Every week the game plan for opposing offenses is to attack the Cowboys’ run defense, and we saw it happen again yesterday. Coming into the game, the Packers were running into an eight-man box 5.3 times per game, averaging 4.1 YPA. Against the Cowboys, they ran into an eight-man box 18 times, averaging 5.3 YPA.
A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones beat up the Dallas defense. Between the two, they had 203 yards, 138 from Jones, and 65 from Dillion. They knew the run was coming and still couldn’t stop it.
We can point to this and that, but Dallas should have attempted the field goal in overtime because, either way, the Packers would have started with the ball at the same spot. Yes, I understand it was cold and into the wind, but Brett Maher has been great this year and has a huge leg. Give him a chance!
The no-call on CeeDee Lamb is something I don’t even want to get into because I HATE blaming games on one call here or there. The Cowboys Shouldn’t have needed that call to win this game.
Look, guys, this has to be FIXED.
The offense had their chances to win the game, but they scored 28 points and had a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. We have to look at both sides here. The defense can’t keep letting this happen. The Cowboys last four games in terms of rushing yards allowed: 206, 240, 117, and 136, and with Dalvin Cook and the 8-1 Vikings up next, I expect everything to stay the same.
Dallas has allowed 143.1 rushing yards per game this year, which is the fourth-worst mark in the NFL.
Cowboys LB Micah Parsons on poor run defense: "We've just got to be accountable. …It's going to keep happening until we stop it. Period. …Until we put this flame out of this running the ball stuff, we're never going to be as good as we need to be. Period."
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 14, 2022
I am still trying to figure out what else they can do to slow the run down; the most significant plays I see are runs to the outside, and the guys seem lost.
Every team the Cowboys might play in the playoffs has a dominant run game. The Eagles and Jalen Hurts, Giants and Saquon Barkley, the 49ers now have Christian McCaffery, the Bucs have Leonard Fournette who always beats them up, and we can’t leave out the Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker.
With as much praise we gave this defense for doing what they did early to help save the season, they are now getting worn down, week after week, by the ground game. We can only talk so much, and I keep telling myself that I trust Dan Quinn to figure out a system that works, but clearly, they can’t figure it out. Moving forward, I understand the frustration; I get it. I am staying positive because this team wasn’t even supposed to be 6-3 after the way the season started.
They are still the sixth seed, only one game back of the Giants because they already beat them once, and they play next Thursday again on Thanksgiving at home. It would be great to see a team not rush for over 100 yards on this defense. I trust the pass rush more when they don’t have to look for the running back.
