Dallas did it again. It got your hopes up only to do what it always does.
Another promising season evaporated into disappointment in a matter of hours for Cowboys fans after the team’s Wild-Card Weekend loss to the 49ers, 23-17. Of course, with the kind of luck the Cowboys have had for a quarter-century, they drew a less than favorable matchup. Forget what the records were coming into this game. Many Cowboys fans knew this would be a challenging game for Dallas, and if it was to prevail, it’d be earning it the hard way. As expected, coming in, the 49ers were too physical upfront for the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. SF dominated the trenches, especially in the first half.
While many are sad and disappointed at the outcome, no one should be surprised by Dallas dropping the ball in such a prominent spot like Sunday’s playoff game. I’ve mentioned this numerous times throughout the season. Unfortunately, I’ve followed this team for many years, and this is how it operates. The Boys will get to the doorstep, then chicken out and run away before ringing the doorbell. The Cowboys did enough to garner the No. 2 seed this year, which means they would have received a second postseason home game had they been able to defeat the Niners. Not only did I tell people what was going to happen, so did two of the biggest Cowboys haters around, Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith.
Another offseason of what-ifs for Cowboys fans, but one must ponder whether this latest Dallas blunder is enough to send fans off the deep end. After the game, it seemed that may have been the case as fans in AT&T stadium were seen throwing trash down on the field as Cowboys players were making their way to the locker room.
Apparently, this was not the case, and it was the referees who were the actual targets of fans. I don’t condone throwing trash at anyone, but the officials didn’t cost Dallas the game if that’s where we’re taking it. Dallas cost Dallas the game by digging themselves a hole and lacking the strength to climb out of it. But it wouldn’t shock me if one of those involved were aiming for a player in white and blue. It isn’t the officials’ fault the Cowboys were down 13-0 before the halfway point of the second quarter. They also aren’t why Dak Prescott was sacked five times. Nor did the refs call for Prescott to run up the middle of the field with 14 seconds left in the game and no timeouts.
The Cowboys got pushed around by the 49ers on Sunday. Dallas lost and didn’t allow Jimmy Garoppolo to throw a TD and even picked him off once. Jimmy G passed for just 172 yards and the Niners still won by seven points. This might be the understatement of the year, but Dallas needs to get more rugged in the trenches. The Cowboys gave up 169 yards on the ground to San Francisco. Jimmy G dropped back to pass 25 times and wasn’t sacked once. As usual, Garoppolo did just enough to squeak out a victory.
Trust me, Cowboys fans, this comes from a place of love. This team is doomed for the foreseeable future. And it’s been this way for damn near three decades. For as long as Jerry Jones is the final word in Big D, this franchise will continue to tease the fans year after year after year. Until Jerry decides to stop hiring and grooming puppet coaches that won’t lift even an eyebrow at his meddling, this will be the outcome every time.
Remember, Mike McCarthy is a difference-maker. Jones just tried to sell us that crap a couple of weeks ago. Oh yes, and Jones also recently tried to push the notion that Ezekiel Elliot is still as impactful on the team as he’s ever been. I know you recall that comment from Jerry around Christmas. Zeke carried the ball 12 times for a whopping 31 yards against San Francisco. His longest run was nine yards. So, besides that nine-yard carry, Elliot rushed another 11 times for 22 yards. Some impact.
Wake up, fans, and quit blaming officials and throwing trash onto the field. Another year, another early playoff exit. This team can’t even get back to the conference title game, forget making another Super Bowl appearance. Mike McCarthy is washed up, and the game has passed him by. Kellen Moore will likely get head coaching offers now over more deserving candidates (most of them will be Black), although he shouldn’t. You’ll hear about Moore interviewing for NFL head coaching vacancies by week’s end. This so-called high-powered offense ran seven more plays than the Niners but accumulated 34 fewer total yards. As usual, the offense couldn’t get the job done when it mattered.
Maybe Jones just used up all the good karma within his first eight years of owning the team. That’s when all three of Jerry’s championships were won. Whatever the reason, we’re set to begin another offseason of empty promises from the Jones family. We’re going to do this; we need to do that. We get to the season, and they never do anything. It’s just the same bullshit, in a different toilet with this team. Y’all can have it.