entering the final quarter of the schedule. They won out to wrap up the season. They missed the playoffs, but the December momentum carried over to 2007; the Packers started 10-1, finished 13-3, and nearly won the NFC title.

McCarthy attributes that strong season- and much of the success that followed during his tenure in Green Bay- to the 4-0 run his team produced to close out his first year as head coach.

“I thought that definitely was one of the foundation blocks of my time in Green Bay, those last four wins, because it was something that we built on, talked about, emphasized throughout the whole offseason. In ’07, we were an overtime loss away from being in the Super Bowl. I definitely do believe success at the end of the season catapults you into your offseason program and can very well factor into next year. Let’s be honest: if you start fast in this league, you’re at such an advantage as your season moves on.”

McCarthy hopes the Cowboys can duplicate that home-stretch feat in 2020, thereby putting themselves in a prime position for the 2021 campaign. They’re off to a 1-0 start; their next three outings come against teams with losing records.

“There’s no reason we can’t go in here in any of these games and blow them out,” Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “We’ve got to have that mindset that it doesn’t have to be close. We do what we need to do and we take care of business and do our job every play, things are going to turn out good for us.”

The rest of the defense shares that mentality, knowing that having created a rash of turnovers once only proves that they’re capable of doing it again. And again. And again.

“Obviously, it just adds to it,” Aldon Smith said of Sunday’s takeaways’ contribution to their confidence moving forward. “It’s important that we finish the season out strong and guys play well. So that’s just something we can build on, keep continuing every week.”

Creating turnovers fuels wins. And as McCarthy’s history shows, a late-season win streak can fuel an entire decade of dominance.

“Very big,” Jaylon Smith concluded. “Talk about getting turnovers, giving more opportunities to our offense, great field position. Big key to winning games.”

The Dallas defense knows how the key works. Now they just have to turn it.

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‘Moving in the right direction’: McCarthy, Cowboys spin latest loss as progress

After a 14-point loss to the rival Eagles, Dallas coaches and players looked for the silver linings that- they hope- indicate improvement.

It’s profoundly telling that after a two-touchdown loss to a division rival who had won only two games, the Dallas Cowboys coaches and players spoke unanimously about the exponential progress shown in Sunday night’s 23-9 loss.

“Moving in the right direction,” coach Mike McCarthy said in his postgame press conference.

“I feel like we took another step tonight,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence told reporters before leaving Philadelphia.

“It was a step in the right direction, but not good enough,” running back Ezekiel Elliott explained.

“I think we made some really good strides,” said linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.

About the only thing missing was orange wedges handed out to everyone afterward.

It’s clear that the tone in the Cowboys locker room has changed dramatically over the past two months. The electrifying potential of Team FortyBurger rode out on the cart with Dak Prescott. In its place is an offense whose only touchdown in the past thirteen quarters came in garbage time of Week 6 and has now been held to single digits two weeks in a row. A defense loaded with promising personnel and a new-and-improved scheme was quickly exposed as a leaky sieve. They’ve allowed the most points in the league, three players have already been sent packing, and there are questions about whether some of the coaches should follow.

Indeed, expectations in Dallas have been recalibrated. Chatter before the season about Super Bowl odds and scoring records have turned into praise and congratulations for the moral victory of winning the turnover battle for one game.

“A lot of improvement, in a number of areas,” McCarthy said afterward.

“Clearly, our defense took a huge step. It looked like our gap integrity- our run defense- was the best that we’ve had all year. And not only the four takeaways, but we were all over the ball a number of times. I thought we definitely took a step on defense.”

For Vander Esch, the takeaways- two interceptions by Trevon Diggs and a pair of fumble recoveries- were of little solace as the team fell to 2-6.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with the amount of turnovers that you get; it’s the frustration of just losing,” the third-year veteran said. “Whether you lose by one point or you lose by 20 points, you have 100 turnovers or you have no turnovers, losing sucks. Just a simple answer. Being a competitor, you don’t like to lose. And I don’t like losing.”

But for a team that has seen so much go so wrong in half a season of play, the Cowboys are in a position where they must find the silver linings where they can.

Now, even the smallest thing- like the defense forcing more turnovers than the offense commits- can serve as an important building block for the second half of the 2020 campaign.

“Division game, we needed to win this one,” Elliott reflected. “We were right there. We were in a good position to go and get this game. We’ve got to find ways to win these tough games, and it’s not always going to be pretty. But we’ve got to find a way to pull it out.”

The Cowboys may still be- mathematically speaking- alive in the race for an NFC title, but this team isn’t ready to talk about wins. Not realistically. Heck, McCarthy is talking about just playing with pride.

