ARLINGTON — What started Sunday as a sleepy, sloppy affair and ended in overtime as a slap-happy, sloppy win makes you ask just who these Jekyll-and-Hyde Cowboys are after two wildly disparate performances:
The team that came within a couple drops of beating the defending world champs in Philadelphia?
Or the one that needed extra innings to escape the shot-in-their-foot Giants, 40-37?
Brian Schottenheimer’s take pretty much covers the spectrum.
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“We’re a good football team,” he said.
“Now I think we did some stupid s—.”
My guess is they’re more prone to the latter than he’d allow, but they get points for the party they finally brought to his home debut in front of 92,781 at JerryWorld.
“Cool way to win your first game,” he said.
From a purely entertainment standpoint, it was certainly hard to beat. Six lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. The league gets my undying thanks for making it an afternoon game instead of on deadline.
Dak Prescott, who threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns, or Brandon Aubrey, whose four kicks included a 64-yarder to force OT and a 46-yarder to win it, would no sooner put the Cowboys up than Russell Wilson would make them do it all over again.
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Coming into the game, Wilson, who turns 37 on Thanksgiving weekend, looked like he was on his way to the couch. But, going back to his days in the Pacific Northwest, something about the Cowboys brings out the best in him. He completed 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, dropping dimes of 52, 50 and 48 yards on various Giants receivers.
Part of the problem was Malik Nabers, who’s a handful for any secondary. On one of his two touchdowns, he rolled over in the end zone to a buzz of boos. Was the crowd angry at the officials for ruling it a catch?
Or were they booing Jerry for trading Micah Parsons instead of Trevon Diggs?
Of course, it wasn’t just Diggs, who, to his credit, admitted he’s got a lot to clean up before the Cowboys go to Chicago next week. The Cowboys couldn’t cover anyone. Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton combined for 370 yards and 19 receptions on 26 targets. Caleb Williams will watch the film this week and think he’s back at USC getting ready for Cal.
Occasionally the Cowboys’ secondary was guilty of blown coverages. More often than not, it was the sin of sloth.
Just the same, watching Russ cook when in his kitchen remains one of football’s true delights.
“Russell is just maybe the best that’s ever played as far as the deep ball is concerned,” Jerry Jones said. “All teams present different challenges.
“This one today was his ability to throw the long ball.”
Which is what made it so startling when Wilson put up a throw in overtime that looked more like a punt than a pass, a duck that Donovan Wilson happily fielded, setting up Aubrey’s winning kick.
A little more pressure than the three sacks the Cowboys registered might have made more of Wilson’s passes flutter like that one. When asked about it, Jerry revealed they’d signed Jadeveon Clowney, now on his seventh team in eight seasons. Whether he’s got anything left at 32 — 5.5 sacks in 14 games for Carolina last season — remains to be seen. He’s not Parsons and never was, even in his prime. Then again, few people are outside Canton.
Schottenheimer wouldn’t comment on the plans they have for Clowney, other than to say, “If Jerry says it, that’s true.”
Actually, no. But I digress.
Matt Eberflus could probably use Clowney even if he’s on the back nine. He could really use DeMarvion Overshown, who’s out until at least Thanksgiving. Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray make a lot of tackles at linebacker, but the Cowboys miss Overshown’s breathtaking speed. He gives them an option in blitz packages that the rest of the linebackers don’t.
As it was Sunday, the Giants gave the Cowboys as much help as they could. Penalized a whopping 14 times for 160 yards, and the refs picked up their flags on seven others. James Hudson III, subbing at left tackle, incurred four penalties on the Giants’ first drive, an NFL record this century. On one of two personal fouls, he threw a hook at James Houston’s helmet that might have been the wildest swing since Joc Pederson’s last.
Frankly, if the Giants hadn’t kept falling all over themselves, Aubrey never would have gotten a chance to prove he’s the best kicker in NFL history. He’s got the fan club to show for it, too.
When was the last time fans chanted for a kicker before a game?
“That’s sick,” Dak said. “He deserves it.”
No question about it, the Cowboys’ special teams are covered despite concerns about KaVontae Turpin’s neck. Same with the offense after Cooper Beebe left the game. Eberflus’ defense invites more than one or two questions. Not everyone is as charitable as the Giants, as the Cowboys will learn soon enough.
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Victory smooch: See photos as Cowboys celebrate overtime win vs. Giants
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