ARLINGTON – Maybe, back in the intoxicating days of September, when the Cowboys were shocking and stupefying the likes of the lowly Giants, Redskins and Dolphins . . . maybe you peeked to see where this season’s Super Bowl is scheduled to be played.
Maybe, back in September, you wanted Owner Jones to just sit down and pay the quarterback $40 million.
Maybe you grew a Travis Frederick beard, or you named your infant son “Amari.”
Maybe, three weeks or so ago, you finally made up your mind and got that “Hot Boyz” tattoo you always wanted.
If you checked any of those boxes, consider these past two Sundays a lesson.
With 3 minutes and 30 seconds to play in the third quarter Sunday at AT&T Stadium, running back Aaron Jones scored his fourth touchdown of the day and boosted the Green Bay Packers to a 31-3 lead.
Say what you will about the frantic grasp at respectability that ensued and the three touchdowns that the Cowboys were finally able to chisel from the Packers’ lead. Coach Jason Garrett, of course, inevitably did.
“I thought we fought hard,” Garrett said after his team’s 34-24 defeat. “I think the spirit of the team is unbelievable.”
Is a comeback truly a comeback, though, if you still lose by 10 points?
Under postgame questioning Sunday, Garrett and quarterback Dak Prescott both dwelled upon the turnovers. Dallas had three, all interceptions thrown by Prescott, who still managed to finish with a career-high 463 yards.
“I had three interceptions,” he countered. “I don’t care how many yards I had. I had three interceptions and a loss. I don’t care what career high I have. None of that matters.”
This was Dak being self-effacing, postgame Dak, however. He readily shoulders his game day’s sins.
But all in all, it was a day when Prescott seemed like anything but himself. Certainly he didn’t look like the Dak we all saw in the first three September games.
At times Sunday, Prescott was off the mark. His decision-making seemed to lack the crispness of the first three weeks.
Meanwhile, Green Bay’s Jones and quarterback Aaron Rodgers made the most of what Prescott gave away.
One week after keeping the Saints from reaching the end zone, the Cowboys’ self-anointed “Hot Boyz” defense allowed Jones to run for 107 yards. The Dallas linebackers had a forgettable day, running themselves out of plays and missing tackles.
“Poor performance by me,” said second-year linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. “Just bad footwork and bad tackling. Those are tackles I shouldn’t miss.”
Vander Esch had a rough day, but it was an anomaly in what has otherwise thus far been a solid season for him.
The same can’t be said, however, for his partner Jaylon Smith, who hasn’t played like the big-play performer he was a year ago.
I’m no doctor, but something seems wrong with Smith. He’s not as quick as he seemed a year ago. He struggles to outrace ball carriers before they turn upfield.
He gets credited with a lot of tackles because he’s adept at being the second man into the pile.
The Packers’ Rodgers was sacked twice Sunday and threw for only 238 yards. The Cowboys defense was focused on their old nemesis, and it opened the gates for Aaron Jones.
“The gap discipline and physically getting off the blocks and making plays across the board wasn’t consistent enough,” Garrett assessed, “particularly early on in the game. They ran the ball too easily against us.”
In the postgame rush to judgment, fans will likely renew their call for Garrett’s head. They’ll second-guess their September praise for new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Cowbys zealots will expect a new field goal kicker, after Brett Maher missed two of three. Fans – and Garrett, too, privately — will also blame referee Ron Torbert’s officiating crew, which had an embarrassingly poor day.
The reality, however, is that the Packers and Saints are both 4-1 and lead their divisions, and the Cowboys were outplayed by both of them.
Maybe, back in the heady days of mid-September, you expected something different from this team. As recently as two days ago, Las Vegas oddsmakers still listed Dallas as its No. 2 choice (behind New Orleans) to be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.
The Hot Boyz have hit a cold front, however. Prescott isn’t looking like the $40-Million Man.
The schedule was kind to the Cowboys in the first few weeks. But a daunting and likely defining stretch lies ahead – eight of the next 10 games are against teams that currently have winning records.
Hopefully, back in September, you didn’t get any Lombardi Trophy tattoos.
They can still get there. Garrett still has a talent-rich roster.
But did the Cowboys learn anything these past two weeks?
