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Cowboys Face a Confidence Crisis Without Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott's absence Sunday was not the Cowboys' biggest problem in their 27-7 loss to the Falcons.
Yes, backup Alfred Morris rushed six times for just eight yards in the first half, leaving the Cowboys incapable of sustaining drives or playing their brand of football. But they had an even bigger problem.
Left tackle Tyron Smith's absence contributed to a loss that put the Cowboys at 5-4. But that was not the Cowboys' biggest problem.
Yes, backup Chaz Green moves like his cleats weigh 75 pounds each, and Falcons edge-rusher Adrian Clayborn sacked Dak Prescott a half-dozen times. But the Cowboys had an even bigger problem.
The Cowboys' biggest problem wasn't that Dez Bryant was playing hurt or Sean Lee was injured again; that Prescott isn't ready to win games Russell Wilson-style; that kicker Mike Nugent is no Dan Bailey; or even that Jerry Jones is too busy leading an owners revolution to do his usual meddling.
The Cowboys' biggest problem is that they don't handle adversity well, and they lack a Plan B when things go wrong.
The Cowboys had two months to prepare for Elliott's suspension, and they employ a pair of veteran backups in Morris and Darren McFadden. Their line still features two All-Pros on the interior. There's no excuse for their inability to run the ball Sunday.
Lots of teams have lost left tackles this season, including the Eagles, who now have a three-game lead in the NFC East. Only the weakest of those teams lost all offensive functionality the moment they lost their left tackle, and only the Cowboys turned an average edge-rusher into Lawrence Taylor for a day.
The Cowboys are a great team when everything is clicking, but Elliott won't be back for another five games. Smith (suffering from a lingering groin injury) should be back sooner, but a loss to the Eagles next week would essentially put the division title out of reach, while losses to the Rams, Packers and now Falcons may confound the Cowboys' wild-card possibilities.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett must get smarter about Prescott's protection and more patient and creative with the Zeke-less running game. Prescott must get used to defenses that aren't stacked to stop the run. And the whole organization must adapt to less than ideal circumstances. Fast, too.
The Cowboys' biggest problem in Sunday's loss was a crisis of confidence. If they can't find a way to overcome a few bad breaks, they'll need to take a long look in the mirror once they are knocked out of playoff contention.
link: Monday Morning Digest: Cowboys in Crisis Mode, Patriots in Peak Form | Bleacher Report
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