The Cowboys managed to keep the season interesting despite losing a nail-biter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Arlington, TX. Ahead of Week 9, the Steelers were expected to blow out the Dallas Cowboys, but of course, new Dallas QB Garrett Gilbert made things entertaining in his first start.
In the 24-19 loss, the Cowboys were only one play from snapping the Steelers seven-game winning streak. Even with the Cowboys starting their 4th QB of the season, they played their most complete game thus far.
ST John Fassel Coaches his best game:
The Cowboys special teams unit played their best game so far today. What really set the tempo was Cedrick Wilson’s lateral on the punt to CB C.J. Goodwin in the 2nd quarter. Also, K Greg Zuerlein made four field goals while DE Tyrone Crawford blocked an extra-point to keep the Cowboys within striking distance to steal a win. For a long time, the Cowboys lacked the spark that a special teams unit should create, but these past few weeks have proved otherwise. If you are Jerry Jones, you have to be extremely pleased by the progress that John Fassel has had with this unit.
Defense Continues to Improve:
For the second straight week, the defense played an outstanding game and never gave up. As cliche as it is, the Cowboys’ effort was embarrassing early on into the season, but they held the Steelers to just 24 points today. Dallas improved their running defense this week as they only allowed 46 yards. DE DeMarcus Lawerence played a huge role in preventing the Steelers from establishing their running game, and he continues to dominate the line of scrimmage. Some questionable penalties, such as the fourth-quarter roughing the passer penalty on LB Jaylon Smith, affected the outcome of the game. But, there is still much to build off of after today’s performance.
Garrett Gilbert’s Debut Exceeds Expectations:
Many fans did not know what to expect from the QB position as Gilbert was named the starter on Saturday. Gilbert proved quickly that he could do more than rookie QB Ben DiNucci as he was not afraid to stand tall in the pocket. The Cowboys led the time of possession with 33:24 mins, something other Dallas QB starters have struggled with. Gilbert was able to finally incorporate the running game, and when all his WRs were covered, he ran the ball himself. His INT in the fourth quarter kept #3 from nearly having a perfect game in his debut. It still makes sense for QB Andy Dalton to return as the starter after the bye week, but Garret Gilbert seemed to have secured the back-up role as of now.
Dallas now falls to 2-7, and their losing streak extends to four games. Even with the loss, there is a lot to like if you are HC Mike McCarthy. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Cowboys can still win the NFC East. With the offensive line and defense playing better, and QB Andy Dalton set to return, the Cowboys could string together a couple of wins. Either way, the Cowboys have a lot to build on heading into the bye week.
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