Grading the Cowboys: While Dak Prescott and passing offense get high marks, Dallas’ run game is a problem again

[bbgun]

Jean-Jacques Taylor’s grades from the Cowboys’ 35-27 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday...

Running offense
The Cowboys couldn’t figure out how to get their running game started. Again. Ezekiel Elliott managed just 45 yards on 16 carries with a long of 8. Four of the nine worst rushing days of his career have come this season. Whether it’s the runner, the line or the scheme, the Cowboys had better figure it out. GRADE: D.

Passing offense
Dak Prescott continued to show he’s ready to be the epicenter of the offense with 444 yards passing and three touchdowns. Amari Cooper, hampered by knee and quad injuries, didn’t do much with three catches for 38 yards, but Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb made up his production. Gallup had nine catches for 148 yards and a score, while Cobb added 115 yards on four catches. Prescott was sacked just once. GRADE: A.

Run defense
It’s not that the run defense was bad, but it felt like Bo Scarbrough, making the first start of his NFL career, had too much success for a dude who spent the first 10 weeks of the season on the practice squad. He averaged 3.9 yards on 14 carries, including a 23-yard run that set up a touchdown. Jeff Driskel did damage with the read option. GRADE: C-minus.

Pass defense
Driskel, a more dangerous runner than passer if we’re honest, had five completions of 20 yards or more. That’s pretty bad, considering his pedigree and collection of receivers. Driskel’s best asset was using his legs to avoid sacks, something he did at least five times. He finished with 209 yards passing and two touchdowns and didn’t throw an interception. The Cowboys sacked him three times. GRADE: C-minus.

Special teams
The best thing about special teams against Detroit is that Brett Maher made each of his two short field goal attempts. Tony Pollard misplayed a kickoff, forcing Dallas to start a possession inside its 15. Tavon Austin continues to be a non-factor on punt returns and Michael Bennett jumped offsides on fourth-and-5 when Detroit shifted out of punt formation to try to draw the Cowboys offsides. GRADE: D.

Coaching
Coach Jason Garrett and play-caller Kellen Moore finally decided to quit forcing the run and just throw it, since Elliott struggled much of the game. Moore made sure to get Pollard involved this week and Dallas adjusted well to Cooper being a non-factor much of the day. The defense was hardly spectacular, but it did enough to beat a compromised offense. GRADE: B-minus.

Overall
This team, right now, is good enough to win games with style points. Right now, take the win and keep it moving. The Cowboys overcame yet another bad start -- Elliott lost a fumble on the game’s second play -- and made a lot of mistakes, but they made enough plays at winning time to win the game. This was pretty much a must-win game, and the Cowboys got the W. GRADE: C-plus.

 

[theoneandonly]

Grades seem about right. How many teams play n February that cant stop the run?

 

[dbair1967]

C- seems laughable on defense. They were playing a bad team with scrub backups playing QB and RB, and a hodge podge of starters elsewhere. Yet the defense couldn't stop the run, didn't force any turnovers, apparently generated little pressure on an inexperienced starter, gave up numerous 20+ yd completions and yielded 4 touchdowns.

Anything other than a fucking "F" is a joke.

 

[dbair1967]

Grades seem about right. How many teams play n February that have Jason Garrett as coach?

ZERO

 

[kwcoolk619]

C- seems laughable on defense. They were playing a bad team with scrub backups playing QB and RB, and a hodge podge of starters elsewhere. Yet the defense couldn't stop the run, didn't force any turnovers, apparently generated little pressure on an inexperienced starter, gave up numerous 20+ yd completions and yielded 4 touchdowns.

Anything other than a fucking "F" is a joke.

Giving up numerous 20+ yards to Jeff Driskell? That was an epic fail by the defense.

 

[icup]

jeff driskell is a direct decendent of moses . has a supernatural ability to split the defense

 

[yimyammer]

C- seems laughable on defense. They were playing a bad team with scrub backups playing QB and RB, and a hodge podge of starters elsewhere. Yet the defense couldn't stop the run, didn't force any turnovers, apparently generated little pressure on an inexperienced starter, gave up numerous 20+ yd completions and yielded 4 touchdowns.

Anything other than a fucking "F" is a joke.

if the jets and lions qbs can have the kind success against the Dallas D they had, how on earth is there any hope of stopping Brady & Belichick?

this game sets up to be an embarrassment given the massive coaching disadvantage & with the game played in a stadium the Pats have won 20 straight in

 

[dbair1967]

if the jets and lions qbs can have the kind success against the Dallas D they had, how on earth is there any hope of stopping Brady & Belichick?

this game sets up to be an embarrassment given the massive coaching disadvantage & with the game played in a stadium the Pats have won 20 straight in

Yeah it certainly doesn't look promising. I really wont be surprised if we lose by 3+ TD's

 

[SixisBetter]

Yeah it certainly doesn't look promising. I really wont be surprised if we lose by 3+ TD's

Me either.
Their defense is no joke and their running game is sneaky good. They run effectively without a lead horse, and Michel is a great receiver.
If we can't pressure Brady and get a couple turnovers somehow, we ain't in the game.

 

[kwcoolk619]

We need to make tackles. Too many missed tackles.

 

[Doomsday]

We need to make tackles. Too many missed tackles.

That's a disease plaguing most of the league. Not an excuse, just a clinical fact. New rules possibly making people hesitate for a critical half-second? Dunno. But most all teams can't tackle for shit anymore.

 

[dbair1967]

That's a disease plaguing most of the league. Not an excuse, just a clinical fact. New rules possibly making people hesitate for a critical half-second? Dunno. But most all teams can't tackle for shit anymore.

No question the lack of live contact during training camp and then during the season between games has had an impact, but we do tackle shittier than most teams. We also run block shitter than a lot of teams. Blocking and tackling are the two basic corp things all good teams can do, and we haven't done either consistently the entire post-Jimmy era, especially under Red Turd.

I remember going to Austin in 1992 for several days of training camp. Jimmy's practices were like watching real football games.

 

[yimyammer]

I remember going to Austin in 1992 for several days of training camp. Jimmy's practices were like watching real football games.

it was crazy compared to today, I'm surprised they didnt have a lot more injuries

 

[dbair1967]

it was crazy compared to today, I'm surprised they didnt have a lot more injuries

Yeah and the NFLPA said all the contact was a detriment to the players and made them more likely to get hurt, when in reality the exact opposite happened. Injuries went through the roof after the pussification of the league.