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Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and ex-Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith told Josh Peter of USA Today that his ex-team’s coaches need to perform better in order to reach greater postseason heights.
“Coaches will have to coach better and communicate better,” Smith said.
Smith also referenced the need for coaches to preserve timeouts as well as make better calls on “when to go for it and when not to go for it, kick field goals or not kick field goals, taking field position versus not taking field position. They’re going to have to do things different like that from a coaching standpoint.”
The Mike McCarthy-led Cowboys improved from 6-10 in 2020 to 12-5 in 2021, winning the NFC East along the way. However, they struggled against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, losing 23-17 in the NFC Wild Card Game.
It was not the finest hour for the Cowboys’ coaching staff. Of note, the clock ran out on Dallas on a last-ditch effort to score a game-tying touchdown:
The Athletic @TheAthletic
Dak Prescott ran a QB draw with 14 seconds left and handed the ball to the center, who placed the ball himself.<br><br>However, the ref is supposed to spot the ball.<br><br>The move cost Dallas a chance at a game-winning play. The 49ers advance.<br><br>???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@NFL</a> <a href=”https://t.co/1LifgBFDAj”>pic.twitter.com/1LifgBFDAj</a>
They also got a delay of game soon after a fake punt:
The game also ended with the Cowboys’ leading 2021 receiver, CeeDee Lamb, seeing just five targets for one catch and 21 yards. That led to some criticism from an ex-Smith teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Troy Aikman:
Dallas trailed 23-7 before mounting a comeback, but it was ultimately too little and too late.
The Cowboys have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and doubling their win total is a tremendous accomplishment.
However, bowing out early in the playoffs again was undoubtedly a disappointment. Still, the table is set for greater success in 2022.
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