The 2018 offseason is underway for the Dallas Cowboys. Typically, this means we should look ahead to both free agency and the NFL Draft, something we've been doing and will continue to do on Inside The Star in the coming months. But it's time to look back a bit, and examine three key plays that changed the 2017 season — for the worse.
Week 4: Ryan Switzer's Fumble
First, we go back to the fourth game of the year.
The Dallas Cowboys were 2-1 coming off two shaky performances in their last two games. They were playing the 2-1 Los Angeles Rams, a team which we didn't think much of at the time, but that turned out to be the NFC West champions.
Dallas controlled the first quarter and a half. The Rams defense couldn't stop Dak Prescott & Co. and the Cowboys defense was holding up against the dynamic Rams' offense. Up 17-6, they forced another Rams punt, and were getting ready to potentially put the game away.
Instead, rookie Ryan Switzer fumbled the punt away to the Rams.
Los Angeles took over with fantastic field position, and scored their first touchdown pretty quickly. This fumble changed the entire feel of the game, and contributed to a tough early-season loss for the Cowboys, knocking them down to 2-2.
Week 5: Terrance Williams. Ugh.
After that tough loss to the Rams, no one gave the 2-2 Cowboys a chance when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers came to town. Most expected the Packers to roll over Dallas, but the Cowboys fought hard for four quarters.
In the fourth quarter, leading by just two points, the Cowboys got the ball in their own territory with a chance to drive down the field and seal the game. The Packers defense struggled with Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott all game long, and this drive would be no different.
Instead, early on in the drive, Prescott's pass bounced off Terrance Williams' chest and into the arms of Damarious Randall.
Randall took the interception back for a touchdown to give the Packers a late lead. The Cowboys would drive and score on their next possession, only for Rodgers to break their hearts moments later.
If Williams had caught this pass, however, it would've been really unlikely for Rodgers to even have the chance to win the game.
Week 16: Dez Bryant. Ugh.
There were a ton of plays to choose from for this post, most of which came from this week-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With Elliott returning from suspension and most of the early NFL games going the Cowboys way, all Dallas had to do to keep their playoff hopes alive was beat the reeling Seahawks.
Spoiler alert: they didn't.
I could've chosen Prescott's pick six or Dez Bryant's first fumble, but this play was really the end of the Cowboys' chances.
Following the best play of the night from both Prescott and Bryant, and down just 2 points in the third quarter, Dak's pass bounced off Bryant's hands for the interception.
This play felt like the dagger in the Cowboys' season, and in the end it probably was.
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I know this was probably depressing, but later this week I'll have the 3 best plays from the 2017 Cowboys season here on Inside The Star. Hopefully that will lift spirits a bit.
