ARLINGTON, Texas – In an uncharacteristic performance at AT&T Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys were not in sync all afternoon. Dallas’ offense could not sustain drives and the defense was exposed, resulting in a 30-16 output. Although, the final score is not an accurate representation of the Broncos’ dominance, with both touchdowns coming in the fourth quarter during garbage time. Denver snapped the Cowboys’ six-game win streak and demoralized the NFL’s No. 1 offense.
Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott returned to action after being sidelined against the Vikings with a right calf strain and had one of the worst games of his career. He struggled to find chemistry with his receivers, completing 48.72 percent of his pass attempts – the second-worst total of his tenure in Dallas. Prescott’s decision-making was off, and he missed several throws he typically could make in his sleep. No. 4 could not get the offense in rhythm until two meaningless touchdowns, avoiding the worst shutout loss at home since 1985.
“They were more physical,” Prescott stated. “We didn’t execute, as I said. We didn’t throw and catch as we’ve done all season long. On those third downs and on those fourth downs when we needed to execute, I missed a throw, we dropped some passes, and we weren’t clean. It starts with me, and we need to be able to move forward from this and learn from this. Credit to those guys.”
The Cowboys were not able to establish the run to open up the play-action game. So much of the Cowboys’ offense has been predicated on the play of the offensive line and success on first down. Against the Broncos, both of those were dismal.
Leading into the fourth quarter, here is a breakdown of the Cowboys’ first eight possessions of the ballgame:
Downs
Downs
Punt
Punt
Punt
(End Quarter Two)
Downs
Punt
Interception
Not a recipe for success. The Cowboys were 0-4 on fourth downs, including failures on the first two possessions. A drop by Amari Cooper forced one of the two fails, a microcosm of the rest of the ballgame. CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard also made the day worse by costly drops, including one by Pollard that ended a rare successful drive early in the ballgame. The Broncos’ defense was looking to prove themselves a capable unit without Von Miller and against Dallas, they accomplished the feat.
For Dan Quinn’s defense, Dallas gave up two 80-yard scoring drives in the first half that shifted the momentum. The Broncos accumulated 18 plays of 10 yards, with six eclipsing the 20-yard marker. Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams consistently gained yards after contact, quickly hitting holes created by the offense line. Williams notched the first 100-yard rushing game of his career that put Denver in favorable down and distance situations.
Their ground attack racked up 190 yards and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. Tim Patrick became his favorite deep threat to kickstart the Broncos’ vertical attack. Bridgewater threw multiple dimes his way, resulting in 85 total yards and a touchdown. Dallas’ secondary was no match for his speed downfield in single coverage with no safety help. Most notably, a Bridgewater 44-yard bomb down the left sideline in the second quarter to Patrick gave the Broncos a double-digit lead over Dallas.
Two plays to highlight:
On the first possession of the second half, the Cowboys’ misfortunes were displayed in a series of two plays. Amari Cooper dropped a wide-open pass on third down that would have moved the chains, and then Prescott overthrew Lamb on a deep ball on fourth down.
With the perpetual trail of bad luck and poor execution, things got worse in the third quarter. Malik Turner blocked a punt deep in Denver territory. However, a weird NFL rule presented itself. Because Nahshon Wright touched the football first past the line of scrimmage with Denver picking it up after, the Broncos retained possession of the ball- despite not reaching the first down marker.
Despite the horrific afternoon for Dallas, the team still holds a sizeable lead in the NFC East with a 6-2 record. The question remains, was this game a one-time fluke for the otherwise prolific Cowboy team or will this be a continuing cycle for games to come? Time will tell. Nonetheless, back to the drawing board.
