After another dismal performance by the Cowboys against Arizona on Monday Night Football, Dallas fell to 3-5-1 and now have to ice skate uphill if they want a chance at making the playoffs. This week’s winners and losers list isn’t surprising, but the loss comes with a glimmer of hope.
Loser: Cornerback DaRon Bland
Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland chose a bad time to have his worst game of the season. With hopes of getting back to .500, Bland gave up five receptions on eight targets for 71 yards including an embarrassing touchdown to Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
The newly minted $92 million defensive back stumbled over his own feet, forever becoming a clip for Harrison’s personal highlight reel.
The CB isn’t the sole reason Dallas lost to Arizona, but his 41.9 PFF grade is his lowest of the season and third lowest of his career. That type of play isn’t exactly what everyone envisioned when Dallas extended his contract.
Better days lie ahead for the former fifth-round pick, but it won’t be hard for him to play better than the ugly performance he had against Arizona.
Winner: Defensive End Donovan Ezeiruaku
Second-round picks in Dallas have built a reputation for failing to live up to expectations. Rookie edge Donovan Ezeiruaku is doing is best to dispel those notions. After notching his first sack of the season a few weeks ago, “Eze” continues to grow, racking up a career-high five pressures against Arizona.
The rookie even picked up his second sack of the season while generating a 19.1 pass rush win rate.
The Cowboys defense ranks at the bottom of the league in many statistical categories but Ezeruaku’s play puts him in contention for Defensive Rookie-of-The-Year and was just named a runner-up to Dane Brugler’s mid-season All-rookie team.
The addition of All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams should relieve some of the pressure and in theory, allow the rookie edge to not only grow but excel in the second half of the season.
Loser: Linebacker Kenneth Murray
Linebacker Kenneth Murray has all the physical tools needed at the linebacker position and sometimes flashes elite play. The problem, far too often, he is either out of position or slow to diagnose how teams are attacking the defense.
Owner Jerry Jones alluded to a trade before Murray took the field against the Cardinals and true to his word, Dallas followed through. Unfortunately for Murray, the inbound player, linebacker Logan Wilson, is expected to unseat the incumbent.
While his demotion is likely the plan moving forward, Dallas can become bigger winners if they decide to move on from the former first-round pick.
Winner: Cornerback Caelen Carson
The man called “The Seatbelt” began the season on injured reserve but his addition, whether in a temporary starting role or as a valuable backup, can only help what has been an underwhelming pass defense.
Carson played 28 snaps against the Cardinals, his first defensive plays of the season, and performed admirably considering what has been shown up to date. He was targeted once against Arizona and did not give up a reception.
Only DB Zion Childress came away with a better PFF coverage grade against Arizona but furthermore, Carson’s play brings hope that improvement can be made in conjunction with the variety of acquisitions made by the Cowboys team.
Two trades and the arrival of reinforcements from injured reserve may prove to be the stepping stones towards complimentary football coveted in Dallas these days.
Loser: Cowboys Playoff Chances
Dallas is standing out in the cold as they are 11th out of 16 in the conference. With six wins, the NFC is led by division rival Philadelphia who have a commanding three-game lead.
Tampa, Seattle, and Green Bay round out the other division leaders, meaning Dallas is chasing San Francisco, Detroit, and the Rams for a wild-card spot. To make matters worse, Dallas has lost to two teams that aren’t even in the picture but still ahead of them in the standings, Chicago and Carolina, while Arizona trails them only because of the Dallas tie with the Packers.
The Cowboys can make up ground with dates against the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions but currently have been given a 5% chance to make the dance in an NFC chock full of hopefuls. Realistically, Dallas would have to go 6-2 in their final eight games to have a chance at making the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Winners and Losers: Cowboys $92M defender stumbles, rookie shines as playoff hopes dwindle
Reporting by Angel Torres, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
