ShareThisThe Dallas Cowboys had a chance to win on the final play of their season opener in Washington on Sunday night.
Did they deserve to beat the Redskins? No.
But after all of the offensive sluggishness and momentum-killing penalties, they had a chance.
And they found a way -- in the most implausible fashion imaginable -- to muck it up.
It was only fitting Dallas' mistake-filled season opener ended with the biggest mistake of all.
Right tackle Alex Barron mauled Washington's Brian Orakpo on the game's last snap, negating Roy Williams' 13-yard touchdown catch.
No doubt the ending will be the most talked about, but don't sweep the game's first 59 minutes and 56 seconds under the rug.
Cowboys' fans worst fears were realized when Dallas showed the struggles that plagued it in the preseason were no fluke.
Think about this for a second. The Cowboys' offense, which is reeling with injuries and in effectiveness on the line, ran 71 plays in the 13-7 loss.
And on those 71 offensive snaps, the Redskins scored as many points as the Cowboys.
If Barron's hold is a gaffe, the way the first half ended was a debacle. Instead of running out the clock, Dallas opted to run a play from the 37-yard line.
Did Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett not catch the end of the first half in last year's national title game between Texas and Alabama?
Run a play if you have to. It's called a Hail Mary. You'd think the Cowboys would be very familiar with that one.
Instead, Tomy Romo flung the ball out to Tashard Choice in the flat, and the football flung out of Choice's hands while he was tackled.
Washington's DeAngelo Hall returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, confirming a feeling that this wasn't going to be the road team's night.
Even one of the pleasant surprises of camp -- kicker David Buehler -- yanked a 34-yard field goal in the first half.
Dallas' defense can't really be blamed for this outcome. The Cowboys only allowed 250 yards and made a crucial stop inside their 5-yard line in the second half when the Redskins were threatening to take a 17-0 advantage.
But then again, with the exception of the preseason loss to the Texans, Dallas' defense wasn't the problem in August.
One week is obviously way too short of a timeframe to judge these Cowboys.
But the Giants looked impressive in dismantling of the Panthers, and although the Eagles lost to the Packers, the way Philadelphia battled back without quarterback Kevin Kolb was eye raising.
There's a lot of talk around the NFL of Dallas becoming the first team to play in a Super Bowl that they're also hosting.
I'd settle for an efficient home win against the Chicago Bears next week.
(Zach Duncan writes for the Wichita Falls Times Record News in Texas.)
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