The recipe for success in the NFL is not that complicated, as Jason Garrett is quick to explain. Just make more big plays than the opponent, attain a positive turnover differential, win the fourth quarter and presto! It's time to celebrate a victory.
Garrett's motivational messages that have been printed on team-issued T-shirts in recent seasons reflect his belief in this formula.
The motto "Finish!" spells out Garrett's desire to win the final 15 minutes and overtime of each game.
The phrase "The ball. The ball. The ball" is another example of the emphasis Garrett places on avoiding giveaways and securing takeaways.
And the slogan "Bam!" reinforces Garrett's exhortations about the importance of making momentum-changing plays (runs of 12-plus yards, passes of 16-plus yards) while preventing the opposition from matching them.
"When we have done those things well, we have been successful," Garrett said. "When we haven't, we haven't been successful."
Through eight weeks, the Cowboys are failing. They are 2-5 and haven't won in 48 days. The slide the Cowboys have experienced has been primarily attributed to the injuries suffered by Dez Bryant and Tony Romo.
With Romo and Bryant out, a once-powerful offense was blunted to the point that now only three teams have scored fewer points than the Cowboys have in 2015. The struggles continued even after Bryant returned last Sunday as Dallas continued to sputter under the command of a backup quarterback.
The problems experienced by the Cowboys' weakened attack have hindered their ability to create the winning recipe Garrett concocted. In the defeat to Atlanta, the Falcons produced more big plays than the Cowboys did and outscored them in the fourth quarter to boot. Two weeks later, in a 30-6 to New England, the Patriots performed better in all three categories that factor into Garrett's formula and left Arlington with a plus-2 turnover differential.
Flash forward to Oct. 25, and four giveaways negated the significant explosive play advantage the Cowboys had built over the New York Giants. Hence, a loss was added to Dallas record.
"We just feel if we are going to win games, we can't turn the ball over," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "And that's just got to be our mind-set. So it's not like you have to go out there and play conservative."
But that's exactly what the Cowboys did the following week against Seattle. Dallas didn't commit a turnover, and it secured a takeaway for the first time since Week 2. But the offense was shackled by the Seahawks' defense. The Cowboys produced only three big plays. Seattle managed six. So the Seahawks walked away with a one-point victory in a game that was taut from beginning to end.
"Not been good enough, obviously," Garrett said. "It's not only for us. If you look around the league, it starts with taking the ball away and securing the football. We haven't done a good job of that throughout our team. It's hurt us in games, and at times we have finished the games well this year. At other times we haven't. When you finish well, you win games. When you don't, you lose games."
As tight end Jason Witten said, "We haven't been as good."
No they haven't.
The Cowboys have outscored the opposition in the fourth quarter and overtime only once this season. That happened in the opener, a game Dallas rallied to win in the last minute.
Compare that with last season, when the Cowboys prevailed in the fourth quarter seven times on the way to a 12-4 record.
One of those instances came against the same Seattle team that beat the Cowboys last Sunday. In October 2014, the Cowboys defeated the Seahawks, overcoming a minus-1 turnover differential because they produced seven more big plays than Seattle and outscored the eventual NFC champion 10-3 in the fourth quarter of a 30-23 road victory. It was the best illustration of why the recipe works.
"Those factors in the game are the reason we won the game, and it was a tight game," Linehan said. "It was a one-score game when it was all said and done."
Seconds later, Linehan exhaled.
"Last year was last year," he said. "We've got to do that now this year."
That much is clear. But so far the Cowboys have been unable to recreate Garrett's winning formula. And until they can, the losses should continue to mount.
On Twitter: @RainerSabinDMN
Garrett's motivational messages that have been printed on team-issued T-shirts in recent seasons reflect his belief in this formula.
The motto "Finish!" spells out Garrett's desire to win the final 15 minutes and overtime of each game.
The phrase "The ball. The ball. The ball" is another example of the emphasis Garrett places on avoiding giveaways and securing takeaways.
And the slogan "Bam!" reinforces Garrett's exhortations about the importance of making momentum-changing plays (runs of 12-plus yards, passes of 16-plus yards) while preventing the opposition from matching them.
"When we have done those things well, we have been successful," Garrett said. "When we haven't, we haven't been successful."
Through eight weeks, the Cowboys are failing. They are 2-5 and haven't won in 48 days. The slide the Cowboys have experienced has been primarily attributed to the injuries suffered by Dez Bryant and Tony Romo.
With Romo and Bryant out, a once-powerful offense was blunted to the point that now only three teams have scored fewer points than the Cowboys have in 2015. The struggles continued even after Bryant returned last Sunday as Dallas continued to sputter under the command of a backup quarterback.
The problems experienced by the Cowboys' weakened attack have hindered their ability to create the winning recipe Garrett concocted. In the defeat to Atlanta, the Falcons produced more big plays than the Cowboys did and outscored them in the fourth quarter to boot. Two weeks later, in a 30-6 to New England, the Patriots performed better in all three categories that factor into Garrett's formula and left Arlington with a plus-2 turnover differential.
Flash forward to Oct. 25, and four giveaways negated the significant explosive play advantage the Cowboys had built over the New York Giants. Hence, a loss was added to Dallas record.
"We just feel if we are going to win games, we can't turn the ball over," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "And that's just got to be our mind-set. So it's not like you have to go out there and play conservative."
But that's exactly what the Cowboys did the following week against Seattle. Dallas didn't commit a turnover, and it secured a takeaway for the first time since Week 2. But the offense was shackled by the Seahawks' defense. The Cowboys produced only three big plays. Seattle managed six. So the Seahawks walked away with a one-point victory in a game that was taut from beginning to end.
"Not been good enough, obviously," Garrett said. "It's not only for us. If you look around the league, it starts with taking the ball away and securing the football. We haven't done a good job of that throughout our team. It's hurt us in games, and at times we have finished the games well this year. At other times we haven't. When you finish well, you win games. When you don't, you lose games."
As tight end Jason Witten said, "We haven't been as good."
No they haven't.
The Cowboys have outscored the opposition in the fourth quarter and overtime only once this season. That happened in the opener, a game Dallas rallied to win in the last minute.
Compare that with last season, when the Cowboys prevailed in the fourth quarter seven times on the way to a 12-4 record.
One of those instances came against the same Seattle team that beat the Cowboys last Sunday. In October 2014, the Cowboys defeated the Seahawks, overcoming a minus-1 turnover differential because they produced seven more big plays than Seattle and outscored the eventual NFC champion 10-3 in the fourth quarter of a 30-23 road victory. It was the best illustration of why the recipe works.
"Those factors in the game are the reason we won the game, and it was a tight game," Linehan said. "It was a one-score game when it was all said and done."
Seconds later, Linehan exhaled.
"Last year was last year," he said. "We've got to do that now this year."
That much is clear. But so far the Cowboys have been unable to recreate Garrett's winning formula. And until they can, the losses should continue to mount.
On Twitter: @RainerSabinDMN
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