The Dallas Cowboys will need time to process their stunning 24-16 Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They allowed 419 yards and watched the Buccaneers hold the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Dallas’ offense managed only 50 yards on the ground and committed three turnovers in the loss.
Dallas has a lot of soul-searching to do over the next week, as the Cowboys try to figure out their problems. One moment in the game, though, will haunt them: Jake Ferguson’s dropped pass that led to a Buccaneers interception to seal the loss. While many are calling for Ferguson to be benched, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones still believes in him.
Jerry Jones Talks Jake Ferguson Drop in Dallas Cowboys Loss
Jones appeared on 105.3 The Fan on Friday to discuss the Cowboys’ loss to the Buccaneers. One topic was Ferguson’s tough night, but Jones made sure to defend his tight end.
“That is not typical of him to have those kinds of opportunities and not come up with it. He’s the opposite. He’s got as good of a heart, as good of an inside, as you can expect in a player. Those are plays that are not typical for him.”
Ferguson caught only 3 passes for 19 yards in the loss to the Buccaneers. He has 15 receptions for 102 yards and 3 touchdowns in four games this season.
Jake Ferguson Has Some Work to Do in Earning Cowboys Fans’ Trust Again
Ferguson has not had an overly impressive start to the season, as he has been mostly down through five games. His drops in the Buccaneers game were noticeable and frustrated fans.
He has been a reliable tight end over the years, most recently earning a four-year, $52 million contract extension to stay with the team long-term. Dallas is heavily invested in Ferguson’s success.
The Cowboys will have to go back to the drawing board, as Ferguson’s struggles weren’t the only thing that hurt them. Prescott had interception issues, and many of his incompletions were drops by the receivers.
Defensively, the Cowboys struggled to do much of anything after allowing, yet again, a fifth straight game with over 375 yards. Some changes are coming to the team on that side of the ball. While no coaching changes are expected, the lineup could change. Watch for players like DaRon Bland to move into the slot.
The next 10 days will be challenging for the Cowboys and their coaching staff. They need to figure out where they can improve and how to fix it right away. If the problems don’t improve after 2-3 more games, bigger changes could affect multiple people’s jobs within the organization.
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