Michael Lombardi – Turn out the lights for the Dallas Cowboys:

If Dandy Don Meredith were still alive, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Monday Night Football star announcer would be singing, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” the classic Willie Nelson song he would sing on the broadcast when he decided the game was over, regardless of the time remaining on the clock.  Meredith was a classic entertainer. With great one-liners, he was a quick wit that made boring Monday night games like last night fun to watch. Had he been in the booth last night, announcing the game with his former team on the field, he would have sung his tune by the middle of the first quarter. It was clear the 2024 Cowboys have zero chance to win games against good teams. (For the record, the Texans are not a Super Bowl team. They are good, not great, and have to vastly improve in the offensive line to beat any good team.)  The Cowboys have less than a zero chance against the better teams and a marginal chance against the bottom feeders—which there are at least nine others in the same category as the Boys.  How did things go this bad for the Boys?

Yes, losing Dak Prescott for the season sunk them into the bottom of the NFL. They were headed there with him, though he could make games against mediocre teams look winnable. Without him, having Cooper Rush throw the ball 55 times is a bad idea and gives the Dallas Cowboys no chance to win. The biggest problem with Dallas began this offseason the moment the final whistle blew in their home playoff game loss to Green Bay. What’s ironic is they went into the Green Bay game with a perfect home record. Since that loss, they haven’t won a home game since, being outscored 187-69.     

 

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One of the biggest mistakes any organization can make is reacting “too late” to problems. Owner Jerry Jones was so upset after the embarrassing loss to the Packers tempted him to make radical changes. As we get older, change is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome. We tend to fall in love with our environment. We eat the same things at the same time, watch the same shows, and talk to the same people. It’s human nature. Jerry is 82 years old. He hates change; he wants to win, but he doesn’t want to deal with a mess. By hesitating, he now has a big mess.  In the past, he would have trusted his instincts, made changes and brought someone in with a fresh set of eyes that could offer a different perspective. However, the past is haunting Jerry, as he said: “I have made a change early on a coach with Chan Gailey, and I’ve always regretted that, and I’ve made a change during the season (with Wade Phillips) and regretted that, and that’s the music I’m listening to.”

You can criticize Jerry in terms of his football knowledge and team construction, but you cannot attack him for not being a good listener.  Jerry wants input. He wants the coaches involved and listens to what the scouting staff thinks, as he wants to create a consensus in his building. He might want the credit that all owners crave, which is fine, especially one who loves the spotlight like Jerry. What Jerry needed to hear was his team wasn’t as good as he believed.  As I wrote about last offseason, they didn’t underachieve. They overachieved all season. Those fresh eyes would have told him he needs upgrades at running back, Zack Martin isn’t the same player, his defense lacks size at linebacker and power at defensive tackle, and all his team depth traveled with Dan Quinn to Washington. 

I am not sure what Jerry was seeing this off-season. Why would he invest 10 million in receiver Brandin Cooks, who is often injured even though he scored eight touchdowns last season with 54 catches?  He then doubled down on guard Zack Martin, even though he is showing signs of age affecting his performance. The other concerns lie with their level of talent acquisition from the draft. Ten of their starters on defense (counting nickel corner) are homegrown. Only Malik Hooker and Eric Kendricks are not from the draft, so their issues on defense are more about their lack of talent than injuries. Now, in fairness, the shift from Quinn to Mike Zimmer on defense is dramatic. Quinn wants speed and quickness; Zimmer loves size and power. And the past draft has catered towards Quinn not Zimmer, which Jerry should have considered before hiring Zimmer. But Zimmer was there before, and once again, Jerry chose comfort over change. 

When this season ends, Jerry has no choice but to restart, rebuild and repair his team, which might be harder than it appears. Yes, they have some great talent, like Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. And that’s their problem. Their marque players take the focus off the rest of the roster. Whoever is the next coach, he will need to show Jerry the problems aren’t all related to coaching, as many are related to talent. And with their cap issues, a talent influx isn’t going to be easy.  Last night, the Dallas Cowboys’ party was over for 2024. Jerry needs to make sure it doesn’t extend to 2025. 

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