The Cowboys entered Presen 3 at 2-0 and on lead of the NFL global, the league in issues scored (70), issues allowed (10), level differential (+60), giveaways (0), takeaways (seven), submit margin (plus-seven), overall yards in line with recreation allowed (193.0), yards in line with play games allowed (3.5), crimson zone landing proportion allowed (0 %), sacks (10, tie with the Commanders), quarterback drive price (63.6%) and passer score allowed (34.2). Then again, that sentiment light away rapid out within the wasteland in opposition to the 0-2 Cardinals, an 11-point house underdog. The Cardinals surprised the Cowboys and the residue of the league with a wire-to-wire 28-16 win on Sunday.
“Y’all [the media] put us on top of the world,” Dak Prescott stated postgame on Sunday. “We know who we are, and in that same sense, I’m sure the media got what they wanted. There has only been one undefeated team in this league. Ever. Yeah it sucks, it’s humbling but to say it’s a wake up call we knew we had a lot of adversity and we just didn’t get it done. I think it goes back to myself, the offense and the red zone. We get better right there, we win this game. We have to fix that area. Period.”
Dallas went 1-for-5 in relation to turning their crimson zone drives into touchdowns. Their crimson zone journeys ended in two ground targets, a display screen move landing to alternative operating again Rico Dowdle — the undrafted participant’s first occupation rating — a submit on downs and an interception. The Cowboys had extra first downs than the Cardinals (26-20), the next third-down conversion price (9-of-16 for Dallas and 5-of-10 for Arizona), extra overall yards (416-400) and a just about 10-minute edge within the time-of-possession struggle (34:33 to twenty-five:27). But, Arizona scored touchdowns on either one of its crimson zone alternatives and performed turnover-free soccer.
Dallas dedicated the one submit of the sport within the crimson zone. Dealing with a third-and-goal from the 6 with 3:05 left to play games and desperately wanting a landing, Prescott tried to string a move into the center of the tip zone to receiver Brandin Chefs. The weakness with the throw was once Chefs was once surrounded through a trio of Arizona defenders who dropped again into zone protection, permitting Arizona linebacker Kyzir White, an NFC East foe at the Eagles a yr in the past, to haul in Prescott’s first interception of 2023.
“Cooks is boom-boom, getting back behind the linebacker,” Prescott stated. “Backer did a good job of playing it. Tried to look him away and just put it by his [Cooks’] ear. I knew it was going to be a tough throw. I have to live with that.”
On every other crimson zone force, Prescott and the Cowboys had every other alternative slip thru their hands. Dealing with a third-and-goal from the 4 with 3:51 to travel within the 1/3 quarter, broad receiver Michael Gallup, whose 92 receiving yards on six catches had been his maximum since tearing his ACL in Presen 17 of the 2021 season, were given at the back of Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson. Prescott reasonably underthrew the move, however Wilson by no means were given his head became round. That resulted in enough quantity touch going on prior to the soccer arrived for the referees to throw a pass-interference penalty flag. Then again, that flag was once picked up and after an offensive preserving name was once issued to Cowboys fill-in left take on 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 ill move to lead receiver CeeDee Lamb fell incomplete.
“When you come into somebody else’s house, you know you’re going to be playing against the refs and the other team, regardless,” Cowboys broad receiver Michael Gallup stated on Sunday. “Of course, we’re the Dallas Cowboys so ain’t no getting those calls. It is what it is, got to play through them. … That was a tough one. He didn’t even play the ball. He never turned around. It is what it is. Like I said, you are playing against both of them. Just got to overcome.”
Prescott hasn’t thrown a landing move to a large receiver since connecting with Lamb for an 18-yard landing within the Cowboys’ 31-14 NFC wild-card win extreme postseason. His landing tosses since have long gone to tight finish Dalton Schultz (a four-yard rating within the 19-12 NFC divisional around loss in opposition to the 49ers, Schultz departed for the Texans in loose 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, alternative Rico Dowdle on a 15-yard display screen move on Sunday.
“Just haven’t done it,” Prescott stated. “You go to the one to Gallup, I’ve got to make that throw, get it out there in front of him a little bit earlier. The one to CeeDee is close, would like to get the call on that one as well. We’re taking attempts, just got to convert. Simple as that.”
Professional Bowl proper preserve Zack Martin (ankle) and Professional Bowl heart Tyler Biadasz (hamstring) had been lazy pace Professional Bowl left take on Tyron Smith (knee) suited up however didn’t play games within the recreation. Additional journeyman offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, taking part in on his 1/3 staff at moment 26, stuffed in Smith at left take on. Undrafted rookie T.J. Bass took Martin’s park at proper preserve, and second-year undrafted offensive lineman Brock Hoffman coated up at heart in park of Biadasz. Prescott was once sacked two times and careworn on 28.9% of his dropbacks — the seventh-lowest price in Presen 3 coming into “Monday Night Football” –, however he was once not able to get in rhythm all over the competition, throwing for 249 passing yards for one landing — a 15-yard display screen move to undrafted operating again Rick Dowdle (his first occupation rating) — and an interception — the overall offensive play games for the Cowboys on Sunday — on 25-of-40 passing.
“They fought their ass off,” Prescott stated. “They gave me enough time and allowed us to move the football up the field. We didn’t convert in the red zone. That’s the story of this game, period.”
The Cowboys quarterback was once inefficient pace lacking 3 of his habitual offensive form starters, however he refused to virtue that as an liniency.
“We’ve got to do better,” Prescott stated postgame Sunday. “Just as a team, as a unit, myself. Got to make some throws, maybe use my feet more. Obviously, that’s an area [the redzone] we haven’t been good in these last two weeks. Even with the win last week, that was the sore spot [two-for-six on red zone drives] in the win. Obviously, look at this loss, move the ball up and down the field a little bit. Just couldn’t score. That’s the reason for this loss. We’ve all got to get back to the drawing board. It starts with me making some throws and making some plays with my feet and trying to get it done.”
His head trainer concurred however took the blame off of Prescott’s shoulders.
“We’re not executing the way we’d like to,” Cowboys head trainer Mike McCarthy stated when requested in regards to the crimson zone problems postgame on Sunday. “I’ve got to do a better job, obviously. That starts with me. They were playing us really high in coverage so that’s why we were committing to the run.”
McCarthy said the offensive form shuffle can have an impact, however he felt like his 5 up entrance did enough quantity for the staff to get the process executed on Sunday.
“It changes a lot of things,” McCarthy stated. “But I’m proud of our young linemen. Not only did they step up and play today but they did it on very little reps throughout the week. That’s a challenge that everybody has. When you have an injury on a Sunday, you have a full week of prep to go into it. When you have things that are not clear until the end of the week [left tackle Tyron Smith’s late-week injury], it’s a challenge on the guys that have to step in. … There are reps that go into wrinkles. Your variation of your base concepts and protections. There are some things that were taken off but like I said, I’m proud of those guys. They stepped up and did what was asked of them.”
