The Cowboys entered Week 3 at 2-0 and on high of the NFL world, main the league in factors scored (70), factors allowed (10), level differential (+60), giveaways (zero), takeaways (seven), turnover margin (plus-seven), complete yards per recreation allowed (193.0), yards per play allowed (3.5), pink zone landing share allowed (zero %), sacks (10, tied with the Commanders), quarterback strain charge (63.6%) and passer score allowed (34.2). Nevertheless, that sentiment light away quick out within the desert in opposition to the 0-2 Cardinals, an 11-point residence underdog. The Cardinals shocked the Cowboys and the remainder of the league with a wire-to-wire 28-16 win on Sunday.
“Y’all [the media] put us on high of the world,” Dak Prescott said postgame on Sunday. “We all know who we’re, and in that very same sense, I am positive the media bought what they needed. There has solely been one undefeated workforce on this league. Ever. Yeah it sucks, it is humbling however to say it is a get up name we knew we had loads of adversity and we simply did not get it finished. I feel it goes again to myself, the offense and the pink zone. We get higher proper there, we win this recreation. We’ve got to repair that space. Interval.”
Dallas went 1-for-5 by way of turning their pink zone drives into touchdowns. Their pink zone journeys resulted in two discipline objectives, a display cross landing to backup working again Rico Dowdle — the undrafted participant’s first profession rating — a turnover on downs and an interception. The Cowboys had extra first downs than the Cardinals (26-20), a better third-down conversion charge (9-of-16 for Dallas and 5-of-10 for Arizona), extra complete yards (416-400) and a virtually 10-minute edge within the time-of-possession battle (34:33 to 25:27). But, Arizona scored touchdowns on each of its pink zone alternatives and performed turnover-free soccer.
Dallas dedicated the one turnover of the sport within the pink zone. Dealing with a third-and-goal from the 6 with 3:05 left to play and desperately needing a landing, Prescott tried to string a cross into the center of the top zone to receiver Brandin Cooks. The issue with the throw was Cooks was surrounded by a trio of Arizona defenders who dropped again into zone protection, permitting Arizona linebacker Kyzir White, an NFC East foe on the Eagles a yr in the past, to haul in Prescott’s first interception of 2023.
“Cooks is boom-boom, getting again behind the linebacker,” Prescott stated. “Backer did job of enjoying it. Tried to look him away and simply put it by his [Cooks’] ear. I knew it was going to be a troublesome throw. I’ve to reside with that.”
On one other pink zone drive, Prescott and the Cowboys had one other alternative slip by means of their fingers. Dealing with a third-and-goal from the 4 with 3:51 to go within the third quarter, broad receiver Michael Gallup, whose 92 receiving yards on six catches had been his most since tearing his ACL in Week 17 of the 2021 season, bought behind Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson. Prescott barely underthrew the cross, however Wilson by no means bought his head circled. That led to sufficient contact occurring earlier than the soccer arrived for the referees to throw a pass-interference penalty flag. Nevertheless, that flag was picked up after which an offensive holding name was issued to Cowboys fill-in left sort out Chuma Edoga. Tight finish Jake Ferguson took a checkdown from Prescott 10 yards to get the Cowboys proper again to the 4 for fourth-and-goal, however Dak’s fourth down cross to high receiver CeeDee Lamb fell incomplete.
“Whenever you come into anyone else’s home, you understand you are going to be enjoying in opposition to the refs and the opposite workforce, regardless,” Cowboys broad receiver Michael Gallup said on Sunday. “In fact, we are the Dallas Cowboys so ain’t no getting these calls. It’s what it’s, bought to play by means of them. … That was a troublesome one. He did not even play the ball. He by no means circled. It’s what it’s. Like I stated, you might be enjoying in opposition to each of them. Simply bought to beat.”
Prescott hasn’t thrown a landing cross to a large receiver since connecting with Lamb for an 18-yard landing within the Cowboys’ 31-14 NFC wild-card win final postseason. His landing tosses since have gone to tight finish Dalton Schultz (a four-yard rating within the 19-12 NFC divisional spherical loss in opposition to the 49ers, Schultz departed for the Texans in free company), Ferguson (a four-yard rating in opposition to the Jets), second-round rookie tight finish Luke Schoonmaker (a one-yard landing) and to undrafted, backup Rico Dowdle on a 15-yard display cross on Sunday.
“Simply have not finished it,” Prescott stated. “You go to the one to Gallup, I’ve bought to make that throw, get it on the market in entrance of him a bit bit earlier. The one to CeeDee is shut, want to get the decision on that one as properly. We’re taking makes an attempt, simply bought to transform. Easy as that.”
Professional Bowl proper guard Zack Martin (ankle) and Professional Bowl heart Tyler Biadasz (hamstring) had been inactive whereas Professional Bowl left sort out Tyron Smith (knee) suited up however didn’t play within the recreation. Backup journeyman offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, enjoying on his third workforce at age 26, crammed in Smith at left sort out. Undrafted rookie T.J. Bass took Martin’s place at proper guard, and second-year undrafted offensive lineman Brock Hoffman lined up at heart rather than Biadasz. Prescott was sacked twice and pressured on 28.9% of his dropbacks — the seventh-lowest charge in Week 3 getting into “Monday Evening Soccer” –, however he was unable to get in rhythm all through the competition, throwing for 249 passing yards for one landing — a 15-yard display cross to undrafted working again Rick Dowdle (his first profession rating) — and an interception — the ultimate offensive play for the Cowboys on Sunday — on 25-of-40 passing.
“They fought their ass off,” Prescott stated. “They gave me sufficient time and allowed us to maneuver the soccer up the sector. We did not convert within the pink zone. That is the story of this recreation, interval.”
The Cowboys quarterback was inefficient whereas lacking three of his standard offensive line starters, however he refused to make use of that as an excuse.
“We have to do higher,” Prescott stated postgame Sunday. “Simply as a workforce, as a unit, myself. Received to make some throws, possibly use my ft extra. Clearly, that is an space [the redzone] we have not been good in these final two weeks. Even with the win final week, that was the sore spot [two-for-six on red zone drives] within the win. Clearly, have a look at this loss, transfer the ball up and down the sector a bit bit. Simply could not rating. That is the rationale for this loss. We have all bought to get again to the drafting board. It begins with me making some throws and making some performs with my ft and making an attempt to get it finished.”
His head coach concurred however took the blame off of Prescott’s shoulders.
“We’re not executing the best way we might wish to,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said when asked about the red zone issues postgame on Sunday. “I’ve bought to do a greater job, clearly. That begins with me. They had been enjoying us actually excessive in protection in order that’s why we had been committing to the run.”
McCarthy acknowledged the offensive line shuffle can have an impact, however he felt like his 5 up entrance did sufficient for the workforce to get the job finished on Sunday.
“It adjustments loads of issues,” McCarthy stated. “However I am pleased with our younger linemen. Not solely did they step up and play right now however they did it on little or no reps all through the week. That is a problem that everyone has. When you’ve an damage on a Sunday, you’ve a full week of prep to enter it. When you’ve issues that aren’t clear till the top of the week [left tackle Tyron Smith’s late-week injury], it is a problem on the blokes that need to step in. … There are reps that go into wrinkles. Your variation of your base ideas and protections. There are some issues that had been taken off however like I stated, I am pleased with these guys. They stepped up and did what was requested of them.”
