It was clear that Dallas Cowboys machine didn’t work as good as expected and the fans didn’t see much, especially from Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott led offense. As a result, in the end, the scoreboard was showing 16 for Carolina Panthers and 8 for Dallas Cowboys.
If we take a look at the numbers, we could say that it was a close game as Carolina had 293 yards compared to 232 of Cowboys. They also had 20 first downs, and Big D team managed to get 17 with a possession time of 30:36 to 29:24 in favor of home squad. On the field, at least in the first three quarters, it was a completely different story as Panthers dominated.
Obviously, there were problems, America’s Team simply couldn’t move the chains, and in the first half, they won only 60 yards not managing to get to the Panthers half of the field. The first five attacks ended with a punt with Zeke having seven carries for 18 yards and Prescott completing six out of ten passes for 46 yards.
The fourth quarter brought something different, and the Cowboys woke up. It was 16:0 for the home squad, and while for some teams few minutes would be enough to equalize, Dallas didn’t manage to go all the way. The first TD for The Boys came with 8:51 to go as Elliott reached the end zone after which Prescott run for the two-point conversion.
Looking at the entire game, that 10-play, 75-yard drive was the best thing we saw from the Cowboys. Unfortunately, that was pretty much all they managed to do as they looked lost without any plays that would greatly influence the end score. While in their rookie season, Prescott and Elliott had a stellar performance, the first match of the season doesn’t promise a lot. Sure, there were many changes on the roster with some experienced players leaving Dallas, and both of these youngsters will need to step up.
One more thing that could prove to be a bad move for one of the most popular franchises in sport is the release of Dan Bailey. There was an opportunity in the third quarter when a new kicker, Brett Maher, didn’t hit the target from 47 yards. Bailey salary for 2018 would be $3.4 million, and that was probably the reason for his release, but this move could prove to be quite costly for the Cowboys.
