EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Dallas Cowboys are officially eliminated from the playoffs in their 23-19 loss to the New York Giants. The Cowboys conclude the season 6-10 and third in the NFC East. Dallas finished the game 6-17 on third downs and converted one of four attempts inside the red zone at MetLife Stadium.
The Cowboys did not have a solid performance in a must-win game. Here are some notes from week 17’s matchup:
No Rhythm on Offense: Following last week’s two, 100-yard receiving performance and Ezekiel Elliott’s 100-yard rushing day, The Cowboys looked out of sync on the road. Andy Dalton was sacked six times for a loss of 44 yards and faced constant pressure in the pocket. To start the game, the penetration was predominately coming from Patrick Graham’s three-man rush. That about sums it up. Dalton did not look poised and had several questionable inaccurate throws that were almost intercepted.
The Cowboys could not get the ground game rolling and Dalton had to throw behind a line that was getting abused by the Giants’ defensive front and with a bloody left hand. The “Red Rifle” will not be receiving the $1 million incentive that accompanied a postseason run for the team, and concluded the ballgame 29/47 for 243 yards, and one interception for a 66.2 quarterback rating. The sole touchdown of the day came off of Donovan Wilson’s interception. Ezekiel Elliott plowed into the end zone on a one-yard rush in the third quarter to put six on the board and make it a 20-16 ballgame.
The groove that fans saw last week against the Eagles, vanished against the Giants. To paint the picture, in the fourth quarter- the Cowboys moved back after Dalton was sacked for a loss of nine yards on first down and then CeeDee Lamb dropped a wide-open easily caught pass over the middle on second down. To put the nail in the coffin, Dalton was picked off in the end zone on third down. The Giants got the ball with less than a minute on the clock. The Cowboys’ embattled year with the death of Markus Paul and fighting through an unprecedented number of injuries, reached its end.
Costly Defensive Penalties:
Both Jourdan Lewis and Randy Gregory were flagged for unnecessary roughness after the play. Lewis threw a head-butt at tight end Kaden Smith, resulting in 15 yards gained for New York. Luckily for the cornerback, he was bailed out after the Cowboys’ defense forced a three-&-out. Gregory’s personal foul led to a touchdown for the Giants, their second of the day to extend the lead.
It is a high-stakes game, players have to keep their emotions in check and that did not happen on Sunday. Players lashed out and it shifted the momentum to the Giants and put them in favorable position. Not a winning formula. Sure, the Cowboys continued the impressive stretch of turnovers recording 12 over the last four games. Ten of the team’s 19 points were a courtesy from the defense’s takeaways but it was not enough to make up for the self-inflicted wounds. New York finished with 125 rushing yards and Sterling Shepard showcased his ability on the outside with eight receptions for 112 yards, and both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
Puzzling Coaching Decisions:
There are many decisions in and NFL game that become analyzed after a loss. One was Mike McCarthy’s decision to not challenge a critical play in the fourth quarter. Dante Pettis’ 10-yard reception set up a 50-yard field goal for the Giants. The catch was controversial. It appeared that Pettis trapped the ball, but It was ruled a catch on the field. McCarthy watched the video replay board and passed on the opportunity. Gano made the field goal and extended the Giants lead, resulting in Dallas needing a touchdown on the final possession.
Dalton Shultz and Donovan Wilson Bright Spots for Cowboys:
Regardless of how the season ended for Dallas, both Donovan Wilson and Dalton Schultz gathered quite the resume in 2020 that raised their value on the squad. In Sunday’s loss, Wilson recorded an interception and a sack on a corner blitz for a loss of 10 yards. Wilson flies around in the backfield with physicality that has been lacking in Dallas’ secondary. He has an innate ability of getting his hands on the football and making impact plays. Throughout the 2020 season, Wilson has racked up 67 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles in 13 game starts.
On the opposite side of the football as TE1 following Jarwin’s season-ending injury, Shultz has showcased his blocking and pass-catching ability. He consistently gains yards after the catch and bulldozes defenders to open lanes for teammates. Against the Giants, he accumulated seven receptions for 70 yards. The Stanford product reached 60 receptions on the season to become the fourth tight end in Cowboys’ history to post 60-or-more receptions in a season, joining Jason Witten, Doug Cosbie, and Jay Novacek. Needless to say, in 2021 when Jarwin returns, there will likely be more two-tight end sets being utilized.
