LOS ANGELES, CA — The 2020 season kicked off and for the Dallas Cowboys, a lot changed over the offseason with a new coaching regime put in place, but on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams, the team’s production on the field mirrored last year’s squad. The Rams secured a 20-17 victory over the Cowboys in the their new stadium for week one.
The Rams’ offense dominated the majority of the ballgame. Sean McVay did his research and came into the ballgame with a tremendous game plan to combat the Cowboys’ newly acquired ‘hyped’ pass rushers. He did not allow the defensive line time to react and penetrate with quick-timed, short passes from Jared Goff. Goff got the ball off quick and once again, Dallas could not defend the screen or his bootlegs out of the flat. He was comfortable in the pocket with a play-action attack and the bright spot for the Cowboys’ defense was Aldon Smith.
In the fourth quarter, Smith blew past a blocker with a spin move for an open rush lane to the quarterback for a loss of six yards on third down that forced the Rams to punt the ball. He showed flashes throughout the ballgame that contributed to big plays. In the third quarter, Chidobe Awuzie intercepted a pass intended for Van Jefferson but Smith set up the play by tipping the football and practically placed the pass in Awuzie’s chest.
The Cowboys did loose middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to injury early in the game. He was taken to the locker room after the medical staff looked at his range of motion on the bench. Vander Esch did not return to the game and according to multiple sources, he has a fractured collarbone. The defensive concerns however were much greater than the loss of the team’s MIKE. Dallas could not contain the Ram’s passing game or limit yardage after the catch.
Offensively, the Cowboys found a rhythm in the first half incorporating Ezekiel Elliott into the passing game and making him more dimensional. He scored two touchdowns (one rushing and one passing) and showcased his ability to line up on the outside and catch passes out of the flat. In addition, Dak Prescott displayed his power as a dual threat. He accumulated three carries for 30 yards that helped gain momentum and moved the chains. He is dangerous when using his legs outside the pocket and the Cowboys need to incorporate more design runs and play-action for the mobile quarterback. Aaron Donald consistently won the battle at the line of scrimmage and out leveraged double teams to get to Prescott. Donald is a nightmare in matchups and Connor Williams struggled against him throughout the game.
Late in the fourth, the game ended with a controversial call made by the refs. On a last ditch effort in the final minute of the ballgame, Dak connected with Michael Gallup down the sideline for what would have been a huge gain. Gallup beat Jalen Ramsey down the sideline and worked over the top of the corner to make the contested catch but the play was brought back after an offensive pass interference call. That sealed the Cowboys’ fate but the team had already been out played.
With no preseason and an entirely virtual offseason, the first game was a test run of sorts for teams in the league to work out the kinks and get up to speed. Week two will be the true gauge.
