Cowboys doghouse: Special teams need a bounce-back game vs. Falcons
The Dallas Cowboys were going to have a hard enough time against the San Francisco 49ers last week, even with San Francisco’s injury issues. So, they certainly didn’t need anything making their task harder. This made playing as mistake free as possible a key component for the Cowboys to pull out a victory. However, the way the game started was a clear indication of how things were going to go for the Cowboys.
On the opening kickoff, Dallas was flagged for an illegal formation penalty, and they ended up punting the ball after five plays. The Cowboys later drove down the field just before halftime and kicked a field goal to take a 10-3 lead. Unfortunately, they picked up another illegal formation penalty on the ensuing kickoff. The 49ers took advantage of the field position and would kick a field goal to cut it to 10-6 at halftime. Then, to start the third quarter, kicker Brandon Aubrey’s kickoff didn’t fall in the landing zone, and the 49ers ended up scoring a touchdown after starting from the 40-yard line.
Dallas is challenged offensively as they have they worst rushing attack in the NFL (74.1 yards per game), an offensive line that doesn’t have any continuity, and a wide receiver group that doesn’t get separation and aren’t designed to run complex route combinations. They only average 21.4 points per game, and they allow 28.3 on defense. So, allowing the 49ers 10 points right before halftime and right as the second half began was costly, and special teams’ errors sparked both scoring drives. When the Cowboys take on the Falcons, they’ll be facing an offense that is averaging just under 30 points per game over the last month, which means these types of mistakes could lead to easy points and a deficit for the Cowboys that will be tough to come back from.
Aubrey is having another great year for the Cowboys as he’s made 90% of his field goal attempts, and with the offense not being a strong suit, he’s a huge weapon for the team. So, that part is a positive. However, special teams coordinator John Fassel has got to get his guys dialed back in and not give opposing teams good field position. The Cowboys’ defense can’t stop a nose bleed. They’re ranked 32nd against the run and in touchdown percentage in the redzone (73.9). Mistakes on special teams are never good, but when you have an offense that’s comprised and a defense that can’t get stops regularly, it can make things extremely difficult.