The Dallas Cowboy coaches gave the Detroit Lions the game today, which was a game they had basically won.
Up 3, the Cowboys got the ball back at the Detroit 31, with 1:24 left in the fourth quarter. Detroit had 2 timeouts left. If Dallas gets a first down, the game is over. Dallas made no attempt to get a first down, running for a loss of 3, running for a loss of 1 (Detroit called its last timeout), running for 9, and kicking a field goal to go up 6. This strategy is saying that even though you have the ball and control of the game, meaning if you get a first down it’s over, you are going to play for a field goal and put the game in the hands of your defense. This is a defense that is tired at the end of the game, and will be facing not only a desperate offense, but one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. This strategy fails many times.
Detroit got the ball at its own 20 with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter. With 40 seconds left, the Lions had a second-and-ten from their 37, after spiking the ball. Dallas has to play 4 safeties across and deep, so they can’t get hurt by a big play and they will have the play in front of them, rather than chasing. A big play was the only thing that could hurt them. Dallas doesn’t do that, and allows a 40-yard completion to their 23, where they were chasing the receiver. They then allowed a 22-yard completion to their 1, and a QB sneak for the TD on the next play, with 12 seconds left.
The Dallas coaches blew the game by not trying to end it on offense, and then by not playing the appropriate defense.