What was supposed to be a joyous occasion for all Cowboys fans turned into a nightmarish day Thursday in Arlington, as the Cowboys fell to the Raiders 36-33 in overtime. The Cowboys, who now fall to 7-4 on the season, need to look in the mirror with this one and really reassess as they move forward.
Here are three things we learned from Thanksgiving in Arlington.
Penalties, Penalties, Penalties
This is an area that has plagued the Cowboys all season long and threatens to really derail their hopes of winning a Super Bowl this year. Against Las Vegas, Dallas conceded a whopping 14 penalties for 166 yards. While the Raiders can be found equally as guilty as they too amassed 14 penalties, they won the game. For the Raiders, let bygones be bygones. For Dallas, they cannot say the same. After the game, every Cowboy that had a microphone near them took the opportunity to lambast the officiating. Michael Gallup said, “you are playing two teams; the refs and the other team” after the loss.
While there were questionable calls, the Cowboys can’t blame the refs. Anthony Brown conceded four penalties during the contest, including the killer defensive pass interference penalty in overtime which put the Raiders into field goal range. Simply put, if Dallas wants to compete with the upper echelon teams in the NFC they have to wipe out the penalties. The Raiders adjusted to the referees, why couldn’t Dallas?
Michael Gallup is a Star
The leading receiver for the Cowboys on the day, Michael Gallup had himself a game for Dallas, totaling 5 catches for 106 yards. It is more than that though for Gallup, as the former 3rd round pick out of Colorado State has always been overshadowed by the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb in the Cowboys overall offense.
Thursday was Gallup’s time to shine, and that he did. Gallup, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season, should get top dollar for his contributions, whether it be from the Cowboys or elsewhere. Gallup is that talented and could be a number one receiver for some teams in the NFL and most definitely a number two receiver for most teams in the NFL.
The Cowboys need Amari Cooper Healthy
This point was made during last week’s write up after the loss to the Chiefs, but it is important to make note of here. The Cowboys absolutely need Amari Cooper in the worst way. Many will go and say the Cowboys are frauds, phony contenders, pretenders, whatever synonyms those on the outside want to use and will use to describe Dallas. However, it is important to point out that Dallas was without its top two weapons for most of the last two weeks, and it has shown.
Cooper is the man that makes this passing game tick. He regularly draws double coverages and can take it because of his elite skill set. One of the most underrated route runners in the NFL and one of Dallas’ $100 million men, he has been worth every penny since signing that extension. Yet Cooper was not available for Dallas when they needed him the most.
If Dallas wants to make a run, they need Amari Cooper healthy. The plan right now is that Cooper will be able to return next Thursday Night when Dallas takes on the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome, and boy will that return be welcomed by every single Cowboys fan.
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