The Dallas Cowboys are officially 0-1 to start the 2020 season and the loss to the Rams was a disappointing one. Not withstanding the egregious offensive pass interference call against Michael Gallup in the dying seconds, the Dallas Cowboys did not deserve to win the game. The season opener provided some bright spots as well as some concerns. Here is break down of the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly following the Dallas Cowboys loss to the Rams.
THE GOOD
- Ezekiel Elliott looked really good
- The Dallas Cowboys were in the game despite being outplayed.
- Aldon Smith does not look like a player who hasn’t played in 5 years.
- The Defense forced a turnover and had timely pressure at one juncture.
- The offense moved the ball quickly and efficiently on two scoring drives.
- Aside from one missed kick, special teams played well.
- Trevon Diggs played well in his debut.
- Since 2014, every time the Dallas Cowboys lost the season opener they have made the playoffs.
THE BAD
- The run defense was awful.
- The overall secondary play was lacking.
- Safety position is still a concern.
- Red Zone offense was not clicking at crucial times.
- Offense sputtered in the clutch.
- Tight End position is a major concern.
- Rams offense out schemed Dallas Cowboys defense.
- Dallas Cowboys lost despite winning the turnover battle.
THE UGLY
- Blake Jarwin out for the season.
- Offensive tackle position a problem, Terrance Steele may not be ready.
- Leighton Vander Esch‘s career may be in jeopardy.
- Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys potentially robbed of possible game winning drive due to iffy offensive pass interference call.
The end result is that the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Rams. It is only one game and never a reason to panic or get too excited. As mentioned earlier, the Cowboys have made the playoffs every time they lost the season opener since 2014 and have failed to make the playoffs during the same time frame when they have won their opener. However, due to some injuries and some poor play, there will certainly be heated talk among Dallas Cowboys fans about a few notable free agents who are still available. Most notably DT Damon Harrison, LB Clay Matthews, and of course safety Earl Thomas. The Earl Thomas rumours it seems will never go away. In addition to those positions, tight end and offensive tackle are going to be major concerns going forward. Hopefully, a solid performance in week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons will ease some of those concerns.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso All-Pro Reels https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode