Cowboys obtained the win they desperately wanted, however usual issues stay

There have been indicators of reduction within the guests’ locker room on the Meadowlands on Thursday night time that had been absolutely felt all the best way again in Texas. The Dallas Cowboys did what they so desperately wanted to do. They gained a recreation and stopped their season from turning right into a catastrophe.

However as huge because the win felt to the weary group, it wasn’t sufficiently big to erase all of their apparent issues. The Cowboys squeaked by a foul New York Giants group 20-15 on an evening the place neither group generated a lot offense. The identical acquainted points had been nonetheless there, too, and a few new ones had been created.

The win was positively “big, particularly if you examine it to the choice,” as quarterback Dak Prescott stated.

However …

“We really feel nice about what we completed,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy stated. “However I believe it is the fourth week in a row we understand we’ve plenty of work to do.”

Sure they do, as a result of the aim is to not narrowly keep away from catastrophe in opposition to a Giants group that they’ve crushed eight straight occasions — and one they beat twice by a mixed rating of 89-17 final yr. Their targets are far loftier than that. They fancy themselves a Tremendous Bowl contender.

They only nonetheless do not appear to be one in any respect.

“It is a course of,” Prescott insisted. “We’re not going to get complacent. We’re not going to get overexcited about what we have performed tonight. It is about constructing, and it is about determining what we will do higher in all phases.

“But it surely’s loads simpler to do this with a win.”

Honest level. It issues that the temper within the Cowboys’ locker room was gentle after two straight ugly losses at dwelling. It issues that they do not should stew a couple of loss for the following 10 days till their subsequent recreation in Pittsburgh, as Jerry Jones stands on the deck of a sinking ship shouting “All is nicely.” Had they misplaced, the “various” that Prescott spoke about was 10 days of out of doors panic, one million questions on what’s gone fallacious in a season on the brink, and a full-blown fireplace lit beneath McCarthy’s already sizzling seat.

They averted all that and not less than briefly modified the narrative of their season and the sensation inside a locker room that final week appeared on the verge of coming aside on the seams.

“It is extra pleasure in right here,” stated receiver CeeDee Lamb. “You lose two in a row, you begin going via a section the place everyone is type of uptight. You are able to play once more and get it over with. It is good for us to come back out 1-0 this week. It is the one we wanted.”

They desperately wanted a win — any win. But it surely solely issues in the event that they actually can repair what ails them.

And that is loads.

For instance:

• They nonetheless cannot run the ball.ÂThere have been some indicators of life with the operating recreation within the second half with some huge Rico Dowdle runs. However he nonetheless solely rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries and the Cowboys nonetheless solely had 80 speeding yards general. And Ezekiel Elliott was barely there Thursday night time, speeding 5 occasions for 19 yards.
• They’re extremely undisciplined.ÂThe Cowboys had 11 penalties for 89 yards — and that does not embody a 15-yard facemask penalty that was inexcusably referred to as on Giants tight finish Daniel Bellinger, the man whose facemask was being pulled. They’re averaging eight penalties per recreation, making them the fifth-most penalized group within the league.
• The passing recreation appears out of sync.ÂLamb lastly had a little bit of a breakout because of a 55-yard landing catch. His different six catches went for simply 43 yards, although. And Prescott, who was an MVP candidate final yr with a league-best 36 landing passes, is in recreation supervisor territory. He accomplished 22 of 27 passes for simply 221 yards in opposition to a foul secondary that was lacking two of its finest cornerbacks. He is on tempo for simply 24 landing passes this yr.
• The run protection was higher, however the cross protection was not.ÂThe excellent news is that they held the Giants to simply 26 speeding yards. The dangerous information is Daniel Jones picked them aside for 281 passing yards. Their cross rush, because it has been all season, was mainly nonexistent. And the Giants held the ball for greater than 35 minutes. Dallas could not get them off the sphere.

Now the accidents are mounting too. Micah Parsons left the sport in ache with what’s believed to be a sprained ankle and was dealing with an MRI on Monday morning. DeMarcus Lawrence injured his foot, although he promised to be “again earlier than lengthy.” Even linebacker DeMarvion Overshown left the sport briefly with an undisclosed damage. These are three huge blows to a protection already taking part in with out cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Caelen Carson.

All of these issues are regarding and all of them should be addressed shortly, as a result of the Giants (1-3) had been pushovers in comparison with what’s coming subsequent. Of their subsequent three video games (over 4 weeks) the Cowboys (2-2) play the Steelers (3-0), Lions (2-1), and 49ers (1-2) — and solely the sport in opposition to the Lions is at dwelling. And the Eagles (2-1) and Texans (2-1) are on faucet earlier than Thanksgiving, too.

The Giants could not have been in a position to benefit from the Cowboys’ issues, but it surely’s a very good guess these different groups will.

That is an issue, even when to them, it felt like an issue for an additional day. On Thursday night time, what mattered most was that for the primary time in three weeks, they felt good about themselves once more. They usually had hope that is sufficient to result in higher issues.

“I performed on a bunch of various groups, and a few that if you obtained going, it simply will get sizzling,” Prescott stated. “That is what we’re seeking to do. That is what it is about on this league, is getting sizzling on the proper time — constructing. It is concerning the course of — trusting the method irrespective of the outcomes.”

The method yielded a win, but it surely was solely a Band-Help for his or her bigger points. The subsequent step within the course of needs to be truly addressing their points — not denying that they’re nonetheless there. In any other case, this can find yourself as only a momentary respite for the Cowboys, they usually’ll quickly begin feeling depressing about themselves once more.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent the earlier six years protecting the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years protecting the Giants and the NFL for the New York Day by day Information. Observe him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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