"We dem boys!" is starting to sound like "who are these guys?"
The Cowboys: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Oct 17, 2019, 11:05 am
Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Jason Garrett coaching on the sidelines.
The Week Six game between the Cowboys and the Jets was like most football games; there was the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. The end result left a bad taste in the mouth of every Cowboys' fan, but there were other takeaways from this sad loss in East Rutherford.
The Good
The defensive front seven is playing very well. Guys like Demarcus Lawrence and Robert Quinn were able to get some pressure on Sam Darnold. Quinn added two sacks Sunday, bringing his season total to five.
Kicker Brett Maher made two key field goals from 50 and 62-yards in the first half. The 62-yarder as time expired in the first half tied a Cowboys record that Maher had set himself last season. However, he did miss a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter. Those three points could have propelled the Cowboys to a victory, but Maher still performed admirably this game. Ezekiel Elliot added another 100 yards to his season total, but took a pounding every time he touched the ball. This has to be a wake-up call for the Cowboys. For a team supposed to be contending for a Super Bowl, the Cowboys could find themselves sitting at home come playoff time.
The bad
The Cowboys defensive secondary has been bend don't break for too long, and on Sunday they finally broke in half. Sam Darnold and the Jet's offense were able to figure them out early, and took full advantage of their soft coverage. Jets receiver Robby Anderson had the play of the game when he torched the Cowboys backfield for a 92-yard touchdown reception. Both defensive backs Jeff Heath and Chidobe Awuzie could not keep Anderson and the Jets receivers in front of them all game.
The ugly
With tackles Tyrone Smith and La'El Collins inactive for the game, the Jet's defensive coordinator was able to come up with multiple rush packages to disrupt the Cowboys' depleted offensive line. Under constant duress, Prescott struggled through poor throws, short throws, and a barrage of body blows. He did find some rhythm in the second half, but it felt more like a Blake Bortles garbage time performance than Dak and the Cowboys electric offense that was on full display weeks1-3. What also didn't help was the horrendous play-calling. On 4th and 2 on the seven-yard line, Garrett called for a QB run option instead of handing the ball off to Elliot, or settling for an easy field goal. Of course, it failed and on the very next play, Darnold threw his 92-yard bomb to Anderson putting the Jets up 14-6. One more time, the Cowboys and Garrett heavily underestimated his opponent.
While the season is not doomed with the loss to the Jets, the Cowboys certainly missed a golden opportunity. Next up, the Cowboys run face first into division rival Philadelphia Eagles, who are also 3-3 and coming off a tough loss.
The season may not be over for the Cowboys, but unless he starts learning from his mistakes, Jason Garrett won't be allowed to waste all this talent for much longer.
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Over the weekend, reports surfaced about the Astros circling back to the Cardinals about a potential trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado after Alex Bregman agreed to a contract with the Red Sox.
Shortly thereafter, The Athletic reported that the talks haven't gained any “traction” and no trade is expected to take place in the near future. (Thank goodness).
There's also the issue of Arenado's no-trade clause, further complicating the issue. However, the most notable information to takeaway from these reports has to be Houston's comfort (or lack there of) with their current roster.
Not only does this signal concern about the state of the infield, but it also shows how serious the Astros are about Jose Altuve playing a significant amount of time in left field.
According to MLB.com, had the deal originally gone down, the Astros would have been on the hook for Arenado's three-year contract that would cost Houston between $40-45 million after the Cardinals ate part of the salary.
Despite St. Louis kicking in part of the money, trading for Arenado would push the Astros past the competitive balance tax, something many believe owner Jim Crane was looking to avoid.
Considering Arenado's rapid regression in 2024, it's hard to imagine why Houston's front office would even entertain this move. Did they not learn anything from the Jose Abreu contract?
Arenado will play this season at 34 years old, and Houston would be stuck with his contract through his age 36 season. Sounds familiar. To make matters worse, Arenado's advanced stats are even more concerning.
Last season his bat speed was below average, and he recorded his career-worst stats in barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and slugging. And get this, he only had 39 extra-base hits in 2024 over 152 games played.
In 2023 with Houston, Abreu had 42 extra-base hits. But that's just part of the issue. Many Astros fans are begging for Arenado to join the team because he's a much better option than Mauricio Dubon.
The thought being Isaac Paredes would move to second base, with Arenado playing third, pushing Dubon to a utility role. Be careful what you wish for, Astros fans.
When Dubon received regular playing time in 2023 while Jose Altuve was out with a broken thumb, he posted 39 extra-base hits, the same number as Arenado last season. But Dubon was able to do that playing in 20 fewer games! Dubon also slugged .411 compared to Arenado's .394.
Why would the Astros pay Arenado roughly $15 million per season when he's arguably no better than the much cheaper, (and younger) Dubon? Makes zero sense. When a player shows you they're declining, believe them!
Can the Astros avoid another slow start?
The Astros had a huge hole to dig out of last year after a disastrous start to the season. They managed to prove a lot of haters wrong and finish with another division title, but it wasn't easy.
The two things they really struggled with were manufacturing runs late in games, and bullpen meltdowns. When looking at the current roster, are they better positioned this year to avoid stumbling out of the gate?
Be sure to watch the video above as we also address MLB's new challenge system, what's going on with Jim Crane, and much more!
The countdown to Opening Day is on. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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