Team Grades: Cowboys Can't Overcome Injuries, Fall To Falcons
By Shawn S. Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys know they will struggle over the next two months, after the loss of All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant and their offensive leader Tony Romo for at least the next eight weeks. The first of two very difficult games came when the Cowboys took on fellow undefeated team, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Cowboys just didn't have the manpower to win the game. However, not all was lost in the game as the Cowboys played great for at least one full half of the game. Here is a look at the Dallas Cowboys grades after their 39-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Offense: C
All week long, the Dallas Cowboys were praising backup quarterback Brandon Weeden. Owner Jerry Jones said that Weeden had a beautiful ball when he threw it and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said he was much improved on last season. Weeden ended up completing 22 of 26 passes for 232 yards, one interception and no touchdowns. An 84 percent completion percentage is great, but he only completed passes to one wide receiver, with Cole Beasley getting four balls for 49 yards. Terrance Williams only had two targets and didn't catch a pass. It doesn't matter how good Weeden's ball looks if the Cowboys won't let him throw the ball downfield.
The biggest breakout moment belonged to running back Joseph Randle. After the Cowboys struggled with the run through the first two games, Randle gained 87 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns. Darren McFadden added the fourth Cowboys score with six carries for 35 yards. Together, they combined to average six yards a carry, a very nice number. The only problem was that it wasn't enough, and in the second half they didn't do anything. In the third quarter, while the Falcons were roaring ahead, the Cowboys had four runs for negative five yards. The biggest star this game was Lance Dunbar, who led the team with 10 catches for 100 yards, but most of those were on third and long, with the Cowboys just trying to get some yards.
Defense: D
For one half, the Dallas Cowboys defense played very well. However, starting with the final minute of the second quarter, things unraveled. With 40 seconds left in the second quarter, the Falcons drove down the field and connected on a field goal to narrow the Cowboys lead to 28-17. Then, in the second half, the Cowboys defense wore completely down and the Falcons scored 22 unanswered points to beat the Cowboys 39-28. This Cowboys defense is similar to the past few years, and they need offensive help to keep them fresh. It also doesn't help that the Falcons scored touchdowns on drives where Sean Lee and Barry Church each left with minor injuries.
The Cowboys are still missing middle linebacker Rolando McClain and Greg Hardy to suspensions, and both starting defensive ends, Randy Gregory and Jeremy Mincey, to injuries. With so little depth on defense, they couldn't do anything to stop Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and running back Devonta Freeman in this game. Matt Ryan completed 24 of 36 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and Dallas only sacked him once on a Sean Lee blitz. Julio Jones was the big star with 12 receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Devonta Freeman came into the game averaging around two yards a carry and ended up with 141 rushing yards and three touchdowns along with five receptions for 52 more yards. Dallas won't win many games giving up those yards.
Special Teams: B
Dan Bailey never had the chance to attempt a field goal. He did hit all four extra points. On the punting side of the ball, Chris Jones had a rough game, averaging only 39.75 yards on four punts.
The Cowboys only had a chance to return one kickoff in six attempts, and Lance Dunbar returned that one opportunity for 28 yards. For punt returns, Cole Beasley returned two for 20 and Dunbar returned one for four yards. At the end of the day, Dallas was decent when it came to special teams, but they didn't have enough opportunities for it to make a difference in the game.
Coaching: D
Jason Garrett was coaching this game scared. It looked good for most of the first half, with Dallas up 28-14. However, on the Cowboys final scoring drive of that half, Garrett called two timeouts and left 40 seconds on the clock for the Falcons, who used that to drive the field and score a field goal. That sent the Falcons into the locker room with momentum and they capitalized on it in the second half.
The biggest complaint about the Cowboys offensive plan was that Garrett seemed scared to put the game in Brandon Weeden's hands to win. Weeden hardly ever looked downfield and just threw the ball short and handed it off. That may have worked to run the clock when someone like DeMarco Murray was on offense in 2014, but these Cowboys can't pick up the hard yards as well. Since they didn't take any chances, they had no chance when the Falcons started rolling.
Outlook
The Dallas Cowboys are in trouble until they get Tony Romo back. They can survive without Dez Bryant against most teams, but without Romo they don't have a chance against decent squads. If they don't allow Brandon Weeden to at least attempt to air it out, they will lose to teams with offensive firepower such as the New England Patriots in two weeks. Next week, the Cowboys face the New Orleans Saints, and if Drew Brees returns from his injury for that game, it will be a huge uphill battle. The Cowboys' schedule for the next two months is nice enough to keep them in contention until Romo returns, but they need to play better than they did against the Atlanta Falcons.
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.