The Dallas Cowboys didn't lose to the New England Patriots because of two penalties, but the flags did dampen their continued efforts to get out of their own way in Foxborough. All things considered, they were flagged on only one more occasion (7) than the Patriots were (6), and were actually penalized for six yards fewer (50) than New England (56), but the timing of two calls in particular killed key drives for Dallas.
On two separate occasions, the Cowboys were called for tripping, and All-Pro pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence shared his thoughts on the calls following the game -- cushioned enough to potentially avoid a fine, but bare-knuckled enough to get his point across.
"I get tripped up every time, but it's cool," Lawrence told media, mixing his displeasure with clear accountability for the team not doing the things they should've done well. "I'm not going to sit here and cry about it. If the refs want to call the bull----, let them call the bull----. It's all about what we do."
He wasn't done there, though.
"Come on," said an upset Lawrence. "Everybody knows there was no such thing [as tripping on those calls] -- [no foot] was thrown out or that somebody was tripped. They can talk about it in the front office and figure out when they're going to start calling tripping calls, or when that call is even displayed. It's all up to them. They make the rules.
"We just play the game."
This was a more in-depth take on what he hinted at via Twitter after the game.
— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) November 25, 2019
Again, and as Lawrence agrees, the Cowboys didn't do enough to win in Gillette Stadium.
That said, many see his point regarding the tripping penalties. While being penalized for it once is rare -- twice is a statistical anomaly in the NFL.
The first was against All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith in the first quarter with Dallas operating from their own 29-yard line. The flag on Smith created a second-and-23 scenario and moved Dallas back to their own 19, and a questionable route by Randall Cobb -- presumably called by the coaching staff -- on third-and-19 forced them to punt. That punt was blocked by Matthew Slater due to poor execution by the Cowboys special teams unit, who was later raked over the coals by Jones, and Tom Brady hit rookie receiver N'Keal Harry for a short-field touchdown two plays later.
The second tripping penalty was equally if not more damaging, considering when it occurred. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Cowboys offense converted on third-and-1 but All-Pro center Travis Frederick was flagged for tripping, which set them back to third-and-11 from their own 25-yard line. An incomplete pass to Randall Cobb and subsequent one to Amari Cooper on fourth-and-11 gave the Patriots back the ball -- sealing the victory for Tom Brady and Co.
Here's footage of both tripping calls for your own interpretation:
Yesterday, Tyron Smith & Travis Frederick were both penalized with Tripping Penalties.
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) November 25, 2019
I put them together in a Short Movie I call “Tyron & Travis Weren’t Tripping But The Refs Are” pic.twitter.com/U3WfQpmwU5
There were many reasons the Cowboys failed to win in Week 12, and penalties certainly played a role in the team's demise.
It's not the first time they've taken issue with NFL officials in 2019, the most notable being when head coach Jason Garrett was flagged for using abusive language toward a referee in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers following what the he believed was a slew of bad calls and/or no calls, leading to owner Jerry Jones referring to said official later on as "little darling".
It's true the calls were questionable, but it's also true the Cowboys were in position at several points in the game to make the penalties inconsequential to the outcome. As they ready to take on the Buffalo Bills on a short week, it would do them well -- as Lawrence alluded to above -- to control what they can control, so that what is inevitably out of their control can't undermine their mission. They can't control the officials or when flags are thrown, but they can control muffed punts, dropped passes, missed tackles and play calling.
Will NFL officiating improve? Not likely. Can the Cowboys improve? We'll see.
The outcome of their remaining games lies in the answer to both questions, but much more the latter.