Cowboys Corral: Bad Coaching and Mistakes Cost Dallas A Win Against Arizona
The Dallas Cowboys were ridin' high with plenty of momentum going into their third game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals. But mistakes and some questionable coaching calls saw the boys come crashing back to reality.
The Cowboys never led the entire game as the Cardinals came out swinging, busting out long runs all afternoon. In fact, the Cards would have over 180 yards rushing just in the first half alone. The Cowboys' defense, who recently lost cornerback Trevon Diggs for the season, never knew what hit them.
Offensively, it was bad. The Cowboys couldn't run the ball, couldn't protect Dak, and when good things did happen, it was nullified by a penalty. In fact, the Cowboys committed 13 penalties for well over 100 yards, nine of those in the first half alone.
If mistakes were not enough, Coach Mike McCarthy's decisions didn't help. Play selection was questionable all day as the Cardinals seemed to know exactly what Dallas was going to do at any given time. Then, with Dallas down 21-13 in the 3rd quarter, McCarthy chose to go for it on 4th down, which was stopped by the stout Cardinals' defense.
Even with sloppy play, the Cowboys still had a chance to win towards the end of the game. But for some reason, McCarthy chose to run the ball several times, which chewed up the clock.
It was a disastrous day for the promising Cowboys who looked so good in the first two games. This time, there was no fire, no intensity, and overall poor play. They have a lot to fix before they host the New England Patriots this Sunday, a game that will see the return of Ezekiel Elliot to AT&T stadium. I guarantee he will be amped up for this game. And if the Cowboys can't shore up that run defense, it could be a long Sunday afternoon.
Check out some of the best photos from the loss against the Cardinals below.
