Football truly is a game of emotions. Not just for the people on the sideline but us, the fans. A few short hours before kickoff, my feelings were exuberant and hopeful. Throughout the game, those feelings wavered between joy, concern, and flat-out anger; with the Dallas Cowboys losing on a last-second field goal to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 31-29. Much of this is due in part by I believed that Dak Prescott would pick up right where he left off last season. That proved to be right, as Prescott completed 42 passes on 58 attempts for 403 yards and three touchdowns.
I don’t ordinarily like silver linings when it comes to winning and losing in the NFL. However, I do believe that there are lessons to be learned, even in losses. One, for example, is how the Cowboys and Buccaneers were both willing to live and die by the sword; The Cowboys were heavily reliant upon their passing attack, and the Buccaneers with their blitz-heavy defense. It’s two opposing sides saying the same thing and that is: Kill or be Killed.
With Dak Prescott behind center, this is the Dallas Cowboys offense you can expect to see from here on out; Aggressive, unafraid, and ruthless. Because of that, I’d like to introduce a new column called Murder by the Numbers, where I’ll take a deep dive into the critical statistics that resulted in either a Cowboys win, or loss.
3.3 – Ezekiel Elliott’s yards per carry
This isn’t as much as a factor as to why the Cowboys lost, as much as it cements my conclusion that the Cowboys are no longer content with controlling the flow of the game through Ezekiel Elliott. While Elliott’s contributions go beyond the box score (as seen in his pass blocking last night) it’s hard to ignore 11 carries for an average of 3.3 yards; Especially when you consider his longest run of the night went for 13 yards.
Remove that carry, and Elliott would be sitting at 10 carries for 20 yards (2 YPC). In my opinion, less emphasis on running Ezekiel Elliott isn’t just because of philosophical beliefs from the coaching staff, but frankly a necessity in unlocking the true potential of the Cowboys’ offense.
25% – Red Zone Efficiency
The Cowboys found themselves in the Tampa Bay red zone on four occasions. They were able to score a touchdown just once. To make matters worse, one of those red-zone trips resulted in zero points after a missed field attempt by Greg Zuerlein.
[pickup_prop id=”5480″]
12 – Points off Turnovers
Depending on your interpretation of the game you may walk away encouraged by the defense, or disgusted. I can honestly admit I’m leaning closer to the latter. Still, in giving credit where it’s due, they were able to force four turnovers and give the ball back to the offense. The Cowboys’ offense subsequently failed to take advantage and produce substantial points from those takeaways.
I know I’ve highlighted the red zone struggles of the Dallas Cowboys, but it’s more glaring when you get two turnovers deep in the opponent’s territory. They only produce nine points in those two instances, and 12 points total off of four turnovers in total.
[pickup_prop id=”4996″]
22.6 – Jaydon Mickens Yards per Touch on Special Teams
Aside from a few good punts from Bryan Anger, the Cowboys had a very difficult time on special teams. The beneficiary of the Cowboys’ kicking woes was Jaydon Mickens, who averaged 22.6 yards on his touches on special teams. On average, the Buccaneers started drives at their own 36-yard line following a Jaydon Mickens kick or punt return; That’s without mentioning a 24-yard punt return that would have been brought back to the Cowboys 30 yard line if not for a holding penalty against the Buccaneers.
0 – Sacks by the Dallas Defense
It would be hard to argue who had a better night from a production standpoint between Tom Brady and Dak Prescott. However, it is easy to see who looked the most comfortable. Dallas was unable to muster any constant pressure on Tom Brady. Brady seemed to be one step ahead in deciphering the Cowboys’ pressure packages, making them pay down the field.
Throughout the night, Dallas came close to Brady, but would come up short in securing the stop. It’s almost fitting when you consider how the game ultimately played out. To make matters worse, Brady was only hit twice on 50 pass attempts; Probably the best indicator of why the Cowboys came away with the loss and perhaps the most important factor in a Murder by the Numbers.
