NFL Analysis

12/31/23

5 min read

Cowboys Sneak Out Win, But Coaching Mistakes Must Stop

By Marcus Mosher

NFL Analyst
Dec 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy shakes hands with Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell after the game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

If you missed the game, you would think Saturday night was a great night for the Dallas Cowboys.

They beat a playoff team and improved to 8-0 at home. CeeDee Lamb had a career day, totaling more than 230 yards of offense and scoring a touchdown. The defense forced multiple turnovers and oh, by the way, Jimmy Johnson was inducted into the Ring of Honor at halftime.

But if you watched the entire game, you might have a much different feeling about this game.

For the most part, the Cowboys handled the Lions. Dallas was in control for most of the game. But there were several instances where the Cowboys allowed the Lions to hang around in a game they probably shouldn’t have.

There were some curious play-calling decisions by Mike McCarthy, such as several first-down runs despite the ground attack clearly not working. However, hindsight can always be 20/20 when discussing play calls.

Mistakes Abound On Saturday

One of the most curious decisions by McCarthy was the decision to throw the ball on second and 14 from the Lions' 33-yard line while holding a 17-13 lead with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter. Two simple runs by the Cowboys would have put the ball back into the hands of Jared Goff and the Lions with less than a minute left and no timeouts.

Instead, Dak Prescott had no one open. So, instead of taking a sack and pushing Dallas out of field goal range, he threw the ball out of bounds. McCarthy's decision gave the Lions 40 additional seconds, which proved to be huge. Dallas eventually kicked a field goal, and the Lions got the ball back down by seven points with 1:41 left.

But McCarthy wasn't the only Dallas coach to make a mistake. On the game's final drive, Dan Quinn (Dallas' defensive coordinator), played a soft zone without sending more than four defensive linemen at Goff.

That allowed the Lions to keep Goff clean and have open receivers all over the field. Goff completed three passes (with one spike) for 10, 25 and 14 yards. Detroit had the ball inside the Cowboys' 30-yard line in less than 50 seconds.

The Cowboys had a ton of success all night sending pressure up the middle on Goff. They blitzed him and it resulted in multiple interceptions. The decision to play a soft, prevent defense allowed the Lions to score a stress-free touchdown with 23 seconds left.

Detroit decided to go for two and converted. But a pre-snap penalty (which might have been the wrong call!) allowed Dallas to win. In a game where the Cowboys led by seven with less than two minutes left, it didn’t feel like a win because the Lions (probably) should have won.

The Cowboys sit at 11-5 after 16 games and have a chance to win the NFC East. However, they will likely be the NFC's No. 5 seed, meaning they will play on the road in the Wild Card round. But as we enter the tournament, the confidence the Cowboys can actually make a run is waning.

Dallas has been an awful road team this season (3-5) and just lost to the Bills and the Dolphins in the AFC. A one-point win against the Lions at home, which easily could have been a loss due to a pre-snap penalty, doesn't make anyone feel much better.

McCarthy has always struggled with time management throughout his career, especially when he is the one calling plays on offense. When the Cowboys get into tight playoff games, there just isn’t a lot of trust McCarthy will put Dallas in optimal positions to finish.

What makes matters worse for the Cowboys is their defense is starting to fall apart. Yes, they forced some turnovers against the Lions. But the Cowboys allowed more than 400 yards, 125 of which were on the ground. The defense has regressed in a big way since Thanksgiving, and it’s starting to become a real issue. Quinn hasn't adjusted, and teams are finding the Cowboys' defensive cracks.

Seeing The Big Picture

The good news is the Cowboys are a good team, and Mike McCarthy is generally a good coach. Dallas has won 11+ games in three straight seasons and a franchise-record of 16 consecutive home games.

But the playoffs are a different animal. There just isn’t a lot of confidence McCarthy can outcoach some of the other top coaches in the NFC, especially on the road.

Dallas has one of the most talented teams in the league and there might not be a quarterback playing better than Dak Prescott. Plus, they have one of the best receivers in the league in CeeDee Lamb and a Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner in Micah Parsons.

But it could be McCarthy (and Dan Quinn) holding the Cowboys back again this season.

Tags: Dallas Cowboys

Marcus Mosher

NFL Analyst

Marcus Mosher has spent over a decade breaking down the NFL in ways that go beyond the surface. His love for the game started early, and as his passion for football grew, so did his drive to dig deeper into the strategies and stories behind the players and teams.

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