Grading the Cowboys loss to the Rams (and assessing Garrett at head coach)

[observer]

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January 14 13,810,000,006 (2019 CE)

No unit looked good in the Cowboys’ final game
By Michael Strawn
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2019/1/14/18180631/grading-the-cowboys-loss-to-the-rams
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Complete article [with clarifying inserts, in
brackets]:

The 2018 version of the Dallas Cowboys entered
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in good spirits.

The team had enjoyed a convincing victory over
the Seattle Seahawks, had won three games in a
row and eight of their last nine games to forge
a formidable unit going into the divisional round
of the NFC playoffs.

But the strong, physical defensive unit that we’ve
enjoyed watching throughout the 2018 season was
nowhere to be found Saturday night. Instead we
were witness to an abysmal defensive unit that
posed little resistance to the Rams’ offensive
juggernaut.

The Cowboys eventually lost 30-22 in a game where
the Cowboys made the final score much closer than
it deserved to be. In short, the Cowboys were dom-
inated and physically beaten on both sides of the
line of scrimmage throughout the entire game.

Let’s go to the grades.

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Overall: D

I predicted the Cowboys would play their best, most
complete game of the season. Instead, they played
one of their worst, not remotely approaching a win-
ning effort. I can think of only a single player who
met or exceeded expectations (Michael Gallup).

Every other player, every unit, was outplayed. The
defense, in particular, was exposed, surrendering:

273 rushing yards - most in Cowboys’ playoff history
459 total yards - second most in Cowboys’ playoff history
Nearly 37 minutes time of possession

In addition to being pummeled by the Rams’ ground game
all night, the defense made no plays - at all. Zero
sacks, zero turnovers and only one punt forced the
entire game.

Offensively things were minimally better, as the Cow-
boys somehow managed to put 22 points on the board.
This despite a running game that was completely shut
down (only 50 yards on 22 attempts) and converting
only one of ten third-down attempts (worst conversion
rate on the season).

The offense netted only 308 yards the entire game,
meaning the Rams out-gained Dallas by 151 yards (459
to 308)

The only reason the team avoids an F is despite all
this they somehow managed to make a game of it. A
late third-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion
created a one-score game. And a late TD just prior to
the two-minute warning also created a one-score game.

But, of course, the Dallas defense couldn’t get a stop.
The Rams simply ran for two first downs to run the clock
out, an 11-yard scramble by Jared Goff on third down be-
ing the back-breaker.

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Coaching: F

Here’s what I wrote of Jason Garrett prior to the game:

Will Garrett come out and run the same old predictable
Dallas game plan with the same old conservative “keep
it close and win at the end” strategy? Or will he ap-
proach this game as Jimmy Johnson would: when you go
up against an opponent that’s better on paper you don’t
tippy tap around them....you give ‘em your best shot!

I want to see aggressive play-calling; flea-flickers,
reverses, fake field goals, 4th down tries.

Not all of these things obviously, but some of them!

Don’t go to the locker room having left your best play
or a play you’ve been holding onto in the bag. Give the
Rams EVERYTHING you got!

Needless to say Garrett didn’t share my way of thinking.
Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan lined
up and ran the same plays and the same concepts and
added absolutely nothing new, different or out of char-
acter.

They did go for it on four different fourth down oppor-
tunities so there’s that.

The stubbornness was on full display on the first play
of the fourth quarter. The Cowboys had clawed to within
eight points (23-15) and had forced their one and only
punt of the game. Facing a fourth and 1 from the Rams’
35, the brain-trust decided to go to a jumbo package
with a tight formation.

You’ll never believe it but the plunge up the middle
failed to gain the needed yards and the game was pretty
much over.

I guess banging your head against a wall enough makes
you think it’s fun.

I’ll also note that for the third time in Jason Gar-
rett’s five playoff games the team faced a double-digit
deficit before halftime:

2014 - Detroit Lions: trailed 14-0 after 13 minutes
2016 - Green Bay: trailed 21-3 after 21 minutes
2018 - Los Angeles: trailed 20-7 after 26 minutes

That’s a combined 55-10 for those counting. Three times
Jason Garrett’s playoff teams have emerged from the
locker room unprepared for the game. They’ve been beaten
up, run over and outclassed from the opening whistle.

Give them credit for coming back and making the games
competitive (even winning one) but one has to ask why
Garrett’s teams repeatedly play horrid opening quarters
in their most important games.

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Quarterback: C [inexplicably, 1 run all night, an abys-
mal lack on the part of Dak and on the part of the offen-
sive game plan]

Dak Prescott had a quintessential Dak Prescott game. He
started out hot, going 3-for-3 for 48 yards and a touch-
down strike to Amari Cooper:
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1084263405605867520

And then we got bad Dak. Prescott looked flustered and
inaccurate as the offense punted on each of the team’s
next four possessions. With no ground game whatsoever
to help, Prescott was asked to put the team on his back
and wasn’t able to do it.

