Cowboys vs. Giants: 9 Things We Learned from Dallas' 31-14 Loss

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It will be another long and arduous offseason for these Dallas Cowboys. Dallas entered Sunday night’s contest with the New York Giants in need of a win to enter the playoffs, but instead it left MetLife stadium with a loss and a final record of 8-8.

The Cowboys came out flat against New York and fell behind 21-0 early and couldn’t do enough to get back into the game. Dallas’ defensive secondary was worse than awful and the Cowboys pass rush was about as weak as…well, it was just weak. It was so bad I couldn’t come up with a weak enough joke to insert into that previous sentence.

As I correctly stated in my Philadelphia Eagles article last week, the Cowboys just aren’t good. Good teams do not lose eight games, good teams do not fold like a cheap suit in the Texas heat and good teams do not allow big game opportunities to slip through their fingers.

This Dallas Cowboys team as constructed will never win a Super Bowl and quite possibly will never make it past the second round of the playoffs. There needs to be an overhaul in the D, but that may be for another article.

Here are nine things we learned about the Cowboys in their 31-14 loss to the G-Men.

Cowboys Secondary Dreadfulness Reached Its Pinnacle Sunday

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Not sure how many times this has to be stated, but the Cowboys secondary is bad. Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman and his crew of misfits gave up 346 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Newman gave an encore performance of some of his worst shows of the season. He gave up a big play to Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, was hurdled by every single Giants offensive skill player and missed enough tackles to make Mike Jenkins proud.

Newman's career as a Cowboy probably died on the field in New York, and for a lot of Cowboys fans that's just fine with them.

But the level of bad was at its pinnacle tonight because it was a game Dallas had to have, and instead it gave away a golden opportunity.

Cowboys Offensive Line Was Bad

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I'm a simple man who likes simple things. Saying the Cowboys offensive line is bad is ambiguous but true. How was it bad?

Doug Free had 10 penalties to lead the team in 2011. Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul made Free look silly—again—and the rest of those guys gave up a collective six sacks.

The solution could be moving right tackle Tyron Smith to the left side and maybe drafting another guard or signing a veteran tackle. However, if the line stands as is for next year then Dallas could be in for another 8-8 season.

Tony Romo Had a Great 2011

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It's tough for Romo to ever receive credit because the Cowboys usually, you know, tank at the end of every season. Romo was 29-of-37 with 289 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.

He threw a costly pick, but he never saw New York corner Antrel Rolle streaking across the field and it was his first interception since Thanksgiving.

Overall, Romo had more than 4,000 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. He threw only 10 picks and his quarterback rating was over 100. Give him a serviceable offensive line and a competent defense and you have a certifiable playoff team.

Rob Ryan Overachieved

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I think it's pretty safe to say Rob Ryan overachieved with this group of players. Yes, his defensive scheme was far too complicated, and, yes, his bravado was far ahead of the results, but look at what he had to work with.

Terence Newman looked old and bad, Mike Jenkins was hurt every single play, Keith Brooking and Bradie James forgot how to tackle and Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball played like only Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball could.

I criticized Mr. Ryan like he should've been because I did not feel he did enough with his scheme to protect the Cowboys defensive deficiencies. However, outside of that he just didn't have the talent needed for what he wanted to do defensively.

For that I simply cannot blame him for how Dallas performed.

Laurent Robinson Deserves an Extension

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He was shut out in the first half but he finally got going when the Cowboys decided to wake up in the third quarter. Robinson finished with four catches for 61 yards and two scores.

But what's most important is how quickly he bonded with Romo on the field. The two of them made beautiful music. Dez Bryant is still struggling with learning the playbook after two years and Miles Austin's 2011 season was hampered by injuries.

Robinson stepped up and played well every single time Dallas needed him to, and for that team owner Jerry Jones should do all that he can to give Robinson more money.

Dez Bryant Needs to Mature

Dez Byrant memorizes the Cowboys playbook

I’m under the impression that the Dez Bryant experiment may end badly in Dallas. He was just named in yet another lawsuit for an unpaid debt and, as I said in the previous slide, he still has issues with learning plays.

He was on kick and punt return duty tonight and I saw him carry the ball like a loaf of bread a couple of times, which just begs a Giant player to take the ball away from him.

Bryant contributed six catches for 70 yards but they were off pure athleticism and talent rather than knowing the Cowboys playbook.

He’ll be back next season and probably the one after that, but his leash should be much shorter next year.

Sean Lee Emerged as Defensive Leader

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I rarely brag on what I’ve done in the past, but I will gladly say I interviewed Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee last year right after the Cowboys finished off the Eagles.

We often hear how players want to get better each season and what they are doing to get there, but Lee said it and he lived it. He had just 32 tackles last year and that number spiked to 105 in 2011.

He’s a beast of a player, and pairing him with rookie Bruce Carter and veteran DeMarcus Ware? The Cowboys linebacking corps seems to be in good hands.

Dallas Penalty Woes Continue

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Dallas amassed 43 yards on seven flags on Sunday night—false starts, pass interference, holding, etc. I thought the undisciplined nature of these Dallas Cowboys was a product of the Wade Phillips era, but I have been proved wrong.

There is only so much coaches can change about players, and I'm starting to realize maybe there is nothing head coach Jason Garrett can do about their penalty situation.

Having so many crazy mistakes is the mark of a bad team, and the 2011 Dallas Cowboys are the picture of bad.

Dallas Lost Four of Five in Last Month

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The Cowboys beat the Buccaneers but Tampa was down by 42 at one point against the Falcons today. So, there's that.

The Cowboys season started to tank when the calendar flipped to December as they dropped games to the Cards, Giants, Eagles and to the Giants again on Sunday night.

Your 2011 Dallas Cowboys, ladies and gentlemen: 8-8.