FRISCO, Texas – So here is the definition of blitz:
A swift, sudden and overwhelming attack.
Sounds perfect right, and the Dallas Cowboys offense, under siege these past two consecutive losses can readily vouge for that.
Thanks to those Bay defenses, Tampa Bay and Green Bay, the Cowboys experienced firsthand how swift those Bay defenses attacked this once proud and productive offense, having averaged 30.5 points a game over the first four, producing a 2-2 record.
But in the next two, those opposing defenses came at the Cowboys with concerted suddenness, knowing that if they got after Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, they will better be able to control them Pro Bowl receivers, Cee Dee Lamb and George Pickens, held to a combined 28 catches for 282 yards, just one touchdown and averaging just 10.8 yards a catch.
And needless to say, with both teams relying on a endless stream of blitzes, they have overwhelmed the Cowboys, holding this once mighty proud offense to but 16 points and 13 points, a combined 29, a very humbling 14.5 yards a game a game during this two-game losing streak to drop the Cowboys to 2-4.
For sure this blitz philosophy is working, having reduced Prescott to pedestrian numbers over these past two games, his QB ratings sinking to 69.1 against the Bucs and 65.2 against the Pack. Also limiting Dak to just two touchdown passes but to four interceptions of his five in six games. In fact, Dak has not had consecutive quarterback ratings less than 70 in his past 114 games until Sunday night in Green Bay, having to go back to the 11th game in 2017, his second season in the NFL that included five interceptions, the only time during his 11 NFL season with more than these four in two games.
Not sure remember Dak being blitzed this much in consecutive games, not even during his rookie 2016 season when injuries to Tony Romo and Kellen Moore forced the presumed third string quarterback to start all 16 games during that sterling, somewhat surprising 13-3 season.
The Cowboys must dearly hope these struggles against blitzing defenses is an anomaly.
"I think the first thing I'd say is, we haven't played a normal game, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "In the last two games, we've been playing from behind That's a little bit hard. One of the best things to do against the blitz is that you can get runs and stuff that crease their big plays. That's part of it. But again, if you look at Dak historically, he's been really good against the blitz.
"This is two games that we have to take a look at, but my first thing that I go to, is that (at) the end of the day, we put ourselves in a position where we got to throw the ball all around, and go two-minute up-tempo to try to get back in the game, and it's going to be hard to do in the National Football League."
Well, guess what's coming Monday night in Philadelphia. Eagles DC Vic Fangio is noted for his pressures, and betting after watching what the Bays did, this will be blitzes squared until the Cowboys make defenses pay for sending like Green Bay did, five, six and sometimes seven guys after Dak. Now great idea not playing from behind and being forced to throw the ball to catch up.
But the blitz pickups by the offensive line and tight ends must improve. The receivers must recognize when defenses are blitzing and cut short their routes. And if the Cowboys have to reduce their three-receiver sets, then so be it, put two tight ends in to block if that's what allows the ball to get into the hands of CeeDee and GP.
Dak can't continue to take a beating, and remember, Tampa Bay blitzed on 48 percent of the snaps and Green Bay 35 percent, especially in the fourth quarter. Amazing he was only sacked once in these two games, but betting he's has suffered a dozen bruises.
"I just have to simplify the plan," Dak said after the loss to the Packers. "That starts with me and that ends with me. You give yourself a few options on a blitz and you get in the game, and you want to do this one, want to do that one, and I just have to be more simple and more direct in exactly what I want to do.
"I don't want to get too into it, but it is definitely fixable."
Better, because if not, it's breakable.
- Outstanding Career: Cowboys five-time Pro Bowl defensive back Cornell Green, and four time All-Pro, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86. Far too few people probably remember Green and the unbelievable career the undrafted rookie free agent cornerback turned safety of the Cowboys in 1962 from Utah State, where he never played football. He was an All-America basketball player for the Aggies, drafted in the fifth round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyers. While don't think ever recall seeing him play on the TV or at least know who he was on the field, remember these two stories relayed to me, one by him, and one by the writers covering the team during his playing career with the Cowboys from 1962-74. First in training camp, playing tackle football for the first time, Green was having problems running, and speed was his game. And he was sore having to carry all that uniform protection. As the story goes he placed his thigh pads on the wrong sides, bruising up his inner thighs badly. Hey, who knew. Then, there was this when asking those writers which Cowboys player from that era most deserves to be inducted into the Cowboys famed Ring of Honor. To a man, the answer always was "Cornell Green." Guess never too late. If not, you youngin's must remember these stories to carry on into for posterity's sake.
- Gators Rate: Maybe Schottenheimer, when looking for an available free agent quarterback to place on the practice squad after losing third QB Joe Milton to the Eagles, decided to scroll through his Florida alumni Rolodex to find Kyle Trask, whose final year's performance for the Gators earned him the fourth most Heisman votes. Trask became a second- round draft choice of Tampa Bay in 2021, having led the NCAA in passing the 2020 season and setting a Florida single-season record with 43 TD passes. He's only played in seven NFL games since, all during his four-year career with the Bucs, and spent part of this this past season on Atlanta's practice squad and was a final cut of Carolina this year. Interesting note, his grandfather, Orville Trask played two seasons (1960-61) at defensive tackle for the Houston Oilers in the upstart AFL, and with several family members having attended Texas A&M, he was named after the Aggies Kyle Field.
- A Few Tidbits: While Milton is on the Eagles 53-man roster, the former Cowboys backup QB from 2025 is listed third team, behind now starter Tanner McKee, set to make his fourth NFL start in his fourth season with the Eagles, and the listed backup Cole Payton, an Eagles fifth round draft choice this year . . . Cowboys former running back Jaydon Blue, released on the final cuts after training camp, had been signed to the Eagles practice squad but released this week . . . And the circuitous NFL career of Cowboys 2023 first-round draft choice Mazi Smith, sent to the Jets in the trade to acquire Quinnen Williams, has now been released by the Jets, picked up and released by the Dolphins and just added to the Packers practice squad . . . Of note, Williams has six TFLs in six games (2 vs. GB), tied for most in the NFL among DTs, and those six in six games matches the Cowboys 6-game mark set by Jason Hatcher in 2013 . . . So, unlike the Eagles defense to have just six QB sacks in six games this season, while Jalen Hurts, not out for the season, has been sacked 13 times . . . The Cowboys defense, with three sacks vs. Green Bay now has eight.
For this week's last word, let's go back to these from Dak Prescott after Sunday's 23-13 loss at Lambeau Field in Green Bay when the Cowboys offense short-circuited and the defense made a few steps in the right direction, though giving up 17 first-half points while allowing the Packers to convert nine of 10 third-down opportunities, three of those head-scratchers on two third-and-27s and a third-and-22.
QB1 was asked how the Cowboys on a two-game losing streak at 2-4 can keep the team from falling apart.
"Just keep the guys together for one, me and Q just had a quick talk getting dressed," Dak began. "When your guys believe you have a chance, we know right now that we are probably the only guys, and the guys in the locker room are the only guys who do believe. We know the process. We have a great process. We practice the right way. We just aren't executing what we need to, to win games.
"To me, the defense played a good enough game for us to go out and win. We just didn't hold our own on offense. That is what ultimately sucks about it, but that is the NFL. We have to figure out a way to get better and get out of this rut or hole or whatever it is that we have been in these last two games."
That includes blunting those blitzes for sure.
