When a loss is as jarring as the one the Dallas Cowboys suffered Sunday at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, questions tend to linger.
After the game, Micah Parsons was asked if the defense’s implosion was a performance or scheme issue. Parsons took accountability, and he did so again Wednesday when asked the same question. Meanwhile, on Monday, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer raised his hand at the same question and directed the blame to himself. When head coach Mike McCarthy was asked about the ailing running game, he pointed to the circumstances over the ineffectiveness, noting the Cowboys haven’t had enough rush attempts.
Everyone is saying the right thing publicly, taking responsibility for shortcomings and keeping focus on hope for the future. “September football” is a common phrase heard around The Star these days to remind anybody who will listen that it’s very early in the season and things are still being figured out.
“For everybody, though, this is early,” Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones said in his opening remarks moments after the game. “This is very, very early. We certainly didn’t see this coming but obviously we’ve got a lot of room for improvement here.”
In his first answer, Jones — after crediting the Saints — said, “That’s not really what this is about. What this is about is that this is early.” A couple minutes later, Jones said, “We’ve got a long way to go here for the season. More importantly, we’re trying to put a team together that can be there when we’re back out here after Christmas.”
Never mind that the first home game of the season Sunday looked awfully similar to the home playoff embarrassment against the Green Bay Packers last season. Never mind that the issues at the forefront of the discussion are the same ones that were at the front of the line in March, April, May, June, July and August. Never mind that the solutions the front office was counting on this season were rooted in hope more than reality.
The current dialogue revolves around coaching, scheme, players’ effort and circumstances because, heading into Week 3, that’s simply where the NFL calendar is. The uncomfortable truth, though, hovers over the team like a dark cloud.
No matter what Jones says publicly — about how early it is in the season, or how players didn’t play up to their potential, or how the defensive scheme is still new — he can’t be oblivious to what took place at AT&T Stadium. This blowout loss wasn’t because Dak Prescott uncharacteristically threw five interceptions or Brandon Aubrey missed a handful of field goals. Things like that, you can chalk up to an off day at the office and move on.
The issues Sunday were known culprits. They are personnel issues that fall squarely on the front office.
The Cowboys’ defensive tackle play was atrocious, to the point that Jordan Phillips, who had an awful game individually against the Saints, was curiously placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a wrist injury. Journeyman defensive tackle Carlos Watkins was brought back to Dallas off the Washington Commanders’ practice squad. Like Phillips, Watkins is a player who couldn’t crack the rotation on a bad division rival and is looked at as a potential beacon of hope for the Cowboys.
Offensively, the Cowboys could not run the ball. Multiple days this week, McCarthy has already fielded questions about the readiness of Dalvin Cook. The veteran running back was signed right before the regular season and has been ramping up on the practice squad. He’s being eyed as the potential savior of the Cowboys’ running back committee.
The Cowboys frequently say that player acquisition is 365 days a year. They have displayed that recently, churning the edges of the roster throughout training camp and into the early parts of the season. They traded for Phillips and signed Cook and Linval Joseph. They picked up Watkins this week.
Unfortunately, the 365-day philosophy frequently excludes March and April, when there is a chance to acquire notable players who can make a substantial impact. That’s where teams address a defensive tackle void by signing Christian Wilkins instead of the revolving door of Phillips, Joseph, Watkins, and the hope that Mazi Smith drastically improves. That’s where teams sign Derrick Henry instead of bringing back Ezekiel Elliott after the draft and hoping he still has something left in the tank.
Free agency is not foolproof, nor does it need to be solely relied upon to construct an effective roster. The Cowboys are a superior drafting team, which has served them well. But sitting out free agency completely, aside from signing Eric Kendricks, is not conducive to fielding a complete roster when there are legitimate holes that need to be filled.
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The Cowboys’ approach wasn’t doomed from the start. In theory, running back by committee can work. Players often make second-year jumps, and Smith at defensive tackle can do it. We’ve heard the sales pitches, how each running back brings something else to the table and how they’ll all be fresher at the end of the season; how Zimmer’s scheme fits Smith better than what he was in last year, even though former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had a role in drafting Smith into his own scheme with a vision for success.
There are no guarantees, and the Cowboys didn’t have to navigate such murky waters. At this juncture, hope is what the Cowboys are banking on. To Jones’ point, it is early, and maybe things materialize as the season progresses. But if it doesn’t, as it didn’t on Sunday, nobody should be surprised.
Least of all Jones.
One can have the best cook in the kitchen, tasked with making brownies. But if there’s salt in the sugar jar, the results won’t be satisfying. It’s not the cook’s fault, nor is there anything wrong with the salt. The blame lies with the person who went shopping for the ingredients.
(Photo of CeeDee Lamb: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
