Grading the Cowboys: This Dallas team is the biggest waste of talent in the Jerry Jones era

[bbgun]

Jean-Jacques Taylor’s grades from the Cowboys’ 26-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium...

RUNNING OFFENSE
Ezekiel Elliott had eight carries for 56 yards, including a 30-yard run -- his longest of the season -- in the first quarter. He finished with 12 carries for 71 yards. Ridiculous. Against a team that had been bullied by strong running teams at various points this season, the Cowboys weren’t persistent in running the ball on a day they started so strong. GRADE: D

PASSING OFFENSE
Dak Prescott misfired badly on a key fourth down early in the fourth quarter, and they didn’t make enough big plays downfield in the passing game. Prescott passed for 355 empty yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He was sacked four times, lost a fumble and was pressured consistently. GRADE: F

RUN DEFENSE
It was a typical day for the Cowboys. They allowed more than 120 yards rushing and didn’t come close to making enough game-changing plays to force Buffalo to throw the ball. They never discouraged Buffalo from running, which meant the Bills could control the game’s tempo the last three quarters. GRADE: C-

PASS DEFENSE
Josh Allen was effective and efficient, completing 19 of 24 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t force any throws into coverage, took all the underneath throws available and took advantage of Cole Beasley’s matchup with Jourdan Lewis. Beasley had six catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. GRADE: D

SPECIAL TEAMS
Who cares if Brett Maher can make field goals from beyond 60 yards when he can’t make the kicks he’s supposed to make? His two missed field goals from 35 (which was deflected) and 47 yards sucked the life out of the Cowboys. He’s been consistently inconsistent all season. GRADE: F

COACHING
Jason Garrett has lost his football soul. He no longer knows who he is as a coach. He went for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 19 but didn’t take a shot at the end zone at the end of the first half. He went for it on fourth-and-6 at the end of the third quarter from the Buffalo 6 when he needed three scores, and a field goal still would’ve helped. He is 1-3 against the AFC East and the Cowboys have lost three of four at AT&T Stadium. GRADE: F

OVERALL
This team is done. It has no heart. It has no collective fight. Its coach is lost and its owner is mad. This is the biggest waste of talent in the Jerry Jones era. GRADE: F

 

[Dodger12]

I'm not sold on the idea that we're this supremely talented team. Our DL can't get any pressure and our OL is hit or miss. Our CB's can't play the ball or seem to cover anyone. Our safeties are questionable and when Jeff Heath is one of your starting safeties (I know he's hurt but he's still a starter when healthy), you've got issues.

And the biggest one of all.....the QB....oh the QB......

 

[kwcoolk619]

One gigantic epic fail after another game. A running pattern for 25 years.

 

[theoneandonly]

I'm not sold on the idea that we're this supremely talented team. Our DL can't get any pressure and our OL is hit or miss. Our CB's can't play the ball or seem to cover anyone. Our safeties are questionable and when Jeff Heath is one of your starting safeties (I know he's hurt but he's still a starter when healthy), you've got issues.

And the biggest one of all.....the QB....oh the QB......

That has been the homer battle cry since 1996. According to some Willie the pants shitter Blade was extremely talented.

 

[theoneandonly]

The run defense got a slight pass since the path of least resistance was through the air? It has been for shit since the playoffs last year.

 

[bbgun]

I'm not sold on the idea that we're this supremely talented team. Our DL can't get any pressure and our OL is hit or miss. Our CB's can't play the ball or seem to cover anyone. Our safeties are questionable and when Jeff Heath is one of your starting safeties (I know he's hurt but he's still a starter when healthy), you've got issues.

And the biggest one of all.....the QB....oh the QB......

The talent is waaaay overrated on this team. The '94 and '95 teams won with a coach even worse than Garrett because they were legitimately talented and even Switzer couldn't fuck it up. As Colin Cowherd pointed out, we make opposing QBs comfortable as hell, be it Brady or a nonentity like Driskel. A sporadic sack here and there but no real sustained pressure. Turnovers? Don't make me laugh. Best o-line in the league? More like best paid. That shitty pass to Zeke on 4th down? He would've been stopped anyway. Yes, Garrett sucks and needs to go, but the new coach isn't going to win either absent a serious talent upgrade.

 

[nickb]

It seemed like for the first time this year this team quit on Garrett
This group is a collection of talent but not a team...it lacks such cohesiveness and identity
Doesn't it seem like we are the only franchise that blinks to player demands and it repeatedly bites us in the ass while other organizations let the disgruntled ones just blow in the wind
Yesterday's game was the nail in the coffin for me and as I really thought we would make a nice run to end the season and enter the playoffs with some momentum but now who the fuck cares...whether we or the Shegals win this pathetic division its 1 and out in the dance
I'd still like Garrett canned now but with the premise that the interim has less than zero chance of being retained as the new HC...just not to have to see his fucken face ever again would at least dull some of the frustration and disappointment...not sure I can trust old liver spot to make the right call for our next HC but doesn't even he see what needs to be done?...can anyone's ego truly be this big?...then I remind myself that until the fat lady sings, we are destined for this clown to remain everything the Cowboys are and will be, and that saddens me

 

[kwcoolk619]

The talent is waaaay overrated on this team. The '94 and '95 teams won with a coach even worse than Garrett because they were legitimately talented and even Switzer couldn't fuck it up. As Colin Cowherd pointed out, we make opposing QBs comfortable as hell, be it Brady or a nonentity like Driskel. A sporadic sack here and there but no real sustained pressure. Turnovers? Don't make me laugh. Best o-line in the league? More like best paid. That shitty pass to Zeke on 4th down? He would've been stopped anyway. Yes, Garrett sucks and needs to go, but the new coach isn't going to win either absent a serious talent upgrade.

