The Cowboys' 28-7 loss to the Packers Sunday drops Dallas to 4-9 on the year, and effectively ends the season. Here are a few extra notes from the Cowboys final meaningful game of 2015.
Cassel's Dank Disaster
To be fair, the conditions were not apt for the passing game, but Matt Cassel again struggled throwing the football. The Cowboys replacement QB completed just 13 of his 29 attempts, for just 114 yards. Between that and the two sacks Cassel took, totaling 15 yards, Dallas failed to muster 100 passing yards for the second time in a Cassel start this season.
Packers Ground Game
The story of the game was the Packers' ability to run the football against the Cowboys, and eat clock. Green Bay had the football for nearly 38 minutes during the game, totaling 230 yards on the ground. The Packers ran the ball 44 times, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, gashing the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, in particular.
Defense Breaks Down Late, Again
The Cowboys defense has had far more responsibility thrown on its shoulders than should be considered reasonable, this year. But there's been a trend for this unit, most of the year -- play good, sometimes great, defense for 3-3.5 quarters, and then give up a late touchdown drive that either surrenders the lead, or ices the game. Sunday was no different. Particularly in the third quarter, the Cowboys defense looked very strong, and was really the only thing that kept Dallas in the game. But in the final frame, Green Bay put together a 12-play, 84-yard drive, spanning 6:34, to take a 21-7 lead, and put the game away.
Cowboys Run Game
The Cowboys only ran the ball 20 times on Sunday, but they totaled 171 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per carry. Darren McFadden had two long runs, comprising more than half of that 171 yard total -- a 50 yard run in the first half, and a 45 yard run in the second half. McFadden had 111 yards on the day, while Robert Turbin carried seven times for 51 yards, and the Cowboys only touchdown. Turbin's touchdown was the first rushing score of his NFL career.
4th & Goal Stand
Early in the game, the Cowboys seized momentum on a goal line stand. James Starks appeared to score on 3rd & Goal, before a review showed Starks knee touched the ground before he crossed the plane. On 4th & Goal, the Cowboys stymied an Aaron Rodgers quarterback sneak, to keep the game scoreless.
200 for Witten
Jason Witten played in his 200th consecutive game on Sunday, becoming the first Cowboy to reach that milestone. In the game, Witten made 5 catches. He totaled 40 yards, moving to 11,095 for his career, passing Chad Johnson for the 31st best mark in NFL history.
False Starts
The Cowboys have been called for the most false starts in the NFL in 2015, with 25. Through 13 games, that's an average just shy of 2 false starts per game. The next closest team in the NFL is Cleveland, with 21. Only four teams have 20 or more, including Oakland, and the New York Jets. Those four teams are a combined 21-31 this season.
Tank Time
With the loss, the Cowboys fall to 4-9, two games behind Washington and Philadelphia for first in the NFC East, after both those teams won on Sunday. As a result, the Cowboys playoff chances -- already slim coming into Sunday's game -- have fallen off a cliff. Dallas' best bet, now, for the future, will be to finish 4-12 and obtain the highest draft pick they can possibly have.
