YOU FLUNK! Cowboys Report Card: Woeful Grades in Horrible Playoff Loss vs. Packers
Well, as far as a total capitulation in the biggest spot, the Dallas Cowboys' efforts in a 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers might top the list. From the first snap, Dallas never looked like beating a youthful Packers team as Jordan Love and Co. obliterated the Cowboys in stunning fashion.
Self-inflicted wounds early on, no offensive rhythm, and a defense that put in perhaps its worst performance of the season all add up to an embarrassing defeat for the Cowboys and leaves owner Jerry Jones with a lot to sort through.
Before the game, we highlighted five keys that Mike McCarthy's team had to do in order to avoid an upset ... and it's clear they didn't listen.
1. Start fast: BIG FAIL Starting fast was paramount for the Cowboys to establish a foothold in the game, both physically and mentally. After Love led the Packers to an opening touchdown drive, the Cowboys punted and had a Prescott interception.
Dallas' next possession was a punt followed by a Prescott pick-6 and that was that.
The Packers were shot out of a cannon while the Cowboys were sitting on their hands.
2. Dez' Revenge: Get the Texas Coast Offense 'explosives': BIG FAIL Lamb had just two catches for 18 yards in a dreadful first half as the "Texas Coast Offense'' stalled in a way we haven't seen this season, which includes the capitulations against San Francisco and Buffalo.
The offense never looked like getting in a groove.
3. Stop Packers run game from 100: BIG FAIL It's official: Jerry Jones doesn't own the Cowboys; Aaron Jones does. Whenever the Packers' running back faces Dallas, he morphs into Barry Sanders, and he did so again at AT&T Stadium.
Jones would run all over Dan Quinn's defense, rushing for 118 yards and three touchdowns and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
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4. Pressure Jordan Love, grab turnovers 'Be Phenomenal': BIG FAIL Love had enough time in the pocket to pull up a chair, read the newspaper, and deliver strikes all over the field as the Dallas pass rush, featuring Micah Parsons, who was forgotten, not phenomenal in this game.
Love did as he pleased en route to having a passer rating of 157.2 and, in truth, barely broke a sweat as he surgically dissected the Cowboys' defense.
5. Play disciplined football with emotional control: BIG FAIL Two penalties on the game's opening drive kept the Packers' drive alive, as one wiped out a sack on Love, and then a Sam Williams special teams penalty set the tone for the game, and the Cowboys couldn't stop the tide.
Again, in a big spot, Dallas melted mentally, and the Packers walked all over the Cowboys in their building.
5A. Convert red zone chances - a Packers problem: BIG FAIL Green Bay wasn't good at stopping teams from scoring in the red zone, but the Cowboys barely sniffed the red zone in the first half. Once the Cowboys' offense got in there, it scored, going 4/4, but the damage was done early.
All of this adds up to an embarrassing failing grade for the Cowboys as the test they sat for seemingly had the answers written in the margins...but they failed to look.
It was a truly dark day for the Cowboys, and those lingering questions over this team remain, with a couple of others now added.
