Decoding McCarthy, Wk 16-Good wasn't enough

Cowboys offense left too many points and chances on the cutting room floor to win

You can probably draw a line in the fanbase between the hardcore enthusiasts and the casuals based on a simple topic:

How worked up do you get about the Dallas Cowboys decisions when they make cuts in late August and early September?

There is no wrong answer, I suppose. But, on Sunday, we saw a good example of every decision mattering throughout the season.

Because in this game at Miami, where the Cowboys big-time players seemed to have pretty big-time games in a big-time spot, they were shown that two of the guys that were least secured in their roster spots seemed to decide the outcome.

Now, perhaps I am rationalizing things a bit, but my memory of this Christmas Eve clash with the upstart and electric Miami Dolphins will come down to two names, in particular.

And unlike the national media, it won’t be Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons here at #SturmStack.

Chuma Edoga and Hunter Luepke.

Edoga, the Cowboys swing tackle, has been watching games from the sideline since the first month of the season. He started the first four games and the Week 8 game against the Rams, but otherwise has played the blocking TE position on short yardage situations. I’m about to say something here that might cause some of you to be aghast, but I am going for it: he hasn’t been a bad option in 2023 and until the fourth quarter Sunday, he hasn’t been a major problem.

Would I rather have him on the field than Tyler Smith, Tyron Smith, or Terence Steele? Of course not, but this is not Chaz Green. This is pretty much what a NFL swing tackle looks like in today’s league. Probably not a starter, but also a guy who can start 3-4 games for you and hold up OK.

Luepke, the undrafted rookie fullback from North Dakota State, has been a core member of the Cowboys special teams outfit every game this season and has played the fourth most special teams snaps for the team (Juanyeh Thomas, Sam Williams, and Jalen Tolbert have the most).

Luepke has also had some looks in the offense, but had his playing time diminished when the Cowboys reimagined their offensive scheme after Week 5. But, ironically, there was a time this year where he appeared to be the answer to their short-yardage back situation.

Let me say this: I think he will be a very nice player for this offense in time. This rookie season is just scratching the surface, but I have zero issues with the guy.

That said, Luepke’s first-down fumble on the goal-line and Edoga’s two mental busts with the game hanging in the balance probably lost the game. Those three moments stick out to me as the difference between the idea that the offense played pretty well when the game was on the line and nearly won one of their grittiest games in years.

In reality, they needed the defense to save the day (which they couldn’t) and the offense went quiet for large swaths of the game. They left too many points on the field and needed to make sure they scored four touchdowns. Instead, they scored just two. That is not enough against a quality opponent on the road in December.