Two games into this Super Bowl or bust season for the Dallas Cowboys it’s become clear this team has a lot of issues, primary among them their inability to avoid costly mistakes.
The Cowboys turned the ball over three times against Chicago on Sunday and rushed for a grand total of 36 yards in losing to the Bears 27-20.
With all the talk of Dallas getting Kyle Kosier and Marc Colombo back this week after missing the season opener against Washington, the Cowboys offense continued to sputter.
Kicker David Buehler missed a 44-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game in the fourth quarter, his second missed field goal of the young season.
Dallas’ defense gave up multiple big plays against a Bears’ offense that exploited the Cowboys secondary. Chicago receivers Devin Hester and Johnny Knox combined for eight catches for 163 yards and one touchdown.
Most of Chicago’s passing yards came against Cowboys’ corner Mike Jenkins, who looked lost on more than one occasion.
Prior to the game, Fox Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver said the Cowboys would be placing more emphasis on the running game against Chicago.
That emphasis was perhaps lost on Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who called 20 running plays among the Cowboys 71 total plays.
Marion Barber had five rushes for 27 yards in the first quarter, then four carries for 4 yards the rest of the game. Felix Jones gained 7 yards on seven carries.
About the only bright spots for Dallas were Dez Bryant’s 62-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Cowboys a brief 7-3 lead in the first quarter and Miles Austin had 10 catches for 142 yards. He’s caught 20 passes for 288 yards in Dallas’ two games this season.
Dallas finds themselves 0-2 for the first time since 2001, the year following Troy Aikman’s retirement. Dallas also began the 1993 season 0-2, but that team had a wealth of talent and Jimmy Johnson as its head coach.
For all the talk of Dallas being the first team to play for a Super Bowl title in its home stadium, the Cowboys had better find answers to the many questions facing them – and quickly.
If the Cowboys can’t get their problems resolved, the team’s Super Bowl dreams are going to turn into a nightmare season. For a team with a payroll exceeding $160 million, that isn’t going to sit well with the fans and especially owner Jerry Jones.
