What a difference a week makes. After the Cowboys dominated the New York Giants in the season opener, Dallas found themselves on the opposite end of a blowout as the Denver Broncos dominated the Cowboys 42-17.
Here are some observations from a rough afternoon at Mile High.
Defense Has No Answers
Sunday’s game in Denver was not the finest day for the Cowboys defense. Part of it was injuries (more on that later) but most of it was just the inability to stop anything the Broncos threw at them.
Trevor Siemian (231 yards passing, 4 TD) was able to consistently hit open receivers and C.J. Anderson (25 carries, 118 yards, TD) was able to run up and around the Cowboys all afternoon long. Add in the fact that the defense struggled to tackle anybody and it made for an even longer day when add in the weather delay at the end of the first quarter.
Other than DeMarcus Lawrence forcing a fumble and Jourdan Lewis’ first career interception, there weren’t a lot of highlights for the defense on this day.
Anyone Left In The Secondary?
A secondary that was already depleted due to Orlando Scandrick’s injury became even thinner as the day wore on. Both Nolan Carroll and rookie Chidobe Awuzie each left the game with injuries. Carroll would later return and leave again while Awuzie was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The Cowboys were so thin at cornerback that it looked like even Byron Jones was going to be moving from his safety position. Obviously, they’ll have to check and see the status of each of those players moving forward but being this thin in the secondary through two games is not ideal.
Running Game Stuck In Neutral
Nine carries for eight yards. That was the final stat line for Ezekiel Elliott, who had his worst game as a pro on Sunday. The Cowboys could not get anything going on the ground, running for just 40 yards total and were just manhandled up front by the Broncos defensive line up front.
It forced Dak Prescott to throw a lot more than head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan are accustomed to and forcing him into mistakes. The final score of the game from Richardson Berkner alum Aqib Talib put a cap on a rough afternoon for the Cowboys.
DeMarcus Lawrence Making Plays, Jason Witten Breaks Another Milestone
As much as the defense struggled, one highlight was the play of defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. He was really the only lineman who was able to generate any sort of pressure (7 tackles, 2 sacks) on Siemian and forced a fumble that led to a Dallas touchdown in the first half. If he stays healthy, he can become a pass-rushing option that the Cowboys need.
Also, Jason Witten found the end zone for the 65th time in his career, tying Michael Irvin for the team record. He was one of the go-to targets for Prescott even as the Cowboys abandoned the run game.
It was a rough Week 2 for Dallas, but the Cowboys will have some extra time to figure things out as they head to the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals next Monday night.