Of course, he did perk up in the final 20 minutes, as
he always seems to. He led the team on two touchdown
drives sandwiched around the drive doomed by the fourth-
down failure. His best play of the night came on a pin-
point strike off an improvised scramble:
https://twitter.com/MatchupNFL/status/1084290838434336768

Prescott also hit Cooper for a two-point conversion and
later ran for a touchdown. But it was all too little
too late. One Prescott oddity: the losing quarterback
has posted the higher passer rating in all three play-
off games Dak has played:
https://tinyurl.com/Dakvs1st3PlayoffOpponents

Dak wasn’t the problem Saturday night, but he also wasn’t
the solution.

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Running back: B- [in my opinion, with a 50 yard running
total, you can't avoid giving Zeke a 'D', at best, even
though the blame primarily resides with the offensive
line -and- the lack of innovation in the offensive game
plan]

I honestly don’t know how to grade Ezekiel Elliott. He
had no lanes to run through as the Rams made it their
priority to stop Zeke from eating. Elliott had one 15-
yard run and a 12-yard catch and that’s about it. He
did make a key block on the early Cooper touchdown.

But when the league’s leading running back’s biggest
contribution was a block you know it was a bad night.

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Offensive line: D-

The offensive line was simply inept. Playing against a
defense that allowed more yards per carry than any other
NFL team, the Cowboys’ averaged a putrid 2.27 YPA; the
second lowest mark in the team’s playoff history (shock-
ingly, the worst number was the team’s victory over
Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX).

Aaron Donald and the rest of the Rams’ much-maligned
front seven simply punished the Cowboys’ offensive line.
Prescott was only sacked once (a dubious sack at that)
but also didn’t have tons of time in the pocket.

It was a poor effort from a unit that started the season
as the team’s best and ended as perhaps its worst.

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Wide receivers: B+

If any unit showed up to play Saturday night it was this
group. Gallup and Cooper combined to catch 12 balls on
18 targets for 184 yards and a touchdown. Gallup’s over-
the-shoulder catch set up another touchdown and Cooper
also hauled in a two-point conversion.

There simply weren’t enough opportunities for this group.

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Tight ends: C

Again, I’m not real sure how to grade the tight ends.
Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin did make three catches
on four targets for 37 yards. But they were mostly called
on to block and obviously the overall blocking was woe-
fully inadequate.

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Defensive line: F

If Demarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford or Randy Gregory
made a play Saturday night I missed it. The stat sheet
indicates they combined for six tackles, one tackle for
loss, zero sacks, zero fumbles, zero pressures and zero
passes defensed.

Zero is a good way to describe the way this unit per-
formed as they were thoroughly whipped in every way
imaginable.

Again, the Rams punted once the entire game. Their drive
table (courtesy of Pro Football Reference) is a disaster:
https://tinyurl.com/RamsDriveTablevsDal-2019PO

- Five drives of 64 yards or more
- Six scoring drives (only a missed field goal prevented
it from being seven)
- Three drives of 11 or more plays
- Five drives of at least four minutes; two of more than
seven minutes

Many believed the Dallas defense to be an elite unit but
we should all disabuse ourselves of that notion. Here’s
how that “elite” unit did the final [five games] of the
[2018] season: https://tinyurl.com/last5games2018season-defense

Those are bottom ten in the league kind of numbers.

---

Linebackers: F

When the opponent runs at will, from opening whistle to
final gun, linebackers have to be held accountable. The
dynamic duo of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch,
along with Sean Lee, simply couldn’t get it done.

They were credited with 20 tackles but most of them seemed
to be five or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Like
the defensive line there were zero splash plays from this
unit.

It was a stunning development for the two youngsters who
truly did play at an elite level most of the season.

---

Secondary: C+

This unit didn’t give up many big plays but that’s mostly
because they weren’t tested much. Goff was largely held in
check, throwing for only 186 yards with a long play of only
21.

But whenever the Rams needed him to make a play he was able
to do it, as the Rams moved the ball at will. Like the other
units, I don’t recall a single standout play from the secon-
dary.

The only noteworthy play was a horribly timed penalty on
Byron Jones. Dallas had actually forced the Rams’ into a
rare 3rd-and-long but Jones’ penalty allowed them to con-
vert. It was particularly frustrating because:

1. The infraction was away from the play
2. Had the Rams completed their pass it wasn’t enough
for a first down
3. The hands-to-the-face call was borderline (at best)
4. Todd Gurley ran 35 yards for a touchdown two plays later

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Special teams: B [notably, Tavon Austin, who had a great'
game vs the Seahawks, he was replaced by Lewis in this
game; the only possible excuse was he was hampered by
injury as I didn't notice him being in as a wide receiver
most of the game]

Nothing really noteworthy from this group. On the posi-
tive side the coverage units didn’t allow a long return
for (seemingly) the first time in months. Brett Maher
converted his two extra point attempts and Chris Jones
punted [a lot].

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Summary:

I can’t help but wonder about Jason Garrett. He simply
doesn’t seem to rise to the occasion. His teams don’t
play their best when the stakes are highest.

This isn’t new, as when we look back even the not-so-
great teams of the 2011-2013 had chances to advance but
always played poor in those win-and-advance games.

