FRISCO, Texas – Mike McCarthy can fix the problems.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been “under pressure” too often, and his coverage allowed nine pressures and three catches to Aaron Donald and Los Angeles Rams in the first game of the season.
The cowboys were on their timing, recording disorders with the intensity of the road and defensive adjustments, double-team locks and special teams strategy.
“Frankly, we looked like a team that played their first game,” McCarthy said Monday after the Cowboys failed 20-17 at SoFi Stadium.
So McCarthy doesn’t mind enthusiasts pointing to the failure of the fourth and third conversions, the revised offensive pass interference call, or a series of disorders that preceded any of the games. But the new Cowboys coach’s message at 0-1 is clear.
“At the end of the day, our honeymoon is over,” McCarthy said. “It’s time to win games. And that’s our purpose and we have to do better. “
WEEK 2 OPTIONS: Will the Cowboys win their first win of the season?
McCarthy did not stand by after the Cowboys were hired on January 7. Former head coaches Mike Nolan and Jim Tomsula, now defensive line coordinator and coach respectively, led a defensive schematic renaissance with more fronts than their predecessor Rod Marinelli. John Fassel, special coach of the Rams for a long time, to revitalize a unit that has struggled in 2019.
But, as in the case of all new league staff members, a virtual off-season and an era of tight educational camps gave it less time to put new systems into effect and integrate staff.
Like the forces in all 3 stages of a Cowboys squadron.
Offensive running back Ezekiel Elliott looked fresh, pushing defenders in the direction of 127 yards and two touchdowns as he finished his running force with an expanded receiving game and assisted pass protection. Tackles, one sack and two hits in the quarter. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie intercepted a pass as the offense did not yield the ball, winning the turnover war McCarthy sees as the team’s primary goal and winning. yards.
But the offense scored only 3 points in the part of the moment after entering part-time 14-13. The defense struggled to protect the screens and restrict the yards of the receivers after the catch. Kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 53-yard area goal. The Rams largely ruled the Cowboys in third place, with Dallas converting only 3 out of 12 third attempts and allowing Los Angeles to take over nine out of 17. The trend allowed the Rams to hold the ball 35:38 instead of 24:22 for the Cowboys.
“We gave them too many opportunities by becoming third parties,” Nolan said.
Facing Atlanta on Sunday at 1 p. m. ET in his first home game, Dallas hopes to leave his game blank and recover to Array500.
“Power is there, ” said the defensive ending DeMarcus Lawrence. “I feel that power has more to do with the lost task than with the tempo.
“But it can also be a contraction of the ego for you if you play the right way and try to bring that power and take out the next game and use it. “
McCarthy also intentional about the power he channeled this week. You need to recognize the former as they happen, adding the first defeat. The Cowboys cleaned up their mistakes and by Monday night they were already watching the Falcons and what to expect from an Atlanta team that fell 38-25 to Seattle in Week 1.
Former coach Jason Garrett believed in giving his players 24 hours to deal with one game before discussing the next. McCarthy and his team began training for the Falcons on Monday night before players took off on Tuesday, even after a Sunday night game on the West Coast. , with the landing of your plane at 3:30 a. m.
“It’s anything you have to be smart about in this league,” Prescott said of the rapid transition. “The merit of having the game plan for me a day before gives me the day to examine my grades, examine my settings, I know what the defense will give me about the games we put into the game plan . . .
“Let it be even more before Sunday. “
Dallas will have to compensate the major injured headlines opposed to Los Angeles. The closed wing Blake Jarwin lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, while supporter Leighton Vander Esch had to go through surgery for a damaged collarbone. Linebacker Sean Lee also underwent surgery this Cam Erving’s offensive version is expected to lose 4 to six weeks of rehabilitation due to a knee injury sustained while protecting the basket, a challenging version of more confusing intensity through the placement of the right version of La’el Collins the injured reserve (hip) and Tyron Smith’s left misses practice on Thursday due to a neck injury
The Cowboys will have to stop an offensive that racked up 506 yards off Seattle, hoping that a young defensive runners’ organization can keep up speed with catchers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. a pass race that includes Grady Jarrett, Takkarist McKinley and Dante Fowler.
Meanwhile, McCarthy hopes to recover from his 0-1 start as a Cowboys coach with a 1-0 home record.
“I’ve been lucky enough to make the way of the past, ” said McCarthy. “So I’ve been through that and I just need to sit at home this year.
“Winning home games is all you want to be part of this playoff tournament, and that will be our goal. Identify your merit on the ground. “
Follow Jori Epstein of USA TODAY Sports on Twitter @JoriEpstein.