Play design matters
. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
KaVontae Turpin isn’t a great receiver, but Mike McCarthy gave him an easy play to work with on his 64-yard TD catch. It was a simple slant route from a spread formation using his speed to take it to the house. His breakaway catch and run was over 22 mph, which according to Next Gen Stats is the fastest of any player this season.
This factoid is an indictment on a coaching staff that’s targeted him just 28 times and given him just five carries prior to tonight. Speed kills in the NFL and the Cowboys haven’t used their fastest killer enough on the offensive side of the ball this season.
Effort remains
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Jerry Jones once begrudgingly fired Wade Phillips midseason because he believed his team had given up on the head coach. It seemed clear from the start of the season the only way Mike McCarthy would meet the same fate is if he gave Jones the same cause.
Say what one will about this roster, but this team has not quit.
Young players and veteran alike were working hard for the blue star on Monday Night Football. It was especially good to see Trevon Diggs lead blocking for Malik Hooker on the first half interception. Diggs gets heat for his disinterest in tackling, and rightfully so, but it’s not because of selfishness or lack of physicality. Cornerbacks just don’t like to tackle players twice their size. Diggs showed he has plenty of fight in him even if he’s not hawking balls play after play.
On Turpin’s long catch and run, it was Rico Dowdle downfield blocking with extra effort. The 2024 Cowboys may not be very disciplined in their assignments, but they aren’t quitters and that’s something to rebuild around.
Throws beyond the sticks
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Cowboys offense obviously suffered an enormous loss when Dak Prescott was lost to a hamstring injury for the rest of the season. In previous years, Cooper Rush was up to the task and the offense was able to survive. But in 2024 it’s behind a rebuilding offensive line and alongside a stripped-down receiver corps, making it a difficult task.
Throws beyond the sticks is a great way to gauge an offense’s trust in the passing game. Not all offenses are designed to create run after the catch and Mike McCarthy’s offense is a perfect example of such an offense. Throwing beyond the sticks is a required element in his offense yet he was extremely hesitant to unleash Rush.
Excluding the final two minutes of each half, Rush threw just nine passes beyond the sticks upon first review; less than 50% were completions, and one resulted in an interception.
To re-sign or not re-sign, that is the question
, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Chauncey Golston, the Cowboys’ third round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has developed into a real NFL player this season. There’s a world where he’s even a key player on a legit playoff caliber defense. He keeps his assignments, plays the run, and works hard for scrappy pressures.
He’s not a pass rusher but he’s not a liability on passing downs either. Injuries have forced the Cowboys to give him opportunities this season and they’ve been rewarded for playing him. The only problem is Golston is a free agent in 2025.
With so many players making big money on the roster, it will be tough for the Cowboys to justify middle class level contracts like him, but Golston might be cheap enough and solid enough to justify it this winter. He’s a free agent to watch.
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