“We’re running out of time. We understand that, as far as where we are in the season,” the coach offered to media members on the conference call. “I thought our defense played with tremendous pride. We knew we needed to stop the run, and I thought our guys hit the mark there. We needed takeaways. That’s the brand of football and the team identity we’re focused on playing: winning the turnover differential margin for the first time this year, and that was led by the defense. Defense pretty much held them to- what- 15 points? You keep the opponent to 15 or less, you should win the game.”

It’s a fair point. The defense wasn’t on the field for the Eagles’ fumble recovery that they returned for a touchdown to effectively ice the game. And the defense had nothing to do with snapping the ball out of the end zone for an intentional safety, a last-ditch gambit to try to regain possession via the ensuing free kick.

So when compared to the defense’s past several performances- six straight games of allowing 25 or more points- Sunday night did feel, to borrow the Cowboys’ new favorite phrase, a step in the right direction.

“Obviously, the game wasn’t perfect and we’ve still got to clean a couple things up,” Vander Esch maintained. “But as far as effort and play style, I think we’re getting on the right track. And I think it showed.”

“We’re doing a better job understanding our coaches, understanding each other, and playing together all as one,” Lawrence added. “We showcased that tonight, and I feel like we’re getting better each and every week.”

The defense senses improvement. The coaches see progress. The latest game wasn’t an embarrassing, hopeless rout. Perhaps that’s a start.

McCarthy, who famously took a year off just to prepare for this head coaching gig, seems to similarly be taking a long-view approach to building his new team.

“I think, like anything in life, the game of football will teach you humility in every form or fashion that you can imagine. To me, that’s just part of the course of this season, it’s part of our challenge. I clearly believe we’ll be better off in the future because of these hard times.”

Probably. It’s hard to imagine the Cowboys being much worse.

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Elliott blames fumbles for disastrous Cowboys loss: ‘I need to figure it out’

The two-time rushing champ turned the ball over on consecutive carries Monday night as ball security continues to be an issue in Dallas.

Ezekiel Elliott was clearly the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ offensive game plan going in to Monday night’s game against Arizona. Of the team’s first fifteen offensive plays, Elliott’s number was called ten times.

But when he fumbled the ball away on touches No. 9 and 10, turnovers that directly resulted in two Cardinals touchdowns, the game plan had to change.

After the humiliating 38-10 home loss, the running back placed the blame squarely on his own shoulders.

“I’m supposed to be a guy this team can rely on,” Elliott told reporters on a postgame conference call. “I’m supposed to be a guy that this team can lean on when times get rough. I just wasn’t that today. I got off to a terrible start; defense was playing well. But I killed our momentum. Two fumbles? I can’t do that. I can’t.”

After his second fumble, Elliott found himself on the bench. For several plays on the team’s next offensive series, he watched Tony Pollard take his spot in the backfield as Dallas tried in vain to pull themselves out of yet another deep hole. The three-time Pro Bowler says the coaching staff was fully justified in pulling him.

“I’m giving the ball away. I can’t. I wasn’t helping the team,” Elliott explained. “They did the right thing and gave some of those reps to TP. I can’t do that. I have to be a guy this team can lean on, especially in the times right now with so many of our starters hurt and not playing. It’s not acceptable, and I need to figure it out.”

Elliott ended the game with 49 rushing yards on just 12 carries as offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was forced to shift to a pass-heavy approach as the Cowboys attempted to play catch-up.

Quarterback Andy Dalton was making his first start in place of Dak Prescott, but for the veteran backup, it was same song, different verse.

“We’re hurting ourselves with the turnovers,” Dalton told the press after the game. “We’ve got to get this fixed. It’s been the trend this year, especially early in games. That’s affected how we’ve been able to play. We haven’t been able to run our full offense, run it how it should be run just because we’re getting down in these games because we are turning the ball over.

“The ball’s the most important thing. We can’t be handing it to the other team.”

Dalton was responsible for two turnovers as well, tossing two interceptions Monday night in a comeback effort.

As for Elliott’s latest ball security issues- he has lost four fumbles already in 2020, more than he had during all of last season- the two-time rushing champ can’t put his finger on what’s wrong with his grip lately.

“Um… honestly, I can’t… I can’t really… even… I don’t know why. I’ve just got to focus up. I’ve got to be better with it.”

Also at a total loss regarding turnovers is head coach Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys have given the ball away over a league-worst 15 times through six games.

“It’s something that we work diligently on. It’s not carrying over to the game. That’s something we have to continue to stay after,” McCarthy offered in his postgame remarks. “Maybe we’re trying too hard, or maybe we’re overcoaching it. It clearly has put us in a position [where] we’ve been playing uphill every single game. We haven’t got into a groove or a rhythm and got out in front yet this year. It’s self-inflicted wounds that continue to plague us. We’ve got work to do, and we’ve got to do it fast because we’ve got Washington coming on us quickly.”

