The Dallas Cowboys exceeded the expectations of many NFL fans on Thursday Night Football. The Eagles were heavy favorites on banner night for the Super Bowl 59 champions. But the Cowboys hung around for the entire game, losing a close one 24-20 despite a number of bizarre circumstances throughout the evening.
Eagles DT Jalen Carter was ejected before the first offensive snap of the game. And the second half featured a lightning delay that sapped all the life out of the contest.
Many fans expected the Eagles to steamroll the Cowboys and cruise to an easy win. But credit to the Cowboys for going score for score with the Eagles in the first half. And for keeping the score close during the second half.
In fact, first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer is still bullish on Dallas being able to make the Super Bowl.
“I still think we can win a Super Bowl,” he said. “It’s not going to change. I mean, we’ve got the right type of guys. We’ve got good players.”
But enough positives. After all, the Cowboys did lose this game.
So who can the Cowboys blame this loss on? Was it a total team collapse, or do one or two players share the majority of the responsibility?
Below we will explore the Cowboys player most responsible for Thursday's heartbreaking Week 1 loss against the Eagles.
CeeDee Lamb had multiple huge drops in second half
We have to start with CeeDee Lamb.
It is tough for a football team when their superstar players cannot rescue a game. That's exactly what happened with Lamb.
CeeDee had arguably three dropped passes on Thursday night. All of them came during the second half. That doesn't count a diving catch attempt by Lamb during the team's last offensive play of the game.
You have to give Lamb credit for taking full responsibility for those mistakes.
“Man, that was terrible,” Lamb said after the game, per the team's official website. “I can't point fingers at anybody else. I take full accountability and everything else that comes with that. As a player, I've prayed for moments like that, and for the ball to come my way. To not come up with it, it stings a little bit.”
If any one of those catches had been hauled in, the Cowboys could have won the game.
Lamb may be partly responsible for Thursday's loss. But the Cowboys are still in great hands with Lamb as their top target.
The superstar receiver still hauled in seven receptions for 110, including to big plays of 20+ yards each.
Cowboys fans can expect Lamb to bounce back next week against the Giants.
Miles Sanders spoiled Dallas' best chance at points in second half
The veteran running back proved why it was so easy for the Cowboys to acquire him this offseason.
Sanders had a handful of plays that left Cowboys fans scratching their heads during the third quarter.
First, we'll give Sanders some credit.
He ripped off a big 49-yard run that put the Cowboys into the red zone. But it was painful to see Sanders caught by linebacker Zack Baun on the run.
That is a situation where Sanders needs to score a touchdown. It is also hard to not think about whether or not rookie Jaydon Blue would have scored in that scenario.
Things got worse just a few plays later.
Sanders fumbled the football, which was recovered by Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell.
Dallas came away with zero points after Sanders' big run. And they would not score another point for the entire game.
Javonte Williams looked great as an early-down option for the Cowboys. But I fully expect them to give Blue a long look as their speed option / third-down back once he returns from injury.
Cowboys front seven let Jalen Hurt, Saquon Barkley run wild without Micah Parsons
Predictably, the Cowboys missed Micah Parsons on defense.
The Cowboys could not contain Hurts in the pocket. They were undisciplined when setting an edge in the running game. Dante Fowler Jr.'s big whiff on what could have been a huge tackle for loss against Barkley is the perfect example.
Dallas also struggled to contain Hurts in the pocket, routinely allowing him to escape for big gains.
Hurts finished the game with 14 carries for 62 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He made Dallas pay with his legs almost every time they played excellent coverage.
Dallas only managed one sack on the evening.
Credit to Osa Odighizuwa and newcomer Kenny Clark for playing well. But they were not enough to turn the tide.
The Cowboys' defense will be under the microscope again in Week 2.
If they have another poor performance, it could be the sign of an ugly season to come.
