After further review: Defense non-existent, offense had nowhere to go in Cowboys playoff loss.

The Dallas Cowboys’ season has come to an end after they were defeated by the Green Bay Packers 48-32. This one left us with a lot of questions

rather than many reasons for celebration. The special teams performed poorly, the defense was even worse, and the offense was subpar.

After seeing the game film again, let’s examine the lessons that may be drawn from it.

RUNNING WILD

The effortless way in which Green Bay was able to run the ball over the defense was more of an issue than the Cowboys’ defense failing to contain

the Packers’ running game. Too frequently, there were large, free roads to traverse. The Packers performed a fantastic job of rearranging players

and diverting potential tacklers. Once they reached the second floor, they blocked off the defenders. They displayed a masterful blocking display, leaving the Cowboys’ defense absolutely impotent.

LOVE BITES

The Packers’ running game might been even more damaging if it wasn’t for how easy it was for them to pass the ball. Jordan Love only attempted 21

passes on the day, but he made them count. The Cowboys weren’t able to apply enough pressure, and when they did get a little, Love would just

stutter-step himself into space and throw off his back foot. He looked a lot like the guy who previously took the snap behind center for the Packers and that is not a comforting feeling for Cowboys fans.

The Packers knew exactly how much time he had and planned accordingly. These slower-developing plays caused the Cowboys’ secondary to fall asleep and left the Packers’ receivers wide open.

THE LITTLE THINGS MATTER

The Cowboys weren’t too terrible with penalties, so this isn’t as damaging as it’s been in the past, but the type of penalties is still bothersome.

It feels like every game they jump offsides. Their most savvy veteran defender, DeMarcus Lawrence, just couldn’t help himself.

The penalty only cost them a couple of yards, but it changed the Packers play-calling options on third down and allowed them to lean on Aaron Jones.

CAN’T TAKE A SACK, DAK

Another one that will get filed in the “does it really matter” box is a second-quarter sack taken by Dak Prescott. The Cowboys desperately needed

seven points on this drive after falling behind 14-0. If Prescott just tosses the ball away, Mike McCarthy likely goes for it on fourth down as they are

in that grey area of the field. Keeping that drive alive could’ve changed the complexity of the game script. Or, he could have chosen to kick a field goal there. A sack, however, forced the punting team to come on.

NOT-SO SPECIAL TEAMS

Without a doubt, the Cowboys’ special teams unit has performed admirably this season. This season, they have used near-perfect kicking and

blocked punts as tools. However, this group is not immune to error. Catch interference was called against Sam Williams, who was previously

flagged for roughing the punter throughout the season, because he was unable to maintain a safe distance from Packers returner Jayden Reed.

DAKARTHENHEIMER

The Cowboys offense on Sunday has a plethora of issues. The defense of the Packers was poised and ready to attack. Prescott didn’t seem to have many excellent options in the beginning, and he occasionally made bad choices and threw into coverage. Playcalling and Prescott both share some of the blame because they were unable to identify the weaknesses in the Packers’ defense.

And the Cowboys offense on Sunday is summed up in this one sequence.

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