There’s ‘no fixing’ the Cowboys, NFL trade deadline talk and more
The Dallas Cowboys are 2-5 and on the road to nowhere. Talking to those inside the league, don’t expect a revival in Texas anytime soon.
I saw something I’ve never seen before on a football field last Sunday. At any level.
In the third quarter against the Washington Football Team, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton — for once — saw the seas part in front of him from the shadow of the Football Team’s goalpost and sprinted towards the 10-yard line. He slid milliseconds before Washington linebacker Jon Bostic lowered his head and dove at Dalton like a heat-seeking missile.
Fortunately, miraculously, it was Bostic’s shoulder, and not the crown of his helmet, that collided with Dalton’s head and sent his neck snapping violently back into the turf.
But that’s not what struck me.
We’ve all seen violent, dirty collisions on the football field. Bostic was ejected, and the NFL should have handed down a multi-game suspension.
No, what left an indelible mark on me about this current Cowboys team is rather than an offensive lineman or a wide receiver like Amari Cooper, who was standing right over Dalton, retaliating, or even shoving Bostic after the whistle, not a single Cowboys player did a damn thing to protect their quarterback.
The image of Dalton’s motionless body laying on the soggy FedExField turf while his teammates casually walked back to the huddle encapsulates how far the Cowboys have fallen, and is emblematic of the deep-seeded issues that have plummeted this once proud franchise rapidly to rock bottom.
“It can’t be fixed,” a league source tells FanSided. “You hire bad coaches, you draft poorly, you overspend on mediocre players and guys with severe personality issues, and this is what you get.”
What the Cowboys, and head coach Jerry Jones have gotten, is embarrassed the past two games.
Over said stretch, the Cowboys have lost to the Arizona Cardinals and Washington by a combined 50 points. The Cowboys’ were held to 142 yards of total offense on Sunday, and have scored one touchdown since Week 5.
Dallas hasn’t been competitive on the field since Dak Prescott’s ankle shattered against the Giants, and the sanctity of the locker room has been transformed into a concert hall of anonymous quotes pointing fingers and tossing blame McCarthy’s way.
Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — who shoulders the lion’s share of blame for this calamity offered McCarthy the dreaded vote of confidence.
“I’ve got my man,” Jones told 105.3 FM The Fan in Dallas. “We wanted someone that, in case the you-know-what hit the fan, that had the credibility and had the do-ability to do what? Stand tall and strong as the head coach. He’s doing that.”
Sorry, Jerry, your team is gutless and your head coach is in over his head. Sunday showed that in spades.
Things won’t get any easier for the Cowboys on the national stage Sunday night against the division-leading Eagles. Another ugly loss, and there’s no telling the depths below the bottom of the barrel the Cowboys might sink.
“They’ll keep making excuses,” the individual tells FanSided. “They’ll blame injuries. No Dak. Dalton. Blah, blah, blah.”
Tom and Todd terrific in Tampa Bay
There’s something special happening in Tampa Bay.
Tom Brady, at age 43, is playing like he’s 23, putting any thought that Father Time had finally snagged him in the rearview mirror. He’s a legitimate MVP candidate as the Buccaneers seem to get better every week and now sit atop the NFC South standings.
Buoyed by the opportunity to work with quarterback whisperer extraordinaire Bruce Arians, Brady’s renaissance after being left for dead when he left the friendly confines of Foxboro has been a sight to behold.
This might be the most talented supporting cast Brady has ever had at his command, with wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, tight end Rob Gronkowski, running backs Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette, and now Antonio Brown joining the embarrassment of riches. It’s no surprise then, that Brady and the Buccaneers are really picking up steam and the future Hall of Famer has passed for 1,001 yards with 10 touchdowns the past three weeks.
The Buccaneers are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, maybe even the favorite to represent the NFC and become the first franchise to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium this February. But, Brady and the offense are but a small piece of the puzzle.
While Brady and the offense have been lighting up the scoreboard, averaging 371.9 yards and 31.7 points per game, it’s coordinator Todd Bowles’ equally star-studded defense that is driving the Tampa Super Bowl Express.
Entering Monday night’s game against the New York Giants, the Buccaneers rank third in total defense, allowing 291.3 yards per game, second in rushing defense, surrendering just 66 yards per game, and have allowed the seventh-fewest points in the league.
So, what makes the Buccaneers’ defense so damn difficult to beat?
“They can beat you with four all day long,” an NFC offensive coach tells FanSided. “Think about what the Giants did to the New England Patriots, they didn’t need to blitz, they just brought heavy pressure all day long with four players, and that’s exactly what Tampa Bay is doing right now.”
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and Arians deserve immense credit for the roster they’ve built, specifically on defense. Devin White, Lavonte David, and Jason Pierre-Paul are all Pro Bowl-caliber players at their position, and Antoine Winfield Jr. might be the most dominant safety to emerge from this year’s draft class.
But, two players in particular elevate the Buccaneers from being a “good” defense to a championship caliber one; defensive end Ndamukong Suh and linebacker Shaq Barrett.
“When you go up against a defense with one dominant player, you can kind of scheme against that,” the NFC coach said. “But, When you have two dominant players, especially with one on the edge and one in the middle, that makes it really, really hard.
“That’s what the Buccaneers have. They have a scheme, it’s a bear front, where the center and both guards are covered, and that makes it almost impossible to run the ball against.”
The architect of that scheme is Bowles, in his second year with the Buccaneers after being summarily dismissed by the Jets in 2018.
New York’s loss, has been Tampa Bay’s immense gain.
