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“Reality just knocked on their doors”-$250 million Real Content
After the season-opening win over Cleveland, most Cowboys fans were crowning the team as Super Bowl champions.
Reality just knocked on their doors. The Dallas Cowboys still might win this year’s Super Bowl.
But not by playing the way they did in Sunday’s home-opening, 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The Cowboys’ defense was a no-show – an effort eerily similar to January’s stinker against the Packers that ended the 2023 season.
That’s two-straight home games where the defense got run out of the building in the opening half. Both games were essentially over by halftime.
Another striking similarity was an offense that couldn’t step up and at least try to keep the game in range.
Against the Packers not only couldn’t the offense score, they basically gave Green Bay 14 of their 27 first-half points. Courtesy of two Dak Prescott interceptions.
The second pick was returned for a touchdown and a 27-0 lead with two minutes left in the half.
Game over.
At Least Points Were Scored
At least against the Saints on Sunday, Prescott managed to put points on the board. He threw for one touchdown but still threw an interception that was converted into a Saints’ touchdown.
Prescott did get 16 first-half points on the board, but 12 of them were off the foot of Brandon Aubrey.
Meanwhile, Derek Carr was leading the Saints to five first-half touchdowns for a 35-16 halftime lead.
Like the Packers game, Dallas got the ball to start the second half. They had a chance to at least give the defense some hope – something to fight for.
However, as happened back in January, the opening drive of the second half ended in another Brandon Aubrey field goal.
That was the closest Dallas would get the rest of the way.
That isn’t what the Cowboys shelled out a quarter of a billion dollars for. Prescott is the highest-paid player in the NFL now.
With that title – and the money – comes expectations.
He is expected to elevate his game – especially when his defense is struggling. He is expected to go toe-to-toe with his opposite number and match him touchdown for touchdown.
Prescott didn’t do that on Sunday. He very rarely does it at all – last year’s shootout against Seattle being the exception rather than the rule.
Through two games, Prescott is 46-of-71 for 472 yards – that’s just 236 yards per game. He’s thrown for two touchdowns and has two interceptions.
The Cowboys’ other two touchdowns were an Ezekiel Elliott run and a 60-yard punt return by KaVontae Turpin.
The rest of the scoring? A total of 24 points on eight Brandon Aubrey field goals.
Remember when Jason Garrett’s offenses kept settling for field goals and how many games were lost because they couldn’t punch the ball in?
With his new contract – fairly or not – it falls on Prescott to win games, especially when his defense can’t get off the field.
He needs to throw touchdowns instead of interceptions and settling for field goals.
Dak Defenders On Notice
The Dak Defenders – oh yes, I see you coming at me on social media – will lay 100% of the blame for every loss on the defense.
They also shamelessly put 100% of the credit for every win on Prescott.
But the fact is, Dallas is now 1-1 (as predicted here earlier, even if I have the win and loss reversed). Unless they discover a running game on offense and the defense plays better consistently, the 8-9 prediction will come true too.
