For the first time in over a month the Dallas Cowboys found themselves on the other side of the scoreboard.
No the sky isn’t falling, they lost a football game, it happens. The team is still 10-4 and have clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive year.
Dallas will in all likelihood be locked into the 5 seed and go on the road to face the winner of the worst division in football, the NFC south.
As for right now though, something is happening that I didn’t see coming. The defense starting to struggle week after week.
Yes the injuries are playing a major part in that, but I am starting to lose my confidence in them that I had nearly all season.
The 34 points surrendered Sunday is the most by the Cowboys defense all season.
After what looked to be a great start, once Jacksonville found a rhythm on offense, Dallas couldn’t seem to get a stop.
We obviously understand the struggle stopping the run, it’s been an issue all season long. The Jaguars totaled 192 rushing yards on just 27 carries, averaging over seven yards per carry.
The lack of pass rush did them in Sunday though. They only had one sack all game, and Trevor Lawrence seemed to make some big plays with his legs getting out on the edge.
Missing Anothny Brown yet? I AM. The backend has taken a beating the last few weeks. Kelvin Joseph was benched after he gave up two consecutive touchdown catches allowed for Nahshon Wright.
Cowboys have pulled CB Kelvin Joseph after two consecutive touchdown catches allowed. CB Nahshon Wright has entered game as outside cornerback in nickel defense. Daron Bland and Trevon Diggs are the outside corners in base.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 18, 2022
With being so short handed at the CB position, it will make it hard for them not to use him from time to time, which is unfortunate. I would be perfectly okay with not seeing Joseph on the field for the rest of the season.
Cowboys are concerned but waiting for more information on Leighton Vander Esch who injured his neck yesterday, if he is out for a significant amount of time this defense might really turn into their biggest problem.
So where do they go from here? Maybe you the reader have a better answer. Because what I’m seeing from the depleted defense right now is not good.
It’s not an excuse, they still need to sharpen up. Look the offense is doing just fine. The 34 points scored by them would have been enough to beat every single team in the noon slate of games.
You aren’t going to win many giving up nearly 40 to the other side.
The pass rush needs to be found again. We aren’t seeing the type of production that we did early on. Maybe Dan Quinn is playing conservative with the amount of bodies missing. I’m not sure.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys suffered their first loss in over a month yesterday and all I noticed was so much negative talk about them. Can we not just understand that this is a long season, and if the defense finds its way again, the team will be fine.
With the Eagles, Titans and Commanders the next three games. The Cowboys will get a heavy dose of run and pass. Can the Cowboys overcome the poor play from the defense and clean it up going into January? I hope so.