A member of the Buccaneers’ coaching staff tells me that continuity in scheme and personnel have been pivotal, especially because COVID-19 robbed Tampa and every team of OTA’s and preseason games. Having a year of growth together and Bowles’ system has been paramount.
Bowles has done a masterful job of maximizing the superstar-caliber talent at all three levels of his defense, stifling opponents each week and making tangible impacts beyond the scoreboard by forcing three fumbles and intercepting nine passes in seven games.
“Todd is a unique play caller,” the Buccaneers coach tells FanSided. “And he has a knack of excellent timing with his calls.”
If Bowles and the Buccaneers continue down this path, he might have his pick of jobs next year.
“He’s a great, great coach and an incredibly smart man,” the NFC coach said. “Think about what we know now, Todd navigated that whole Jets mess.
“Let’s also call it what it is, this is going to be the year of the minority candidate, as it should be, so that’s going to help Todd in January, too. But, he’s a hell of a football coach and exactly the type of candidate a team should want to get themselves in front of when they get a chance.”
At this rate, teams might have to wait until February to get Bowles in their building for an interview, but once they do, would be wise not to let him leave.
Wheeling and dealing
The NFL trade deadline looms large next Tuesday, with several contenders perhaps forced into making a deal to add depth at positions besieged by injuries ahead of the stretch run and other teams looking to slash from their payroll to create cap space and load up on draft picks.
For the teams that will be buying, it sounds from conversations with sources around the league that wide receivers will be the most coveted players and there might even be a veteran or two on the move that will surprise.
With that in mind, FanSided surveyed several current and former general managers and talent evaluators on what one move they would make if they were calling the shots for a team this year:
NFC Personnel Executive
“If I was the Packers, I would trade either for Jamison Crowder from the Jets or Golden Tate from the Giants. I’d be looking for good slot receivers who can be legit punt returners, and are also quality veterans as players and people. You need to bring good qualities into that locker room.”
Jeff Diamond – Former NFL Executive of The Year
“I’d try to get Julio Jones from the Falcons to upgrade a team’s passing offense, the top candidate here would be the Cleveland Browns now that Odell Beckham is out, for a possible playoff push.”
AFC Scout
“If I were the Giants, trying to trade Evan Engram would be my top priority. I’d try to find a team that actually knows how to use him, and accumulate as many picks as I can over the next week.”
John Middlekauff – Former NFL Scout
“I’d go after Stephon Gilmore. If I could get him for a second-round pick and change, that’s a deal I’d make all day.”
Trevor Lawrence and …
For the teams not shopping for playmakers to make a playoff push, but instead hanging an “everything must go” sign around costly veterans and loading up on extra picks in a race to the top of the draft board (staring in your direction, Jets, Giants, and Falcons … ) the prize is obvious. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence, the consensus No. 1 pick is viewed by many talent evaluators as a generational quarterback prospect. The kind of passer who can instantly turnaround the fortunes of a woebegone franchise.
But, for those teams not the Jets, err, not able to land the No. 1 pick, who is the No. 2 prospect in this class?
“It’s Justin Fields,” an NFC personnel director tells FanSided.
The evaluator explained that Fields has all the traits of a franchise quarterback, which is why he should be the No. 2 pick over any of the position players in the 2021 class, specifically Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who he mentioned as the best non-quarterback.
“Keep an eye on Patrick Surtain, too,” the evaluator said, calling the Alabama cornerback “really legit. He’s as good or maybe even better than Jeffrey Okudah was coming out last year.”
What I’ll be watching Sunday
Jets-Chiefs
Don’t laugh.
With as much talk the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans have gotten over the past few weeks about being the best teams in the AFC and perhaps the most complete in the NFL, I have a feeling that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are going to try to reintroduce themselves on Sunday.
The Chiefs averaging 398.3 yards and 31.1 points per game, while the Jets’ defense has offered about as much resistance as a “take only one, please” sign taped to a bowl of candy on Halloween, surrendering 29 points and 385 yards per game through seven weeks.
In about 10-12 years, Reid’s bust will be residing in Canton. But, in less than 10 weeks, we have no idea where Jets head coach Adam Gase will be residing.
The Chiefs enter as overwhelming 19.5-point favorites, but if I were so inclined, I’d still bet large sums on Kansas City. If they’re looking to make a statement, there’s nothing making me think Reid, Mahomes, ex-Jets running back Le’Veon Bell, and the Chiefs can’t make a run at setting the record for largest margin of victory in NFL history, currently 56 points.
Cue the fireworks …
Quotable:
"“How’d he catch my a**?! What the ****?!”"
– Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker, while mic’d up, saying what we were all thinking when Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf ran him down from 90 yards behind in Sunday night’s Cardinals win.
Final thought
It’s incredible the toll injuries have taken on Cleveland Browns superstar Odell Beckham Jr., lost for the season after tearing his ACL in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Beckham averaged 1,374 yards and and 11 touchdowns through the first three seasons of his career with the New York Giants. But, since breaking his ankle in 2017 Beckham has only had two 1,000-plus yard seasons and caught just 13 touchdowns since Week 1 of 2018.
When healthy, Beckham remains one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL. But, it’s astounding, and sad, the trajectory his career has taken from breaking his ankl, missing the final three games in 2018 with a quad injury to being traded to the Browns last spring and now suffering the kind of injury that could have lingering effects into next season.
Beckham’s prime has been decimated by injuries, and while he may never be the same player he once was, let’s not forget what a dynamic, electrifying athlete he was.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.