NOT THE RUNNING OUT OF THE CLOCK WE WANTED
By Mark Halpern
As you are all very well aware, I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, and I am doing my best in corrupting my kids and getting them to go along with it. What I witnessed on Sunday afternoon was yet another game in which the Cowboys had an excellent chance in moving forward this past weekend but, whether it was rivalry jitters, the wrong game plan, lousy coaching and any other excuse that we Cowboys fans can make come to the surface isn’t going to change the fact that the season is over yet again for the Cowboys.
Before I get started on my problems, I will be the good Dallas fan I am and I’m going to congratulate the 49ers and wish them luck in Green Bay because they are going to need it.
Now back to the issue at hand. What happened in Arlington this past Sunday was not a first. We have seen this team get exploited this past season by the hands of different teams they should have beaten. First Tampa, the Cowboys, lost a game they should have won due to terrible placekicking. The Bronco game was another team with weapons, but they shouldn’t have matched and won that game. How about the Arizona game late in the season? Arizona was depleted on both offense and defense, and they still came in underdogs and took care of business. However, for Arizona, it is over for them as well. Those 4 games made all the difference this season. Add those 4 games and make them wins. Dallas would have been the #1 seed. However, you show your vulnerability when you underestimate your opponents and take the game cautiously. One of the big things is that the Cowboys were not good at all this season when having to come back from being down most of the game.
Next, I am moving on to the injury front. Offensive lineman Tyron Smith has been injured a lot again this season, and that’s a player you visibly miss because he blocks the weak side of Dak. Why the hell was Zeke Elliott playing with a partially torn PCL. Tony Pollard IS more than a capable back. He could have been the prime starter while Zeke had surgery. If Zeke had surgery early in the season, the Cowboys would be in the territory of Tennessee with them getting Derrick Henry back and at almost 100%. Dak’s calf injury shows why Dallas must prioritize getting a better backup Quarterback. Look, I like Cooper Rush but, he isn’t a viable backup. There will be plenty to pick from after this season, and anyone knows Dallas overpays for players, so they will all be jockeying for position after the season. Other injuries happen and sometimes at the worst times. Losing Gallup on the last game of the season to a torn MCL hurt but, Cedrick Wilson played well in his absence, making his case for next season.
The game itself was disgraceful. Dallas not putting up more than 7 points in the first half was Ludacris. You could see Zeke was slow but, when you are Elliot, you get the say, not the coaches, and that’s a problem. The penalties killed them as well. You can’t win a game if you commit 14 penalties. Now, mind you, some of them were terrible calls, but you can’t fight city hall. The one penalty that killed Dallas was the hold by Gregory at the end. Ok, I am setting the record straight here; Gregory thought it was the running back and tackled the guy. Unfortunately, it was an offensive lineman, and it became the holding call that killed us. So, in the words of Bill Murphy, “I Absolve you.” Overall, the Dallas defense, while giving up penalties, kept the game close. Deebo was a beast, and he was ready for the task of taking it to one of the best defenses in football.
So now that I cleared my mind of all the crap let’s get to the Elephant in the room. Obviously, the final play with 14 seconds is the play I am referring to. Dallas was just about 46-47 yards away and had time for 2 plays. However, that isn’t what happened. On the final play, Dak took off running up the middle and knowing you have no timeouts, you don’t try for extra yards; you slide early and get up and spike it with 2 seconds to go, and you would have been at the 35 for a final play. The ref bumping into Dak bothered me but, he was trying to spot the ball, and it’s the rule you can’t spot the ball yourself, and that is the 2 seconds Dallas needed to try for one more play. Dak tried to make the play of the year but failed.
Now I am a die-hard, all go, non-stop Dallas Cowboy fan, and I will be loyal to them to my final breath. I love the Cowboys, and we need to bring back the Lombardi Trophy to Dallas. In Conclusion, stay tuned to Halpern’s Final Offer on the network page and on our live shows, as I will explain over the next few months what they need to do to rebuild this team and make changes.
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