DALLAS — Humility is only seven days away in the NFL. The Cowboys learned that last week.
Redemption is also often just seven days away — or so the Cowboys hope.
In the aftermath of his team’s 25-point home loss, Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy met with the 10 veteran players who form the Leadership Council that he created when he was hired in Dallas. Whether the timing of the meeting was coincidence or inspired by the most recent on-the-field debacle is unknown, but member Zack Martin told me, “It wasn’t one of those Hit-The-Panic-Button meetings.’’
“It’s an opportunity for all guys at different positions to be on the same page, and to have a consistent, concise message that that these guys are pushing out to the entire locker room,’’ Martin explained.
The 10 veteran players express to McCarthy any concerns they may have and eventually share the conversation with teammates on the practice field or in position meetings.
When asked the value of that, quarterback Dak Prescott said, “We’ve just got to go out there and play our best. It’s Week 3. It’s about a process. We can’t get overwhelmed in what people are writing about us. It’s simply a process that we’ve got to focus on getting better each and every day with the right attitude that we come in here and understand that we’re trying to put the best versions of ourselves on the field each and every Sunday regardless of what happened the last Sunday. It’s the NFL.”
But there was at least one positive tangible result of the meeting. McCarthy said three players scheduled to miss the first practice in advance of Sunday’s game against the Ravens insisted on being on the practice field. The players were all defensive starters: linebacker Eric Kendricks, safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Jourdan Lewis.
Lewis said he opted to practice because there were some things he wanted to work on individually. But he also explained, “I can’t talk about leadership if I’m not out on the field the next time we practice.”
A defensive lapse
The Cowboys have lost their two most recent home games — a playoff game against Green Bay and last week’s defeat to New Orleans — by a combined 92 points.
That’s their most in any two-game span at home since their inaugural NFL season in 1960, when Tom Landry’s team finished 0–11-1.
When asked about re-establishing their dominance at home, CeeDee Lamb expressed confidence: “We’ve lost two games at home in how many years? … We’ll be perfectly fine.”
Micah Parsons has criticized his teammates and consistently questioned the effort of the defense following Week 2, including himself. During the offseason, Parsons had conversations with Tom Brady, Ray Lewis and Richard Sherman about leadership and how to increase his locker room influence.
“If we lose, I just don’t want it to be like I didn’t do everything I could to make everyone else around me [better],” he said at the time. “I think last year I didn’t check that box and that’s something I want everyone on the same level.”
Whether Parsons is viewed internally as someone respected enough to deliver a harsh public critique could be revealed Sunday when players have their first opportunity to respond on the field to their 25-point home loss. Parsons offered these most damning remarks:
“At some point, all 11 got to have the same mindset, and that’s just toughness,’’ Parsons said. “You talk about who you want to be and all this other stuff. But you’ve got go out there and be it. And it can’t just be one guy. It can’t be two guys. It’s all 11 guys. It takes everyone. I affect the linebackers, the linebackers affect the DBs. We aren’t all synchronized. One group’s getting F’d up, then another group’s going to get F’d up. It’s a synchronized chain. So at the end of the day, it’s all about toughness and having the mentality like I’m going to dominate the man in front of me. Not all 11 had that last week.”
What he said is no doubt true. Whether he should have been the one to say it is yet to be determined.
A few thoughts on the defensive tackle situation with the Ravens, Lions and 49ers — all top five rushing teams in 2023 — on the Cowboys schedule the next month:
- The Cowboys placed veteran Jordan Phillips on IR this week with a wrist injury he insists he doesn’t have. It seems the team provided him the designation to avoid embarrassing him but the player didn’t take it. Right now, it seems the Giants traded Phillips within the division for almost nothing and have so far won the trade.
- They replaced Phillips with Carlos Watkins, a player upon whom they had already given up.
- They are desperately hoping the back injury that has caused former first-round pick Mazi Smith to miss two practices subsides so he can play against the Ravens. It should be noted that Smith has as many tackles as Dak Prescott at this point.
The running game
The Ravens are the fourth team in the last 35 years to start 0-2 despite rushing for 150 yards in each of the two games, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Ezekiel Elliott is a former two-time NFL rushing champion whose role upon returning to the Cowboys after a season with the Patriots is part of a running back by committee. He started the season-opener but not Week 2, entering the game only after both Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn had multiple rushing attempts.
Elliott said he understands the concept, but admitted that embracing it is “easier said than done.’’
The Cowboys’ belief they could consistently run with this collection of running backs behind an offensive line including two rookies for the first time since 2011 seems incredibly misguided. In fact, it reminds of 2018 when the front office claimed Dak Prescott would be better without a No. 1 wide receiver. They traded a first-round pick for Amari Cooper after seven games and saved the season.
Defending Lamar Jackson
Second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown expects to be used to spy Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson just as he was in the opener against Deshaun Watson. But Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP and arguably the greatest running quarterback in NFL history.
“I'll be doing a lot of some of the same stuff I was doing with Deshaun Watson,’’ Overshown said.
Asked what makes him capable of succeeding in that role, Overshown said, “Just my instincts for football, like knowing the escape route, knowing what our defensive line are doing in front of me and, you know, his easiest way out.’’
The lack of familiarity with Jackson’s unique skillset and escapability is a factor in his historic success against NFC opponents. Jackson is 20-1 in career starts against NFC teams, the best interconference record in NFL history.
The passing game
Prescott should expect success throwing against the Ravens defense. Per ESPN Stats and Info: the Ravens have allowed 8 25+ yard completions this season. They didn't allow their eighth last season until Week 9.
Notes, Stats and Quotes
- Prescott mentioned he might need to increase use of his mobility, saying it is a huge part of the offense and something he needs to bring to life. With his next rushing attempt, Prescott will have 411 in his career, passing Roger Staubach for the most by a quarterback in franchise history.
- Since 2021, the Cowboys are 12-2 the week following a loss, an .857 winning percentage in weeks following a loss that is tied with Buffalo for best in the NFL over the last three-plus seasons. Prescott’s career record following a loss is 26-12.
- The 0-2 Ravens have never lost three consecutive Lamar Jackson starts since he entered the league in 2018, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
- Derek Carr’s 99.4 Total QBR against the Cowboys ranks as the highest in his 162 career NFL games. More significantly to Mike Zimmer is that it matched Kirk Cousins in 2015 for the highest against the Cowboys defense since ESPN introduced the metric in 2006.
- Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has won 76 of his first 100 starts, tying Roger Staubach and Tom Brady for the most QB wins through 100 career starts since 1950.
Final Thought
Lamb on the increased use by defenses of two-deep zone concepts to prevent big plays in the passing game: “You got too many nice receivers — point-blank, period. Too many nice receivers.’’