Star-Telegram: Offensive woes leave Dallas Cowboys almost speechless

[tr1]

By Charean Williams

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/09/19/2479752/offensive-woes-leave-dallas-cowboys.html

ARLINGTON -- Miles Austin didn't talk after the game.

Jason Witten didn't talk. Dez Bryant didn't talk. Marion Barber didn't talk. Felix Jones didn't talk. Most of the offensive linemen didn't talk.

Roy Williams said it all.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver sat in his locker, long after most of the rest of the team was gone, still wearing his game pants, socks and cleats. He was the picture of defeat, with his head down, staring at his cellphone in a mess of a locker room of discarded towels, tape and half-empty water bottles.

"It comes down to mistakes and turnovers," Williams said softly. "That's the first thing we talk about every Wednesday. First thing is take care of the ball, and we didn't do that."

In two games, the Cowboys' offense has gained 790 yards. It has scored 20 points.

That's two touchdowns in two games for the offense. (Bryant returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown Sunday.)

"That's the hardest part, just figuring out what we're doing to not win the game," Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo sits to pee said. "When you look back at the tape, I would love to be able to be like, 'This is what we need to improve on; we have to do this, and we have to do it better.' But it's not one exact thing. It literally comes up different ways, it's disappointing. It's very frustrating from my position to not be able to figure it out. We'll look at the tape, see what we didn't do well, why we're in this position.

"We need to improve. We need to be better....It's just difficult right now."

They can start with the penalties and the turnovers.

In two games, the offense has had 12 penalties for 90 yards, including a holding call last week that nullified a touchdown on the final play of a 13-7 loss to the Redskins. They have had four turnovers, one that was returned for a touchdown last week and three Sunday, which the Bears converted into six points.

That's not to mention the two field goals David Buehler has missed in two games.

"We simply have to execute better and address those things in practice and hopefully carry those things into the game," Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "It's hurt us; it's hurt our rhythm; it's harder to drive the football."

When asked if the offense has been good enough, Williams, who lost a fourth-quarter fumble, answered "no" six times.

The Cowboys have had five red-zone possessions this season, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal. It continued a trend from last season when Dallas ranked second in yards but only 14th in scoring. They were 14th in red-zone efficiency last season, with only 52 percent of their possessions inside the 20-yard line ending in touchdowns.

Against the Bears, the Cowboys had 410 yards but not much to show for it. They had five drives of 43 yards or more. Yet, they scored only 13 points on those five drives.

"It certainly wasn't good enough," Garrett said. "I thought there were some good things. I thought we moved the ball well at times. Turnovers were the biggest issue. We can't turn the ball over. We've been good in the past at not turning the ball over. The turnovers hurt us in the game today."

[ExoDus84]

Better fix it in a hurry. Houston has a great offense, as we all were witness to today. They'll flatten Dallas next week.

[tr1]

Perhaps their mouths are full of cheese...

http://mikewalkercreative.com/blog/?p=79

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

Houston is coming up next

[ixcuincle]

They have a tough start to the season

In addition to Houston they are also facing Minnesota, the Giants, and Tennessee in their first 6 games...LOL

In fact their entire schedule is tough...only gimme games I see for Cowboys this point are against Jacksonville and Detroit

[Conn]

When you're as ****y as the Cowboys are after a summer of being spoon-fed the fact that you're Super Bowl bound, you're bound to be sloppy.

This is one poorly-coached, sloppy ass team.