In the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2020 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams opened their new stadium by beating the Dallas Cowboys 20-17. The Rams got pretty much everything they wanted offensively for most of the evening, with their tally capped at 20 just because of a missed field goal and a missed pass in the game that led to an interception by Jared Goff. The Cowboys offensive looked amazing in the first half, but slowed down after the break, scoring just three points. They had a chance to level the score early in the fourth quarter, but chose to play in the fourth and third over a field goal.
On a last-minute desperate drive, Duck Prescott found Michael Gallup zipping down the sideline to reinforce a monster that would put Cowboy firmly within the field’s goal range, but play was called off due to a controversial jamming call offensive. Two uncompleted matches later, the Rams won.
Here are some of our takeaways from the Sunday night case:
Why Rams won
God, God, Sean McVeigh had the perfect scenario for his crime. That’s where we need to start, because Jared Goff’s history of slumps seemed ominous as he engaged in a potential gunfight with the powerful Cowboys. Instead, QB was pretty darn nearly flawless, handling with ease in a quick, aggressive attack (the one INT had to be destroyed by a rude passer-by call), aided by a dependable exit from the leader, Malcolm Brown, who ran with authority. Los Angeles too often had to settle for goal attempts, but most of the night the team moved at will. On the other hand, a big game from top players like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey was more than enough to neutralize Dallas’ weapons that never went out of action.
Why did the Cowboys lose
Losing middle midfielder Leighton Vander Ash to injury early in the game didn’t help, but the problems got bigger and bigger, starting with the fact that the Cowboys never seemed to be able to stave off Rams’ positive influence. Whether it’s Malcolm Brown in the middle, Robert Woods on screens, or anything in between, Dallas had no answers for McVeigh’s effective group. (Aldon Smith, who did a really good job leading the passes, may have been the only exception.) Offensively, you can’t even blame Duck Prescott, who was razor-sharp for most of the night. However, you can and should blame Mike McCarthy for being shy about some important challenges, including during a trip to the red zone in the second half when the Boys became conservative despite Duck’s meteoric rise.
Turning point
There are five minutes left in the game. The cowboys lose by three, with a chance to completely change their fate after three unsuccessful attempts by Rams in a row – a pick and two antlers. This was followed by two short attempts by Elliott and a third game that unofficially cemented the Rams’ victory, a gap between Jalen Ramsey as Amari Cooper caught up with the first to lose. Ramsey’s physical condition did manifest itself in a game that was initially considered forced by groping and sparked a triumph for Dallas, allowing Los Angeles to burn a few more minutes and get closer to victory.
Playing the game
In a game that doesn’t have big touchdowns, this one should give up to Ramsey, who essentially lifted Cooper up and threw him aside, ensuring the Rams win at the season opener:
What’s next
The Cowboys (0-1) will head home to AT&T Stadium, where they will face the Atlanta Falcons (0-1), who lost to Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Rams (1-0) will travel to Philadelphia. for the match with the Eagles (0-1), who lost to the spectacle of the Washington soccer team in their opening.
