Cowboys roundtable discussion: Discussing red-zone play, unsung heroes, and the Chiefs defense

Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Sean Martin, and Tom Ryle. Fourth-down and red-zone choices against the Eagles, were they correct to be aggressive, or fortunate? Mike: They were right to be aggressive. […]

Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Sean Martin, and Tom Ryle.

Fourth-down and red-zone choices against the Eagles, were they correct to be aggressive, or fortunate?

Mike: They were right to be aggressive. Against an explosive Eagles offense, shrinking possessions and keeping the ball out of Jalen Hurts’ hands is sound game strategy. In the red zone, pairing play-action and quick throws on early downs also fits the matchup and has a higher touchdown probability. A couple of outcomes may have looked unfortunate in real time, but that’s variance, the process was correct.

Howman: They were the correct moves, yes. I can understand kicking the field goal late in the fourth, but then the Eagles only need about 30 yards to tie it up again. The failed fourth-down attempt meant they needed to go nearly 60 yards just to attempt a field goal. Giving the defense a longer field to defend is always ideal, even if they’ve been playing well.

Tom: I’m not going to fault the aggressiveness. I will knock the play-calling. After the fumbled punt, why didn’t they try to run it in? I know Dak was cooking, but Javonte Williams was doing pretty well himself. I think trying to power it in would have worked better.

Sean: I’m with Tom completely on this one. Don’t fault the aggressiveness, rather the play-calling. That said, sticking with the run at times even when down three scores was a factor in how they came back. Everything was a yin and yang in this game in one of the strangest ways possible.

Which unsung player moved the needle most for Dallas?

Mike: Looking for unsung hero here, then it’s Sam Williams. He turned the game’s script with relentless speed-to-power. His backside pursuit erased cutbacks, and his motor kept the pocket tight so teammates could deliver pressure to Hurts. His signature moment was when he backtracked to punch the ball out of Saquon Barkley’s hands from a quick pass to the left, robbing the Eagles of points at a crucial point of the game.

Howman: The low hanging fruit is Alijah Clark, but the fumble ended up not resulting in any score change, so I’ll go another direction. How about Sam Williams, who’s been subject to lots of criticism this year, forcing the fumble on Saquon Barkley and prematurely ending an Eagles drive that looked like a guarantee to score?

Tom: I know he got a lot of praise for the lone sack, but Osa Odighizuwa deserves more. He had a TFL and four QB hits. He was much more effective than Kenny Clark in this game and seems to be thriving when on the field with Quinnen Williams.

Sean: Again, I like Tom’s line of thinking on praising the strength in numbers game for the defensive line, and tackles more specifically, but how about Reddy Steward in the secondary for me? Coming off the bench into a game where the Eagles all but knew they couldn’t run the ball anymore, and being a part of a second half shutout against the reigning Super Bowl champs. That’s an unsung hero.

Spagnuolo defenses bring pressure with disguise. Should Dallas answer with quick passes and fast tempo, or under-center play-action to slow the rush and open the middle of the field?

Mike: Start with quick passes and tempo, then switch into under-center play-action once Spagnuolo has to dial back the heat. Go hurry-up, with bunch and stack formations, and motion to reveal the coverage and limit late rotations. When the Chiefs settle into two-high or softer zones, shift to inside zone on first down and marry it to play-action and tight end seams.

Howman: Can we do both? I think a balanced approach is best, as it prevents Spags from really being able to key in on any one thing.

Tom: I’ll vote tempo. Prescott has a great command of the game and I like the idea of making it hard for the Chiefs to adjust their personnel.

Sean: Spags’ defense can be so uber-aggressive that even play-action carries a risk of having the ball in the QBs hands too long. The Cowboys will need to use quick passing, but they are playing against an opponent that thrives in this area as well. Trying to beat the Chiefs at their own game is a bad idea. The shot plays will have to come at some point, but will have to be selective, and finished at the catch point by more than just George Pickens.