Normally, I wouldn't give a shit about what happens in a playoff game involving the Dallas Cowboys, especially since my team has been dreadful for most of the last ten years. But given the travesty that occurred yesterday, I thought I'd put in my two cents.
That the Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers should surprise no one. Let's be honest, given the playoff seeding, the Niners were the last team the Cowboys wanted to face in the playoffs. But the manner in which they lost is revealing of a team that has multiple issues, all of which came back to haunt them when push came to shove.
Let's start with the offensive coordinator. You have a two-headed monster in Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard that at one point in the season was averaging 6 yards a pop from the line of scrimmage and you only call their number 16 times for a total of 45 yards, while at the same time calling 43 pass plays? Kellen Moore should be fired for being this inept.
Secondly, can we just admit that Dak Prescott is not an elite quarterback? Jerry Jones can pay him all the money he wants, he's not Tom Brady; nor is he Aaron Rodgers, or Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen, or Juston Herbert. All of the above QBs would've taken advantage of the multiple opportunities the Niners presented them and propelled their team to victory yesterday. The ugly truth is if you are depending on Dak to lead you to victory, get used to being disappointed. And that's saying something, given that my team still thinks Daniel Jones is a franchise quarterback.
Third, the officials didn't cost the Cowboys the game; poor clock management and bad play calling did. Think about it: With 14 seconds left in regulation, no timeouts and the ball at the Niners 41 yard line, instead of throwing a quick pass to the sidelines to get closer to the end zone, or attempting a couple of Hail Mary's from where they were, the Cowboys elected to call a quarterback draw up the middle for 17 yards to Niners 24 yard line. What happened next was bizarre. Apparently no one on this team knew that before they could spike the ball the umpire had to first spot it. So while the ump was doing his job, time ran out on the Cowboys season.
One and done!
How typical for a Mike McCarthy-led team. Despite all their talent and accolades, this was one of the most undisciplined and unprepared teams in the NFL this season. I'll say it again, this was a winnable game against an opponent that made its fair-share of mistakes and was minus its best defensive player Nick Bosa for most of the second half. Like I mentioned above, Brady or Rodgers would've found a way to win under similar conditions. Bottom line, the 49ers exposed the Cowboys for what they were: an overrated team that took advantage of playing in a poor division.
But rather than accept responsibility, McCarthy and his perennial underachiever Prescott deflected and blamed the officiating. Worse, Prescott, when informed that some fans had thrown things at the officials as they were headed off the field, approved of it, which in itself is a disgrace and worthy of a fine by the league.
Never mind that McCarthy didn't know where the hell the ball was when the ill-fated play was run; he said in his press conference that it was on the 50 yard line when it was actually on the 41 yard line. Never mimd that he apparently doesn't think his quarterback has a good enough arm to successfully reach the end zone from midfield. Regardless of whoever called in that horrific play, he, as head coach, is responsible for the outcome. If he didn't know what the play was, shame on him for not knowing; and if he did know and signed off on it, shame on him for being that stupid.
Look, it's no sweat off my nose that the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated from the postseason. Truth be told, I revel in their fans' pain. But the group of players we saw on the field yesterday looked more like the Keystone Cops than a professional football team, and if I were Jerry Jones, I'd be real pissed right now.
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