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As frustrations mount for the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott fired off a defiant message. But the Cowboys are still trying to fix their ground-game issues. In the mix, the Cowboys lost to the 49ers on Sunday night, and here are the people most to blame for the Week 8 setback.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy bounced back from a poor game against Kansas City, and a shaky first half against the Cowboys. He led three touchdown drives in the third quarter and the Niners narrowly avoided another fourth-quarter collapse with a defensive stand in a 30-24 win.
The Cowboys fell to 3-4 and found themselves answering some of the same questions they’ve faced all season.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott delivers another multi-pick effort
For the third straight game, Prescott threw at least two interceptions. It’s his first such stretch in his career, and it hasn’t happened in Dallas since Troy Aikman went on a pickfest rampage back in 1992. Prescott tried to take the unwanted honor in stride, according to dallascowboys.com.
“(I should) not turn the ball over, period,” he said. “I don't have to be perfect, but I damn sure can't have the turnovers. I've just gotta eat that (first throw) and take that sack. And the second one was as boneheaded of an interception as I've had.
“I tried to make a play and had too much confidence in myself at that moment. Probably should've just thrown it away. I wish I would've put some more heat on it to CeeDee (Lamb), or just out of bounds. That one hurt, to start off the third quarter that way allowed them to get a touchdown there. Then look at the final score and a touchdown was the difference.”
Prescott’s woes are part of a team issue where the Cowboys give it up but don’t take it away. They rank No. 30 in turnover differential at minus-8, according to The Football Database. The Cowboys have four interceptions on the season and only one fumble recovery.
It played out again versus the 49ers.
“Once again, we put ourselves behind in the turnover battle,” said Prescott. “That's on me and I can't have that and win games. I've got to clean that up, period.”
And Prescott said he’s frustrated.
“I'm frustrated with myself and my play,” Prescott said. “I know the rest of the guys are (too), sitting at 3-4. But I can tell you that nobody is shaken or giving up. Frustration is very high, but it's a long season. A lot is still ahead of us. But, frustrated, and that's the best way I can put it. We just haven't made the plays and they've made them more than us.”
Prescott finished 25 for 38 for 243 yards against the 49ers. He got plenty of help from Lamb and the 49ers defense, who made a couple of hilariously bad defensive gaffes that led to two wide-open touchdowns for one of the NFL’s top-three receivers. Lamb totaled 13 catches for 146 yards and two solitary-stroll-in-the-park-touchdowns.
Head coach Mike McCarthy struggling for answers
It’s getting clear the Cowboys didn’t pack the roster the way a team needs for a long-haul season. Yes, injuries have played a role, but every NFL team loses key players. That’s why roster construction is so important.
Of course, McCarthy gets plenty of interference in such decisions. But he still has to work with the cards he has been dealt. And it doesn’t seem like he has any real answers.
Minus Rico Dowdle because of illness, the Cowboys rolled with aging Ezekiel Elliott. He offered 10 carries for 34 yards. Aging Dalvin Cook got into the mix and managed only 12 yards on six carries. At game’s end, the Cowboys totaled 56 yards on 19 carries. It’s hard to win any game in the NFL with that little production from the ground game. However, the Cowboys did make it close and had a chance at the end.
Magic Mike needs to pull a rabbit out of a hat — or something. He said the team simply needs to work harder, according to a post on X by Jon Machota.
“We got to keep working,” McCarthy said. “We did some things, but we got to stop the run and stay committed to the run for four quarters. Until we get that pattern working cohesively together, we’re not playing to our strength.
“That’s a huge part of complementary football. We’re losing the turnover ratio week in and week out and we’re not being able to stop the run and stay committed to the run for four quarters. That’s how we have to play. That’s how we’re going to play. We need to be better at it.”
The Cowboys remain dead last in the NFL with 74.1 yards rushing per game. By comparison, the Ravens average in the neighborhood of triple that amount with 200 yards per game. Perhaps a more fair comparison is the Detroit Lions, who average more than double that of the Cowboys with 157 per contest.
CB Trevon Diggs has to answer for this play
When things aren’t going well, lack of effort tends to stand out. Watch this video and you make the call. Is this all-out NFL effort from Diggs?
What is Trevon Diggs doing on this play? https://t.co/YDBLTR9cib
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) October 28, 2024
The Cowboys are two games back in the loss column from the Commanders and Eagles, but they still have time to turn things around. But they need to shore up a lot of issues at all once to avoid piling up more losses.
One thing that will hamper the Cowboys chances to get things turned around is the upcoming schedule. They travel to play the NFC-South leading Atlanta Falcons (5-3) before playing host to the Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) and Houston Texans (6-2). Then they visit the NFC-East leading Commanders (6-2).
Things get better the next three weeks with games against the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, and Carolina Panthers. Then they close with the Eagles and Commanders again.