I thought I was the only one who agrees with your first sentence. I have been called crazy.

 

[Dodger12]

The talent is waaaay overrated on this team. The '94 and '95 teams won with a coach even worse than Garrett because they were legitimately talented and even Switzer couldn't fuck it up. As Colin Cowherd pointed out, we make opposing QBs comfortable as hell, be it Brady or a nonentity like Driskel. A sporadic sack here and there but no real sustained pressure. Turnovers? Don't make me laugh. Best o-line in the league? More like best paid. That shitty pass to Zeke on 4th down? He would've been stopped anyway. Yes, Garrett sucks and needs to go, but the new coach isn't going to win either absent a serious talent upgrade.

Good point on Switzer. Talent overcomes coaching, to some extent. This team plays to get paid. They're the prima dona's of the NFL, that's why they get ridiculed. Jimmy was on to something when he told us all it was a country club atmosphere. We've got a lot of issues and I still believe we have to hit rock bottom before we can be contenders again.

EDIT: And that pass to Zeke was so ugly. It might have had a bit of a chance had Dak not looked at him the whole time. Just ugly.....

 

[Dodger12]

That has been the homer battle cry since 1996. According to some Willie the pants shitter Blade was extremely talented.

Why go that far.......Tyrone Crawford? I just see other DL's put pressure on a QB and hit. And if I see a LB blitz right into an opposing O-lineman and get stoned, I'm going to go nuts. It's pathetic.....

 

[yimyammer]

I'm not sold on the idea that we're this supremely talented team. Our DL can't get any pressure and our OL is hit or miss. Our CB's can't play the ball or seem to cover anyone. Our safeties are questionable and when Jeff Heath is one of your starting safeties (I know he's hurt but he's still a starter when healthy), you've got issues.

And the biggest one of all.....the QB....oh the QB......

I think the talent thing is one of the biggest con jobs they’ve managed to pull off that fans swallow year in nd out

its in Jeri’s MO to pump everyone up and over value talent, Troy spoke about it years ago when he was still playing:



I'm almost positive he’s talking about jeri here

 

[Dodger12]

I think the talent thing is one of the biggest con jobs they’ve managed to pull off that fans swallow year in nd out

its in Jeri’s MO to pump everyone up and over value talent, Troy spoke about it years ago when he was still playing:



I'm almost positive he’s talking about jeri here

Great find Yimmy. Jerry's the ultimate salesman. He's selling a product and the homers just lap it up.

 

[Doomsday]

Well... The roster talent may well be over hyped and overrated, but reality is it's pretty decent by itself compared to the rest of the league. Free agency, parity and the salary cap pretty much take care of that.

Let's not give Carrot any excuses - player personnel isn't the problem in Dallas. We have top ten roster talent on average, but getting way below average results. And it's not the first time we've seen this under Carrot's tenure. He simply doesn't get the most out of players.

 

[yimyammer]

Great find Yimmy. Jerry's the ultimate salesman. He's selling a product and the homers just lap it up.

ithink he believes it too, he’s deluded

 

[dbair1967]

The talent is waaaay overrated on this team. The '94 and '95 teams won with a coach even worse than Garrett because they were legitimately talented and even Switzer couldn't fuck it up. As Colin Cowherd pointed out, we make opposing QBs comfortable as hell, be it Brady or a nonentity like Driskel. A sporadic sack here and there but no real sustained pressure. Turnovers? Don't make me laugh. Best o-line in the league? More like best paid. That shitty pass to Zeke on 4th down? He would've been stopped anyway. Yes, Garrett sucks and needs to go, but the new coach isn't going to win either absent a serious talent upgrade.

The 94 and 95 teams were supremely talented, but while they had a boob for a HC they still had an outstanding group of assistant coaches.

There's enough talent here to be far better than this.

 

[dbair1967]

Good point on Switzer. Talent overcomes coaching, to some extent. This team plays to get paid. They're the prima dona's of the NFL, that's why they get ridiculed.

See quote by person in my Sig. Unless you think he doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

[Dodger12]

See quote by person in my Sig. Unless you think he doesn't know what he is talking about.

So then you're saying Switzer did a hell of a job coaching here? That 95 team absolutely overcame bad coaching. Switzer was unengaged and offered nothing to the that team except handing out hot dogs on the sideline. I'm sure you'd disagree with Aikman.......he certainly doesn't know what he was talking about, even though he was there.

 

[Dodger12]

And as a follow up, it's why I said "to some extent."

 

[theoneandonly]

Some ass clown at the zone trying to make the argument that Dak's performance was between average and great the other day. Holding himself out as a film expert. Lol that site.

 

[kwcoolk619]

Some ass clown at the zone trying to make the argument that Dak's performance was between average and great the other day. Holding himself out as a film expert. Lol that site.

That post was odd to me especially that millions of people watched the game.