The Dallas Cowboys continue to find new ways (and new countries) to lose football games. With all signs pointing to overtime, the Cowboys allowed the Baltimore Ravens to hit a long pass with seven seconds remaining to set up a game-winning field goal to stun the Cowboys with a 34-31 victory.
Now, the Cowboys have a nearly 10-hour flight back to Big D to process the stunning ending. Dallas also had the ball at the one-yard line with three chances to score a touchdown only to end up with a field goal.
“From the moment the pass interference flag was thrown, there’s no way the Cowboys should’ve lost that game,” The Athletic’s Jon Machota noted in a September 27, message on X.
The Cowboys defense will get a lion’s share of the blame for allowing so much space to the Ravens offense on the final play, but the Dallas offense also deserves criticism for failing to close out the game.
“Disaster strikes for Dallas,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris noted. “Lamar Jackson finds Zay Flowers for 26 yards, calls a timeout with one second left, and Tyler Loop makes a 56-yarder to send the Maracana into a frenzy.
“Ravens win 34-31 in an instant classic.”
The Cowboys drop to 1-2 in the most brutal way possible. Dallas takes on the Houston Texans on Sunday, October 4.
The internet has not been kind to the Cowboys in the moments following the team’s loss to the Ravens.
Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer Under Fire After Loss vs. Ravens
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is receiving plenty of criticism for how things unfolded in Rio. Plenty was made about the field conditions heading into the Brazil matchup, but all that will be remembered from this game is how Dallas botched the final minutes.
“Bad coaches find ways to lose every week,” Locked on Cowboys’ Marcus Mosher reacted. “And the Cowboys have a bad one with Brian Schottenheimer.”
There is plenty of blame to go around for the Cowboys coaching staff.
“That is about as brutal of a way as the Cowboys could have lost this game,” Blogging The Boys’ RJ Ochoa noted.
“Just a huge absent-minded mistake after being so locked in. It falls 100% on coaching. They didn’t have their guys ready.”
Multiple Cowboys’ Special Teams Errors Played Critical Role in Loss vs. Ravens
It is also noteworthy that the Cowboys kicked the ball in the end zone following their final field goal to tie the game. This preserved all seven seconds to allow the Ravens to carry out their final two plays.
“The Cowboys kicked the ball through the end zone on the kickoff after their FG with 7 seconds left, keeping all 7 seconds on the clock,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov explained. “No squib kick. No return.
“That gave the Ravens one play to get into field-goal range—and they did. The little details matter.”
The Cowboys had multiple special teams woes during the game. Dallas had a field goal blocked and also kicked the ball out of bounds on multiple occasions to allow Baltimore to begin drives with great field position.
“I’m sure when we land I’ll be just as pissed,” Prescott noted on the loss, per Machota.
“This one hurts.”
NFL World Erupts as Cowboys Under Fire for Embarrassing Loss vs. Ravens in Brazil