'Surprise!' Stephon Gilmore Needs Surgery, Should Cowboys Re-Sign In Free Agency?
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." The famous Mike Tyson quote fits well when dissecting the Dallas Cowboys' 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers - though Stephon Gilmore, as it related to his shoulder, deserves some credit for staying in the ring.
The Dallas cornerback played with a torn right labrum, and his shoulder will now require surgery this week as he heads into 2024 free agency.
“I tried to give it all I’ve got,'' said Gilmore, who wore a shoulder harness and played every snap. "I still felt like I could play. I tried to give it a go. Got to take advantage of these opportunities.”
And now what must "go''? Some of the 14 free agents on the roster who like Gilmore are out of contract as this season ends.
Gilmore said he “for sure” plans to play a 13th NFL season in 2024.
The Cowboys were favorites at home and faced what most thought was inferior opposition. Everything was in Dallas' favor ... until it wasn't.
The Cowboys were hit with a 16-play, 67-yard opening touchdown drive that took the wind out of them as it was Jordan Love, and the Packers' offense landed an early haymaker.
"They were running the ball and then they got into short yardage and were able to pass the ball here and there, and we just couldn't get in a rhythm, and we didn't force any turnovers,'' said Gilmore in summation of the defense's work.
The tone was set early, and the Cowboys couldn't recover. Dan Quinn's defense and Mike McCarthy's offense were thrown through a loop with what Matt LeFleur's team did to them. .
Dallas had a plan of attack going into the game - but when the Green Bay punched back, that plan was in ruins.
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To say that the Green Bay offense came out hot is an understatement.
Three of the Packers' first four drives ended in touchdowns as Love tore apart Quinn's defense. It all led to a resounding 27-7 lead at halftime.
Love completed 13 of his 16 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, while Aaron Jones rushed for 30 yards and two touchdowns on his 12 first-half carries. If some thought that a half-time team talk would help Quinn's defense get its act together, you were wrong.
Dak Prescott and the offense got the ball to begin the half and had a 14-play 45-yard drive that ended in a Brandon Aubrey field goal. Dallas closed the gap. But again, the Packers punched the Cowboys right in the mouth as Love led a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to end the fight as a contest.
The white flag was waved.
"They were running the ball and then they got into short yardage and were able to pass the ball here and there, and we just couldn't get in a rhythm, and we didn't force any turnovers,'' Gilmore said.
"I'm surprised. I didn't see this coming."
Neither did we, Stephon.
The Cowboys had a plan to roll into AT&T Stadium, do away with a youthful Packers team, and add to their 16-game winning streak at home.
None of that eventuated, and the season came to a screeching halt.
There will be a lot of storylines to come out of Dallas' capitulation, one of the biggest being the Cowboys having a glass jaw when the playoffs begin. And a story within a story: Will Gilmore, at 33, be on the list of Cowboys who get paid to come back?
