ARLINGTON – It’s three weeks into this season and the Cowboys have lost two games in a row.
The Cowboys were largely overrun in their 28-25 loss to the Ravens on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium, their second straight loss. A late Cowboys rally against a Ravens team that struggles to close out games made things tighter. This is the Cowboys’ second straight home loss, and if you ignore the comeback, it wasn’t even close. After a 16-game home winning streak, the Cowboys have now lost their last three home games.
As a reminder: The playoff loss to the Packers. A loss in the home opener against the Saints. And now the loss to the Ravens.
In a desperate game, the Ravens were up 2-0 and did their job well except for the fourth quarter when they allowed 19 points. This Cowboys team has all kinds of problems and fans expressed it with boos all day.
“I’m not happy with the outcome of the last two games,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “We were very uncoordinated in all phases of the game. But in the end we achieved something that we can build on. You have to assume that we can play better than we did for most of the game today.”
Here are five thoughts on Cowboys-Ravens:
Photos: Slow start seals Cowboys’ comeback in second half in 28-25 loss to Ravens
Let’s do the math
The Cowboys are still mathematically eligible for the postseason. However, the odds of making the playoffs after a 1-2 start are slim. According to FiveThirtyEight, NFL teams that started 1-2 have made the postseason 32% of the time since the NFL switched to a 17-game season. While that doesn’t mean the season is over, the Cowboys will play two of their next three games on the road. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants on Thursday on a short week, then there will be another road game at Pittsburgh. The three games before the off week will conclude with a home game against their new rival, the Detroit Lions. The season isn’t over yet, but the Cowboys have an interesting part of the schedule ahead.
Problems in the offensive continue
It’s more than the running game now. The Cowboys offense as a whole is struggling. Receiver CeeDee Lamb was only targeted three times in the first half and showed some frustration after an incomplete pass in the end zone by slamming both hands to the ground. The running game gained 51 yards with the same no-holds-barred approach we’ve seen in the first three weeks of the season. It’s probably time to see Dalvin Cook against the Giants. The Cowboys gained 412 total offensive yards, mostly by throwing the ball in a desperate comeback attempt, and were booed several times throughout the day. One of the questionable plays was a dump-off pass from Dak Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott in the first half. The ball was behind Elliott and landed incomplete, drawing boos. At one point in the third quarter, the Ravens had 228 rushing yards and the Cowboys had just 182 offensive yards. Prescott completed 28 of 51 passes for 379 yards and scored two touchdowns. The passing game, like the running game, is not fluid. You’re just moving in the mud. In the late recovery, Prescott got a 1-yard keeper and threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. You wonder where that went for three quarters.
Lamar and Derrick stop
Well, the Cowboys couldn’t stop the running game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson dominated with run-pass options, and running back Derrick Henry controlled the action with runs from the side and inside. When the long afternoon was over, the Ravens had 274 Rushing Yards. In the last two weeks, the Cowboys’ run defense has allowed 464 meters on the ground.
“We’re totally down at the moment,” said Micah Parsons after the defeat. “Everyone has to stay strong.”
Rookies look like rookies
The Cowboys touted their rookies as ready for the moment. That didn’t happen Sunday. The rookies made some mistakes in the loss. Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford was penalized for a false start on a third-and-1 play on the game’s first series, and he was also penalized for a holding call in the third quarter. Cornerback Caelen Carson clearly missed a tackle by receiver Nelson Agholor, leading to a 56-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter. Carson rebounded later in the game with a few good tackles in the open field. Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton was penalized for holding late in the first half, which negated a pass interference call in the end zone that would have given the Cowboys the ball at the 1.
The defense also has problems
When talking about the offense’s problems, you can’t ignore the defense. The defense was a pitiful performance, allowing 456 total yards. Late in the fourth quarter, the defense managed to get the ball back for the offense, but ultimately failed to kick the Ravens off the field. Jackson’s 10-yard run on a keeper with two minutes left was the deciding factor. The run defense, as mentioned, continues to have its issues. But the inability to control the line of scrimmage is a problem that has persisted for several games in a row. The Ravens have not really challenged the Cowboys’ secondary. The front seven has massive issues. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said he would fix things. If anything, it has gotten worse. He moved linebacker DeMarvion Overshown into the starting lineup after he had 18 snaps against the Saints last week. The Ravens, who didn’t do anything the Cowboys hadn’t seen before, had no trouble running the ball. The Cowboys were pushed around up front all day and it’s no secret where their weaknesses lie.
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