A penalty for a late pitching attempt and an inability to run the ball derails the Cowboys

Mark Maske, Washington Post

published

6.30 pm PDT, Sunday 21 October 2018

LANDOVER, Md. – A questionable penalty for an equalizer attempt by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at FedEx Field helped pin the difference for first place in the NFC East.

While the Cowboys followed the Washington Redskins by three points and prepared for a 47-yard shot at goal by kicker Brett Maher in the final seconds, the Redskins seemed to put themselves in danger. But the long Cowboys snapper, Louis-Philippe Ladouceur, was called for an immediate offense.

With the Cowboys pushed back five meters, Maher sent his 52-yard kick off the left post. The Redskins won 20-17 to ensure the division's lead.

"I've never had that before," Ladouceur said. "I do exactly the same thing every time, which is what I said to referees: I'm doing exactly the same thing."

It seemed that Maher's hitching kick would have been good to five or ten meters more. But he refused to blame the sentence.

"Not at all," says Maher. "This penalty has had no impact on the outcome of this shot, I can promise you."

Ladoceur is a 14-year-old NFL veteran who said he has seen this league call "not very often" over the years.

"They told me that I was one of the people responsible for the false start," he said. "I did exactly the same thing as usual … A bad turn of events out there … I'm not trying to make it lose the course I know the situation. "

The loss brought the Cowboys record to 3-4. They are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for second place behind the Redskins (4-2 after the win).

The Dallas offense spent a good part of the day running – and throwing – instead. Halfback Ezekiel Elliott was bottled by the Washington defense, running for only 33 yards in 15 carries. And there were not enough offensive alternatives for the Cowboys. Their first touchdown was marked by a long pass from quarterback Dak Prescott to rookie receiver Michael Gallup at the end of the first half. But Prescott lost two fumbles, including one that gave the Redskins the touch that seemed to seal the result.

The Cowboys added a touchdown dive from Prescott in the final two minutes, then recovered the ball and led to Maher's missed goal.

Prescott threw for a respectable 273 yards on 22 to 35 assists. But with Elliott as a non-factor, the Dallas offense was not quite up to the task.

The Cowboys had a 40-point performance in a home win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yet, their offensive production has been the problem for most of the season. Elliott has generally thrived, but the passersby game has struggled after the tight Jason Witten match that has retired and joined ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast booth. The team is separated from wide catcher Dez Bryant.

Prescott players 'lack of playing and gaming capacity led to an ESPN report Sunday that the Cowboys were exploring an exchange against Amari Cooper, the Oakland Raiders' great game.

"In an exchange, you need two," said Jerry Jones, owner of Cowboys, in a pre-match radio interview. "You have to take a look at the areas of real needs presumed."

For most of Sunday's game, the offensive performance did little to ease concerns about Prescott and the passing match. Elliott being limited to 13 yards in the first half, the Cowboys could not propose Plan B. They were held without goal before the end of the first half.

Prescott was taken to the medical tent on the sideline of the Cowboys after absorbing his shoulder to the head by Redskins cornerback Greg Stroman at the end of a race. . It was a legal success since Prescott was a runner at the time. Prescott was cleared and returned to the game without missing a game.

The Cowboys' only offensive offense in the first half came when Gallup beat Stroman deep in the left touchline and scored in a 49-yard strike a minute before half-time. That tied the score at 7. The Cowboys fell behind a pair of second-half goals from the Redskins. But Maher's 47-meter kick reduced the deficit to 13-10 with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Otherwise, there was frustration for the Cowboys. Rookie goaltender Connor Williams was sentenced to a penalty, which would have been a big win for Prescott in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Cole Beasley for a first try. At the next game, Prescott was hit by linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and lost the football, which was recovered by Preston Smith of the Redskins for a touchdown.