In a century full of disappointing, lackluster, pathetic, embarrassing, emasculating, terrible, trashy, Godawfully, dreadful, ghastly, horrid, horrendous, hideous, foul, vile and otherwise wretch-inducing performances, what the Dallas Cowboys did on Sunday managed to stand out atop their used diaper pile.
They overcame their own ineptitude, and history of doing all of the above.
In coming back from a 21-0 first-half deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles to win 24-21 in the final seconds, the Cowboys not only hit the .500 mark, but they saved their coach from looking like an idiot.
Brian Schottenheimer has made his boss look good in his first season as an NFL head coach, but hubris and a 24-pack of YOLO came dangerously close to costing him, and his team, on Sunday. He got away with one.
Brian Schottenheimer’s decision to ‘Go for it’
After the Cowboys come back to tie the score at 21, they had to punt with 5:30 remaining in the game. As good fortune, karma or just a brain-dead decision would have it, Eagles punt returner Xavier Gipson decided returning a punt from his own 2-yard line was a great idea.
He fumbled the return. Long snapper Trent Sieg recovered it at the Eagles’ 8-yard line to give the Cowboys the game with 5:09 remaining.
The Cowboys reached the 2-yard line and faced a fourth-down decision that should not have been a decision.
Take the points. Don’t get cute. Don’t be trendy. Don’t outsmart yourself.
Schottenheimer decided to try on his Dan Campbell hat. The pride of Glen Rose High School has made a name for himself as the head coach of the Detroit Lions who is unafraid to go for it, in any situation, including fourth-and-76.
“We had a chance to put them away,” Schottenheimer said. “I liked the call on fourth down.”
At the time of the decision, the Cowboys had come back from a first half where they had shot off both feet, their hands, arms, nose and back hair just to tie the game. They had not led all day.
Eschewing short field goals, keeping all kicking toes tied to the bench, and going for it on fourth down are now not only acceptable decisions by NFL coaches but nearly a mandate.
As trendy as it is to go for it, there is nothing wrong with a 24-21 lead via a Brandon Aubrey field goal with five minutes remaining. The defense had stopped the Eagles from scoring a point on seven consecutive drives.
(Say it from the top of AT&T Stadium: Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has changed one of the NFL’s worst defenses into respectable.)
Rather than taking the automatic three, and the lead, Schottenheimer went for the seven.
A great idea if it works. If it doesn’t ... What are you doing?!
The Eagles took away quarterback Dak Prescott’s primary targets on the outside, and he was pressured by a defender and forced to throw a pass underneath to tight end Jake Ferguson, short of the goal line. Ferguson said he caught the ball, but even if he had, it wasn’t enough.
“After we did it I was, ‘Damn! We should’ve kicked it,’” Prescott said after the game. “It was the right call [to go for it].”
Prescott was the first one to say his offense has to convert a first-and-goal from the 8-yard line into a touchdown. Correct.
Cowboys save their head coach
Schottenheimer’s risk was based on if his team didn’t score the touchdown, the Eagles start a drive from their own 2-yard line with 3:38 remaining. Hard to hate the logic.
When Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for receptions of 11 and 16 yards, respectively, on the first two plays of the ensuing drive, Schottenheimer’s call had Greek tragedy potential.
“It’s part of sitting in this chair; you make decisions in 10, 15, 20 seconds,” Schottenheimer said. “Did the defense bail me out? Yeah.”
Three weeks ago, that sentence was not possible. Because the arrival of Quinnen Williams has completely changed what this defense can do.
The Cowboys ended up forcing a punt, and the Cowboys’ offense converted it into a game-ending field goal.
Schottenheimer caught a break. His decision to go for it on fourth down didn’t work, but it didn’t matter.
The Cowboys came back to defeat the division-leading Eagles to hit .500 at 5-5-1, keep their playoff chances alive and prevent their head coach from eating a potentially season-altering decision.