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Cowboys News: DeMarcus Lawrence Says 'The Focus Is Lost' with Dallas at Times
December 24, 2019
Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence vented his frustration Monday following the team's 17-9 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Immediately after the game, Lawrence said, "Talent without a direction is nothing at all."
He elaborated on that sentiment a day later, per USA Today's Jori Epstein: "I don't feel like the direction is lost, I feel like sometimes the focus is lost. Everybody on this team, everybody in this fanbase need to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves: 'Are they really here for the Cowboys or are they really here to just place blame on each other?"
Lawrence didn't reference head coach Jason Garrett, but many will read those comments as a further indictment of Garrett's handling of the team.
Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was a little more explicit in levying the blame for Dallas' 7-8 record:
Dez Bryant @DezBryantI’m keeping it all the way 100000 right now.. you knew this very early in my career... I’m sorry I’m just stating facts ... I know exactly what football is and I know how it suppose to be played... CJ you kinda crushed me with this one because you spoke a fact https://t.co/jmOZn8FTdF
By almost any metric, the Cowboys should at the very least be preparing for the playoffs with an NFC East title in the bank. They're No. 1 in total offense (425.8 yards per game) and No. 11 in total defense (330.7 yards allowed per game), and Football Outsiders ranked them eighth in overall efficiency heading into Week 16.
Fans will argue the problem extends beyond 2019 as well. Dallas has three playoff appearances in Garrett's first eight full seasons on the job, and the team has yet to advance past the divisional round. Time and again the Cowboys haven't maximized the talent at their disposal.
They have four Pro Bowlers on this year's roster—tied for third-most in the NFC—and all they might have to show for it by the end is a .500 record and missing the playoffs.
Garrett isn't solely to blame for everything that has gone wrong in Dallas, but it would appear he's at least incapable of getting the team focused for what is a pivotal stretch.
If Garrett weren't on his way out already, then the nature of Sunday's loss might have sealed his fate.