Skid shifts Cowboys talk to Garrett’s future
FRISCO, TEXAS >> The last time the Dallas Cowboys lost three straight games, they were halfway through star running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension two years ago.
Since this skid came more than a month earlier on the schedule, the Cowboys have plenty of time to salvage their playoff hopes — something they couldn’t do in 2017. The urgency is immediate, with a visit Sunday by Philadelphia and the NFC East rivals tied for the division lead at 3-3.
Still, the sense of crisis is considerably higher this time coming off a 24-22 loss to the previously winless New York Jets. It’s not much consolation that Dallas was without both starting offensive tackles and slot receiver Randall Cobb from the start and lost No. 1 pass-catcher Amari Cooper to a thigh injury early.
An underachieving defense fell flat again, unable to stop the NFL’s worst offense statistically on the way to a 21-3 deficit in the first half, or when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. Second-year New York quarterback Sam Darnold had one of his best games as a pro after missing a month with mono.
Super Bowl talk for a 3-0 team that already had high expectations has been replaced by Jason Garrett talk, as in what’s the future of a coach whose contract expires after the season. Owner Jerry Jones brushed off those questions but couldn’t hide a sobering thought.
“Ultimately if you’re one of the really top teams, which we’re not, we are not,” said Jones, who watched one of his most difficult losses on his 77th birthday. “I hope that someday this season we could be one of the top teams. We’re certainly not tonight.”
Elliott had a big second half despite the Cowboys facing a large deficit for the second straight week. Dallas was down 31-3 in the second half against Green Bay, and Elliott all but disappeared.
This time the Cowboys stayed closer, and the twotime rushing champion had 70 yards rushing and 31 yards receiving after halftime. He had a punishing touchdown run and drew a pass interference penalty on a deep throw on the TD drive that gave the Cowboys a chance to tie in the final minute. Elliott finished with 152 scrimmage yards — 105 rushing and 47 receiving.
Redskins feel good after 1st win, prepare for unbeaten 49ers
ASHBURN, VA. >> There was a different feel at the Washington Redskins’ practice facility the day after their first victory of the season.
It didn’t matter that Washington held on to beat the winless Miami Dolphins who missed a 2-point conversation attempt in the final seconds. After Jay Gruden was fired and Bill Callahan installed as interim coach, the Redskins needed a win any way they could get it.
“I imagine it’s going to be a little happier around here this week,” linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said Monday. “Obviously it’s been a rough go of it so far this year, but to get one under our belt, get the first one behind us, I think is really big.”
The good vibrations may not last long with former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s 5-0 San Francisco 49ers coming to town Sunday. But for now, there are happy days.
Callahan’s promise to commit to the running game worked. Adrian Peterson carried the ball 23 times for 118 yards, and Washington rushed for 145 yards against Miami.
“We came into the game thinking rush attempts,” Callahan said. “We weren’t really concerned about the yardage. The yardage worked out, but the attempts was really, really important.”
The stalwart defensive line that was supposed to be the Redskins’ top unit also made an impact with four of their five sacks.
“We’re just trying to do our job and do it at a high level,” said defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, who had two sacks.
Darnold gives Jets, struggling offense ‘new life’ in return
NEW YORK >> Sam Darnold’s presence alone gave the New York Jets an immediate lift.
From the loud ovation the second-year quarterback received during pregame introductions to the smiles on the sideline, the impact of his return was clear.
Then, he took the field.
“Him coming back gave the team, our offense, a new life,” wide receiver Robby Anderson said during a conference call Monday. “He’s our starting quarterback and he brings a lot of upside, and there’s a lot in store with him.”
Darnold showed no signs of rust in a 24-22 victory over Dallas on Sunday after missing three games while recovering from mononucleosis. He was 23 of 32 for 338 yards and two touchdowns — a 92-yarder to Anderson and a 5-yarder to Ryan Griffin — and an interception.
The Jets put up 382 yards of total offense against the Cowboys after getting 233 combined in the last two games with practice squad player-turned-starter Luke Falk at quarterback.
It all resulted in New York’s first win of the season, and first under coach Adam Gase.
“We’ve got to just continue to work out the details,” Darnold said of the offense. “Obviously, we got the win, which was awesome. Our defense played great. We played good at times, but there’s a lot of things we can clean up.
“I think we left a lot of points on the field.”
Still, it was a huge positive step after the Jets — particularly the offense — barely resembled an NFL-caliber squad during Darnold’s absence.
It was also proof that New York isn’t exactly the bunch that people were making fun of the past three games during losses to Cleveland, New England and Philadelphia.
“We’ve got to build off each week, good or bad,” Gase said. “Those three weeks where Sam was out, those were some tough learning experiences for us. ... We really didn’t give ourselves much of a chance.”
After West Coast win, Steelers ride depth, momentum into bye
PITTSBURGH >> Steelers coach Mike Tomlin declined to discuss whom he gave the game ball to after watching his undermanned club potentially resurrect its season with a 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I keep that business between us,” Tomlin said.
Considering what his team did Sunday night against the Chargers, maybe Tomlin should have cut the ball into 53 equal pieces. Rookie quarterback Devlin Hodges was efficient, if not spectacular, while filling in for injured Mason Rudolph. Running back James Conner rolled up 119 total yards and two touchdowns. Rookie backup Benny Snell Jr. ran for 75 yards, most of them coming in the second half after Conner left with a quad injury. The defense forced three more turnovers, two ending up in the hands of linebacker Devin Bush.
“We live by the creed, ‘The Standard is the Standard,’” Tomlin said. “But those are just words. The players, the guys, make that reality.”
A reality that has the Steelers (2-4) heading into a welcome bye week with something akin to momentum. Pittsburgh begins a three-game homestand against winless Miami (0-6) on Oct. 28 and considering the current state of the AFC North — only Baltimore (42) has a winning record — the Steelers are still somehow relevant.
“We just need to come back healthy for the next game and be prepared for the season ahead,” wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said. “We are super excited with how we played tonight and how much we put on the board.”
That’s thanks in large part to Bush, who is looking every bit worth the investment the Steelers made when they traded up in the draft to take him with the
10th overall pick. Bush pounced on a backward pass by Los Angeles quarterback Philip Rivers in the first quarter and returned it 9 yards for a touchdown. He picked off Rivers on the Chargers’ next possession and Hodges led a 40-yard drive that ended with a 12yard sprint to the end zone by Conner.
Bush already has two interceptions and four fumble recoveries six games into his NFL career while becoming a vital part of a defense that already has created 15 takeaways, matching Pittsburgh’s total from all of last season.
“I think it has all come together for all of us as a unit,” Bush said. “A lot of new faces out there. I think week in and week out, we keep taking our step. We learn a lot about ourselves and how dominant we can be if we are on the same page.”