Elliott is also looking ahead, eager to get back to work with a short week of practice that will no doubt focus on ball security.

“I’ve just got to have a short memory. I’ve got to get that behind me and get play some good ball, get on a roll.”

But he expects that Washington’s defense will smell blood in the water and be looking to strip Elliott at every opportunity.

“When you’re fumbling every game, obviously teams are going to lock in on it and they’re going to go for it more. That’s just more reason for me; I need to figure it out.”

If Elliott does not figure it out and puts the ball on the ground again in Week 7, he could easily find himself on the sidelines once again. McCarthy made it clear that Elliott’s status as the default leader of the team with Prescott gone doesn’t afford him any extra leeway when it comes to fumbles.

“Every player that plays in this league- no different on our football team- if you don’t take care of the football, it obviously does affect your opportunities,” McCarthy said. “At the end of the day, Zeke is our bell cow, and we need to get it right. He’s part of the plan. He’s going to be part of our success. We have to get it right; we have to take care of the football. That’s for everybody that touches the football on our team.”

Dalton has faith that Elliott will rectify his fumbling problem.

“You never want to turn over the ball. For him, he understands that. He knows that. Zeke’s going to get this thing fixed.”

Elliott says he’s ready to getting back into the lab to do just that.

“I want to say I’m sorry. This one’s on me. And I need to be better for this  team.”

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Witten on Cowboys-Patriots tilt: ‘There are defining games that happen.. this is one’

The 16-year veteran knows some games are bigger than others, and Sunday’s showdown in New England could be a season-defining one for Dallas.

If Sunday’s upcoming Cowboys-Patriots matchup feels like a more monumental game than normal, that’s because it is, with both squads trying to maintain their spots in the postseason chase. It’s the dangerous and streaky Dallas offense against the stifling and surprising New England defense. It’s rising star Dak Prescott’s chance to outgun the veteran Tom Brady and perhaps even signal a changing of the guard of sorts among the league’s quarterbacks. It’s one coach who’s still trying to cement a reputation as a brilliant football mind and motivator matching wits with the unparalleled genius on the opposite sideline. It’s the sport’s two marquee franchises in a regular season showdown that will be a ratings bonanza and spur plenty of wouldn’t-this-be-a-great-Super-Bowl talk among even casual fans.

Most players tend to stay on an even keel when looking ahead to their opponents, being careful not to undersell or overhype any team on the schedule. But the fact is, any-given-Sundays aside, some games are just bigger. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has been in quite a few over his 16 seasons. And he says the Week 12 clash with the Patriots is a measuring-stick kind of game.

“Yeah, I think it is,” Witten said, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “There are defining games that happen. You look at last year’s season… and you beat a good New Orleans team. This is one of those games. There’s still a lot of games out there, so I don’t think it’s make-or-break. But at the same time, to be able to go on the road and play against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and their team, they’re 9-1 like they are. A great opportunity for us.”

While Dallas has overcome slow starts in several of their six wins this season, early errors have also dug deep holes in all four of their losses. Witten knows that the Cowboys can not afford to similarly waste the first quarter in Foxborough against this particular Patriots unit.

“They’re going to pounce on any mistake you make,” Witten said. “They’re prepared. They’re fundamentally sound. Their in-game adjustments are just at a higher level than anybody else in the league. [Belichick has] done it at that level for so long. And specifically as an offense going [against] him, I think his defense right now, when I watch them on tape, if it’s not the best defense he’s ever had, it’s got to be up there in the top. It’s a big challenge for us. So much respect for him. Greatest coach to ever coach in the NFL.”

A slow start is tough to overcome against a Belichick team. But turnovers are downright fatal. As NFL.com’s Nick Shook points out, “New England owns a plus-18 turnover differential through 11 weeks, a mark that’s twice as good as the next nearest teams (Green Bay and Pittsburgh are tied at plus-nine). The Cowboys, meanwhile, own a minus-one differential.”

A stray ball from an overly-greedy Prescott (like his Week 3 interception versus Miami) or Ezekiel Elliott putting one on the turf (as he did on the second play of the game in Detroit) could prove to be catastrophic if it happens against an elite opponent like New England; the Patriots have scored six touchdowns on defense and special teams thus far this season.

Witten and the Cowboys know they may well have to play a mistake-free game to notch a season-defining victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions.

“Our guys are up for the challenge,” Witten promised. “We’ve got a lot of healthy respect for them, but just like any other week, you’ve got to prepare and know that you’re going to have to go play your best football.”

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