10 months ago
#3306084 Quote
Yes, the defense is officially lights-out following the return of , and in December -- the unit roundly thumping the in Week 14 en route to using a two-game win streak to rise to 9-4 on the season and gain a chokehold on the NFC East. That said, while you should never be upset about or apologize for a win (particularly one against a division rival), and the offense need to turn the lights and figure out where their mojo is hiding.And then they need to attach a clapper device to it to ensure they never lose it again. The offense is suddenly trapped in the Upside-Down, and it's taking the superpowers of 11 to help save them on a weekly basis.On Sunday, it was once again the defense having to save the day for the Cowboys, an inversion over what has often been the case since Prescott joined the Cowboys as a fourth-round pick in 2016. As recently as earlier this season, the return of Prescott from a season-ending injury suffered in 2020 was the fuel for a return to their prolific ways, while defensive coordinator Dan Quinn used record-setting play by rookie and -- along with a list of unusual suspects -- to perform admirably in the absence of several starters.As of late though, despite  Joe Thornton Jersey having seen their own starters return (i.e., , and ), the last several games have been an exercise in frustration. The unit scored just one touchdown against Washington and that means they were outscored by kicker , who made your local Wendy's proud by going 4-for-4 on the day. Add a defensive scoop-and-score by defensive end and a PAT by Zuerlein and that accounts for 19 of the 27 points scored by the Cowboys at FedEx Field.    LC said gimme Mikkel Boedker Jersey  that!  FOX |  Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL)  And, to make matters worse, Prescott nearly threw the game away, literally.The two-time Pro Bowler has made very uncharacteristic mistakes as of late, and that now includes two interceptions against Washington -- the most egregious being a pick-six to linebacker that shrank the Dallas lead to just 27-20 with only four minutes to play in regulation. If not for the defense stepping up to stave off a potentially devastating comeback, , the outcome of the first 2021 matchup against an otherwise pummeled Washington team might've ended differently, the added irony here being in how Gregory's two biggest plays erased both of Prescott's errors (Gregory's first-quarter interception taking away the ball for Dallas on the drive that followed Prescott's first INT).For his part, Prescott isn't skirting accountability for the recent offensive downturn or for his part in it."Obviously, we got to do a better job of finishing on offense, but, credit to our defense," he said after the game. "Two turnovers that I had, they got the ball right back. That's all I can ask for -- all you can ask for as an offense. As you said, we got it going pretty early, got a good lead, but then we just got to be able to finish it off and not let them back in the ballgame.  "... It's frustrating. We've got high standards and high expectations for ourselves so when you're not moving the ball, not scoring points, only scoring what, six points in the second half, it's not acceptable. We have got to be better than that in the latter part of the year, obviously, as we get ready to go play better teams, play division teams, and play in the playoffs."It's not that things have been all bad for Prescott and Co., it's that they've been bad more often than not. In November, they struggled to put points on the board, averaging 25.8 points per game -- a number buoyed by a 43-point shellacking of the and a strong late-game offensive display by Prescott in an overtime lo s to the . The flashes are still there, but not nearly as they were earlier this season, when they averaged 32.1 points per game from Week 1 through Week 8. That's a tou
0