I like Garrett and the overall job he’s done. But I’m
wondering if reaching the NFL’s final eight is his ceil-
ing? The Cowboys haven’t played terrible in all of their
post-season losses but they’ve never come close to play-
ing their best games.

When you look at Super Bowl champions those team peaked
in the playoffs and played their best games.

Jason Garret’s teams don’t. And that’s a problem for a
franchise that hasn’t reached the final four for 23 con-
secutive seasons.

[In my opinion, Garrett failed early, recovered, but
failed late, when it matters most, and he has already
decided to keep failed offensive coordinator, Linehan,
at that position.

So, in my opinion, despite leading the recovery from a
disastrous 3-5 start, he has demonstrated a consistent
inability to get the Cowboys to return to Championship
territory in 9 years of trying - it's past time for a
change.]

---

[observer]

On Monday, January 14, 2019 at 1:34:27 PM UTC-6,
observer wrote:

.> ---
.> January 14 13,810,000,006 (2019 CE)
.>
.> No unit looked good in the Cowboys’ final game
.> By Michael Strawn
.> https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2019/1/14/18180631/grading-the-cowboys-loss-to-the-rams
.> ---

.> The Cowboys haven’t played terrible in all of their
.> post-season losses but they’ve never come close to play-
.> ing their best games.
.>
.> When you look at Super Bowl champions those team peaked
.> in the playoffs and played their best games.
.>
.> Jason Garret’s teams don’t. And that’s a problem for a
.> franchise that hasn’t reached the final four for 23 con-
.> secutive seasons.
.>
.> [In my opinion, Garrett failed early, recovered, but
.> failed late, when it matters most, and he has already
.> decided to keep failed offensive coordinator, Linehan,
.> at that position.
.>
.> So, in my opinion, despite leading the recovery from a
.> disastrous 3-5 start, he has demonstrated a consistent
.> inability to get the Cowboys to return to Championship
.> territory in 9 years of trying - it's past time for a
.> change.]
.>
.> ---

If it's any consolation, the Cowboys & Jason
Garrett lost to the team that's representing
the NFC in Super Bowl 53 (the Rams).

The Cowboys' 23 year drought (no NFC champion-
ship game appearances & no Super Bowl appear-
ances), there's no sign that Jason Garrett is
capable of getting the Cowboys to that level,
and if Jerry Jones has a real heart-felt desire
to get the Cowboys back to a Super Bowl (and ...

... that's increasingly doubtful as his Hall
of Fame status and old age may have directed
more of his attention to buying huge yachts
that cost more than the Cowboys than to devot-
ing the time and energy and heart to returning
the Cowboys to Super Bowl territory), the ...

... Cowboys chances of getting there under
Garrett or any other Jones-as-GM selection
appear slim.

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January 21 13,810,000,006 (2019 CE)
by Robert Rivera
https://thelandryhat.com/2019/01/21/dallas-cowboys-scott-linehan-out-jason-garrett-next/
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With the termination of former Dallas Cowboys
offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, will head
coach Jason Garrett be next? He should be.

As if there was ever any real doubt, this past
week, the Dallas Cowboys finally relieved Scott
Linehan of his offensive coordinator duties.
Somehow, we’re to believe the decision was
“mutual.” Regardless of how it went down, it
was time to move on.

I’ve written several times in this column how
much Linehan needed to go. Without shoveling
more dirt on the pile, someone had to be held
accountable for the oft inept and inconsistent
offense. In this case it was Linehan. Should
head coach Jason Garrett be shown the door as
well?

For now it seems Garrett is safe and he shouldn’t
be. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones missed
the opportunity to clean house. The process of
first replacing Linehan will not be easy.

Will it be fresh a face in the vein of current
Rams head coach Sean McVay? A hotshot from the
college ranks? A promotion from within? Or will
it be a re-tread from the unemployed as in Todd
Haley? A number of names have been bandied about
with no rumored interviews.

Realistically, it’ll have to be from within the
organization because the biggest obstacle will be
Garrett. Here’s why. Garrett’s current contract
situation would be enough to scare off any sensi-
ble candidate.

In any profession, people want job security. With
Garrett having only one year left on his contract,
the best offensive coordinator candidates would shy
away from that situation, unless they had no other
options.

If Garrett is not extended, wouldn’t the next head
coach want his own guy? In theory, the next coor-
dinator would be signing what could amount to be
a one year contract if Garrett is let go. That’s
not a good situation for growth or sustained employ-
ment.

It’s much easier and wiser to replace both the head
coach and offensive coordinator at the same time. As
such, unless Garrett is extended first, I doubt a
“name” candidate would gamble their future on a ten-
uous situation.

As for Garrett, he always been just “a guy.” He has
never been seen as some wunderkind like Sean McVay
or new Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Its
easy to forget Garrett’s time as the offensive coor-
dinator and later, playcaller during the early years
as head coach.

There was plenty of criticism then about Jason Gar-
rett’s plays and his calls. Not much has changed in
the last nine years, except the years added to the
last time Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl.

If the Packers could fire Mike McCarthy, who won a
Super Bowl and won the division six times, what makes
Garrett so special?

Do you agree Garrett should be fired? Tell us what
you think in the comments section below.

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