Blogging The Boys
Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Sean Martin, and Tom Ryle.
Mike: DaRon Bland. Against Mahomes, the biggest swing came from a corner who could both survive the scramble drill and take away the first read, and Bland did exactly that. He baited throws with outside leverage, squeezed in-breakers that Kansas City loves off play-action, and turned several routine option routes into contested balls. That forced Mahomes to hold the snap a beat longer, which synced perfectly with the rush, and kept the Chiefs from flipping field position on explosive plays. Subtle, disciplined, and timely, Bland changed where the ball went all night.
Howman: Quinnen Williams. He just opens up so much for this defense, whether it’s the run or the pass. Offensive lines have to focus so much on him that it creates opportunities for guys like Osa Odighizuwa and Jadeveon Clowney, both of whom had huge sacks in this one.
Sean: I’ll go with Jadeveon Clowney. The Cowboys defense may not have elite speed and athleticism off the edge, but they have no shortage of motor and the ability to capture the edge against offensive lines so preoccupied against Dallas’ interior rush. Clowney showed off both of these rushing against Mahomes with two sacks while leading the team in tackles.
Tom: Let’s not forget DeMarvion Overshown, who tied for the team lead in total tackles. His speed and ability to hunt down the ball are big. That solidifies the second level behind the obviously improved defensive line. No one player gets it done, but get a group like this complementing each other and the results speak for themselves.
Mike: It was a mixed bag. When Dallas stayed on schedule and used motion to sort leverage, the red-zone plan worked. Dak got quick passes to Ferguson and Lamb, and the downhill run calls forced Kansas City to honor the A-gaps. The misses were self-inflicted with a penalty that turned 2nd-and-goal into a long yardage call, a protection bust, and one low-percentage play that wasn’t a good play call. Too many snaps became static playing into Steve Spagnuolo’s hands, but hopefully Brian Schottenheimer can learn from it all and move forward ready for this week.
Howman: The problems still aren’t solved but the Cowboys did a little better in the red zone. They overcame a penalty and scored a touchdown, and one of their “failures” came on that final field goal, where they were more concerned about killing clock than scoring a touchdown. There’s still work to be done, but I’m not concerned.
Sean: Well enough to win the game, which is all that mattered for either side in this one. It feels like the fade route...
