My instant analysis:
1. The coaches cost us this game--offense, defense, and special teams. I can let Garrett off the hook for the TO on the kick, because he was reacting to DeCamillis and Boniol, but what was he thinking letting the last 1:30 expire without trying to get the ball a little closer? It was clear that Bailey had developed a case of the yips, so why test him like that?
2. I've not seen anything this year that convinces me that Rob Ryan is anything special, either as a strategist, a motivator, or an in-game playcaller. The performance by his defense in clutch situations hardly recommends him as HC material, so I think a lot of other guys are going to get a look before he does.
3. I've seen enough of Joe DeCamillis. He's got to go after this season, and judging from Jerry's reaction to the TO and the subsequent miss, Joe D might have gone down the river beyond the point of no return. Jerry looked like he could've chewed concrete, and this could be the capper on an already dismal season for the "not-so-special" teams.
4. The coaches deserve the blame for this game, but let's face it, there are some guys on this team that you just can't win with, like Terrence Newman, Gerald Sensabaugh, Frank Walker, Alan Ball, and Martellus Bennett. You can also ask legitimate questions about Orlando Scandrick, Felix Jones, and a few other guys. The Cowboys are going to need to turn this roster over again during the offseason, and hopefully they'll continue to find talented character guys like Sean Lee that will be key roleplayers on a winner.
5. We'd all better hope that Dan Bailey just has a case of the 24-hour yips, because if not we're in trouble. Granted that all of his kicks were long and challenging, but it looked like his technique has gone south all of a sudden, and hopefully he'll be able to straighten himself out this week.
6. We'd also better hope that DeMarcus ware just has a case of 24-hour neck sprain. We're not going anywhere with him on the sideline.
7. Did anyone notice the vast difference between the cover technique played by Patrick Peterson and that played by ANYONE on our defense? Don't our coaches coach our guys to turn and look for the ball? Can't the Cowboys' personnel guys find players who can run forward and look backwards at the same time? Year in and year out our secondary proves to be incapable of staying with a receiver and making a play, and it's gotten way past old.
8. It's really hard to get too worked up about the loss because, after all, this is still an average team and any playoff contention or participation is gravy, but do the Cowboys ALWAYS have to find the most painful way to lose?
9. Unlike a lot of fans, I'm not ready to bail on Jason Garrett as the HC. I think he's got this team turned in the right direction, and I can't wait to see what he can do with free agency, another draft, and an offseason program. He has a young team, and I believe he's slowly toughening them and molding them into winners, but it's going to take another year or two before it all comes together. At the very least he deserves the chance to see where this goes, and how his particular stamp on this team looks on the field.
10. This next week will be a challenge, because this was a very deflating loss for this team, one that raises all those December demons all over again. More than that, the Giants played very competitively today against perhaps the best team in the league, and they'll probably be energized by taking them to the final play of the game. They have every reason to believe that they can come into Dallas next week and win, while I'm not so sure that the Cowboys' confidence is where it will need to be next Sunday night. We'll see, and this will be a real test of Garrett's abilities as HC.
This will be very interesting week in Dallas.
