Beginning the season with a 19-3 loss at home is tough for anyone. The Cowboys didn’t look to be as prepared as they should have been. It also didn’t help when their team started falling apart in the first series.
In 2021 the Dallas Cowboys were the ranked as the most efficient offense across the league. Yet after this start to the season it will be tough to convince anyone that Dallas is improved from last year.
Things began in a rough way for Dallas as Connor McGovern (left guard) left the game with an injured ankle. The offensive line was already missing their left tackle, Tyron Smith, and this just added a new obstacle. Having two new faces on one side of the offensive line spelled disaster for the Cowboys.
The Bucs would end up taking advantage of McGovern’s departure by attacking the left side of Dak Prescott. It was difficult to get into a rhythm for Dak as the pressure kept intensifying throughout the night. He finished the game going 14 of 29 completions for 134 yards and an interception. The lack of pass protection, mixed with the inconsistency from the receiving core, put the Cowboys in bad positions all night.
The offense was playing from behind most of the game which didn’t leave them much opportunity to run the ball as much. The ground game wasn’t all bad, but it never seemed to really get going. Elliott and Pollard combined for 16 carries for 60 yards. Dak also added a pair of rushes of his own that added an additional 11 yards to the rushing attack.
Things seemingly got worse for Dallas halfway into the fourth quarter when Dak injured his hand and was forced to leave the game. Once Prescott was out for the game, Cooper Rush followed as the team’s new quarterback. Rush didn’t have much success either as he finished with 7 of 13 completions for 64 yards, but Dallas will rely heavily on him after Dak’s injury. Jerry Jones has announced that Dak will need to have hand surgery which should take him out of football operations for several weeks.
Dak Prescott requires surgery on his hand, will miss multiple weeks. pic.twitter.com/mhc2s7aHzz
— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2022
The defensive side of the ball for Dallas also had their fair share of struggles. In total the Bucs finished with over 150 yards on the ground, led by none other than Fournette. Leonard Fournette was a force to be dealt with as he rushed for 127 yards while adding 10 more through the air.
The air attack for Tampa was being led by Mike Evans who finished with 71 yards and a touchdown he caught over Trevon Diggs. This was the lone touchdown for the whole game for either team. Aside from this score, only the kickers put up points.
Now the game wasn’t all bad. There are definitely some things that suggest Dallas can still have a successful season.
One of the bright spots was the rookie defensive player of the year last season, Micah Parsons. After an incredible first year, it seems that Parsons is picking up right where he left off. His high motor was on display all night, which consisted of two sacks that forced Tampa into field goals.
MICAH PARSONS CAN’T BE STOPPED
pic.twitter.com/oLJJjNjpWv— PFF (@PFF) September 12, 2022
Another ray of sunshine on this team was Donovan Wilson’s interception. This gives fans hope that the defense can also pickup where they left off and continue to cause problems for opposing offenses.
Donovan Wilson gets the #DallasCowboys INT!
📺: #TBvsDAL on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/xlZm1YHXQD pic.twitter.com/9XDvzwn58a— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2022
For now the Cowboys are facing many challenges, one of them being the Cincinnati Bengals who come to Dallas next Sunday. Both teams will be searching for their first win of the season, but only one can achieve that goal.
Lets see what the Cowboys will have in store for last year’s Superbowl’s runner up team.
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