The Cowboys started this game the Dolphins off well. They drove down the field with ease. A Tony Pollard catch that just barely wasn’t across the line placed the ball at the one yard line. What followed, was, in my opinion, the play that changed the game. Hunter Luepke was given the ball on a fullback dive and fumbled before getting into the en zone.
The fumble took away a potential 7 point drive. The Dolphins then had the ball at the one yard line and went 60 yards to hit a field goal. This ten point swing was absolutely game changing. Even though, the Cowboys were able to score their next drive, that didn’t make up for this blunder.
Cowboys’ Positive Takeaways
The Run Defense: In a week following a James Cook Masterclass, anything under 150 yards is great. However, the team did above and beyond that, without having Hankins manning the middle still. The defense only allowed 91 yards total rushing to all Miami rushers. This was a great sign and a much needed improvement.
Limiting Hill to Under 100 Receiving Yards: Now, allowing 99 yards is basically 100 yards, but Tyreek Hill is not any ordinary receiver. He is exceptional and is having another OPOY-Caliber season. In my opinion, not allowing Hill over 100 yards nor allowing him into the end zone is a win in itself.
Cowboys’ Negative Takeaways
Silly Mistakes: The mistakes start with the fumble within the first 5 minutes. Then they dwindled into penalties that led to the Dolphins extending the drive.The biggest penalty that comes to mind is the face mask penalty on Damone Clark. Achane only had a 6 yard gain but the face mask added 15, bringing the Dolphins to midfield to start the drive. This is no surprise as Dallas leads the NFL in penalties.
Poor Offensive Line Play:
There were SEVERAL points during the game where Miami had a free rusher at the Quarterback. More times than not, that rusher was Miami’s best end in Bradley Chubb. It is inexcusable to allow an open rusher, where not a single person picks up the block multiple times during the game. This resulted in multiple sacks and rushed plays, where Dak just had to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack.
How the Cowboys Can Move Forward
Cowboys fans have been saying it all season but this offensive line is really underperforming. It is making Tony Pollard have to fight for every yard, just to finish the game with 50 yards. Zach Martin went down early in this game and the team really fell apart without him out there. He is the heart and soul of this line and he can takeaway 1-2 players per play.
The Cowboys need to be able to both win on the road and beat teams with winning records if they are going to make noise in the NFC Playoffs this season. This game was in Miami and once again was another road loss. The team could open up the offense more if they found a way to get Tony Pollard going. He is suffering behind a below average offensive line, running halfback draw after draw and only getting 3 yards per carry. We all know what he is capable of, after watching him last season.