Rams Upend Cowboys, 20-17: 10 'Whitty' Observations From Week 1 Flop

Dallas Cowboys Upended By Rams, 20-17: 10 'Whitty' Observations From Week 1 Flop

Richie Whitt | Sep 13, 2020

The Dallas Cowboys get upended at the Los Angeles Rams, 20-17 in the Sunday night NFL opener. Here, 10 'Whitty' Observations from the Week 1 flop ...

10. A year ago, Ezekiel Elliott was fresh off the beach in Cabo after a contract holdout. This year? He’s got himself a fresh tummy tattoo: “FEED Me!”

Those of us who are living through the body’s deterioration into the 50s know he’s gonna regret that thing in 30ish years. But for now he gets props for being committed to his cause. Also deserves credit for more, including a first-quarter touchdown when he juked five Rams’ defenders. Cowboys have played 61 season openers. Zeke is the only player to have a rushing and receiving touchdown in one of them.

Unfortunately, Dallas didn't convert every single time it got close.

"We got to be better as an offensive unit,'' Elliott said after the loss. "We got to convert those third downs and keeping the ball moving. It's got to be mandatory when we get to the red zone we score touchdowns."

9. Weird season-opening vibe. No fans. Cowboys’ defensive lineman Dontari Poe kneeling during the anthem while Jerry Jones awkwardly put his curled-up hand over, er in the general direction, of his heart. SoFi Stadium somehow costing $5 billion. (It looks sweet, but is it five times better than AT&T Stadium?) The Rams wearing generic, plain practice jerseys, adorned with “Los Angeles Rams” shipping labels on their chest. Cowboys’ radio announcers Brad Sham and Babe Laufenberg weren’t even on hand, staying behind to call the game while watching the Jumbo Jerry video board at AT&T Stadium. Just weird. Just typical 2020*.

8. Greg Zuerlein’s debut didn’t exactly instill a lot of confidence, did it? He pushed his 53-yard field goal attempt right and the kicks he did make had too much of a power fade that sneaked the ball uncomfortably close to the right upright. Just in case, Brett Maher is now on the practice squad of the Washington Football Team.

7. Last year, Cowboys’ rookies started a league-low one game. Tonight they started three, including – shockingly – right tackle Terence Steele. The guy from Texas Tech had a horrible Senior Bowl, went undrafted and then started Week 1. CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs also started, with the speedy slot receiver caught five passes for 59 yards. ... but came up short on a key fourth-down route.

6. Aldon Smith is this year’s Robert Quinn. The reclamation project was a beast, recording his first sack since 2015 and generally being Dallas’ best defensive player.

5. On Elliott’s touchdown run, Tyron Smith opened the hole by bull-dozing Aaron Donald into the end zone. Otherwise, however, the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year dominated Dallas’ line of scrimmage, basically treating Connor Williams like a blocking dummy.

4. Not sure we’ll see Leighton Vander Esch on a playing field anytime soon. The linebacker that underwent offseason neck surgery left in the first half with a supposed collarbone injury. Likely surgery next week. Close enough to the neck area to prompt fears about his future. Starting to remind me of 1980s safety Randy Hughes, who was a promising replacement for Cliff Harris and/or Charlie Waters until multiple shoulder injuries short-circuited his career.

Blake Jarwin also went down with a non-contact knee injury, painfully reminding us at how valuable Jason Witten was partially because of his durability (missing only one game in 16 seasons).

3. Somewhere in New York, you just know Jason Garrett giggled at his former team’s fourth-quarter brain hiccup. Trailing 20-17 and facing a 3-and-6 inside the Rams’ 20, play-caller Kellen Moore – inexplicably – called a run. Then, instead of kicking the game-tying field goal, new head coach Mike McCarthy decided – inexplicably – to for 4-and-3. Then, Lamb ran – inexplicably – a 2-yard route.

Call it oh-for-three. The conservative Garrett, of course, would’ve tied the game.

2. No way around it, two – I said two – referees cost the Cowboys a chance at a game-tying field with a blatant blown pass interference call on Michael Gallup.

The receiver’s 47-yard catch from a perfect Dak Prescott throw was wiped out by a bogus penalty with 31 seconds remaining. It was minimal hand-fighting. Nothing special. No significant advantage earned. Instead of a first down at the Rams’ 19, it was a 57-yard offensive pass interference penalty.

Dallas blew some of its own chances, but this one was taken from them.

1. Despite the loss, enough Cowboys’ positives to be encouraged. Can’t wait for next week’s second preseason game. Oh, wait …

Published Sep 13, 2020

RICHIE WHITT