On a night when the Cowboys and Bengals were being used to honor The Simpsons, it was the Cowboys who provided the giant “D’oh!”

Shades of Leon Lett! The only thing better than a Cowboys loss is when they lose on an unbelievably dramatic, mind-numbingly ridiculous, fluky, punch-in-the-gut play in the final minute. I know it’s instinct when the ball is bouncing your way after a blocked punt to want to fall on it, but a professional football player must know what to do and what not to do in every situation. Amani Oruwarive is not a rookie; he is an NFL veteran who started on defense for the Bears. He’s gotta know. Instead of Dallas getting the ball well within kicker Brandon Aubrey’s range for the game-winning field goal, Joe Burrow gets one more chance and wins it with a TD toss to the best receiver in the NFL.

The Cowboys defense played well enough to win; it was the offense that let them down. The Cowboys joined the Browns, Patriots, and Giants as the only teams this season to not put up more than 20 points on Cincy. CeeDee Lamb had just two catches in the second half. He was targeted only once in the whole 4th quarter. You have to score points against the Bengals because everyone does. The Cowboys didn’t.

I’m sick about DeMarvion Overshown. That guy is such a stud–a superstar playmaker and so incredibly fun to watch. Dynamic. Freakishly good in just his first full year in the NFL. And a Longhorn to boot. Hook ‘Em! For Overshown to be getting better and better every week and beginning to have real game-changing impact on the field, and then to go down with that horrific knee injury is just a horrible shame. I hate it for him. He didn’t play a snap last year because of a knee injury, and now this, right when he’s starting to dominate. Awful.

Back to the Simpsons thing. It was a no-brainer for The Simpsons folks to put Bart with Joe Cool’s Bengals and to place Homer with the Cowboys. Perfect typecasting; this thing writes itself! I didn’t see any of that alt-cast on ESPN+ or Disney, but I’m hoping to run across it soon on a replay. When the ABC cameras showed Jerry Wayne in his owner’s box last night, I could only imagine he was Mr. Burns on the Simpsons-cast–I can’t imagine him as anyone else. Ezekiel Elliot is certainly Sideshow Bob. Mike McCarthy is either Barney or Ralph Wiggum, depending on if the Cowboys are winning or losing. Or maybe Chief Wiggum. Stephen Jones has to be Mayor Quimby. Micah Parsons is the over-the-top Drederick Tatum caricature. Cooper Rush is Ned Flanders. Oh, I don’t have time to do all these right now. Mike Zimmer is Principal Skinner. CeeDee Lamb is Moe. Stop!

Who had the 3-10 Carolina Panthers as the favorites over the Cowboys this Sunday?

Peace,

Allan