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It wasn’t necessarily that the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, snapping a six-game winning streak. It was how they lost that left owner/general manager Jerry Jones in utter disbelief.
“I thought they had a good plan against Dak and executed it well. We needed some plays to happen. … Certainly it’s inexplicable … They played an outstanding football game against what we think is a good football team, and that’s the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said after the 30-16 defeat, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.
The Cowboys were outplayed, outcoached and outclassed from the opening whistle, suffering an old-fashioned butt-whipping at the hands of the Broncos, who entered the afternoon having dropped four of their last five contests.
You’d never know it, however. Denver’s offense piled up 407 total yards, including 190 on the ground, while its Von Miller-less defense limited Dallas to 5.1 yards per play and a pair of garbage-time touchdowns. The final score isn’t indicative of the results; the Cowboys were dominated — in all phases, top to bottom.
In the NFL lexicon, this is called a “letdown game” or a “trap game,” a superior team losing to an inferior opponent. Pick your cliche and it fits. The ball simply never bounced the Cowboys’ way. Not once. Literally, in some instances.
There’s no way to dice it, a terribly disappointing loss for a Cowboys squad with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. But it’s still just one loss. The club remains 6-2 and in firm control of its playoff destiny, and it can peek ahead to a potential get-right matchup in Week 10 against the hapless Atlanta Falcons.
Criticism would be warranted should Dallas fall to Atlanta, another inferior foe. Until then, Jones is keeping his hand well above the proverbial panic button.
“I’ve seen us play well, and we’re capable of righting this ship and playing winning football,” he said, via The Athletic.
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Jerry OK with Dak’s Playing Time; Update on Zeke
Many of those watching into the fourth quarter scratched their heads as to why franchise quarterback Dak Prescott — he of a recent calf strain — was under center and exposed to further injury with the Broncos leading 30-0.
Speaking to reporters, Jones said he didn’t take issue with Prescott staying in a game that was long decided. His $160 million signal-caller completed 19-of-39 passes for 232 yards, two TDs, and one interception. He added 16 yards on two rushes, showing no ill effects from the calf issue.
Jones also updated the status of Ezekiel Elliott, confirming the star running back sustained a right knee contusion that briefly forced him out of action. Elliott, who logged 10 carries for 51 scoreless yards, will be re-evaluated on Monday, likely as a precaution.
“Jones said he feels good about Ezekiel Elliott’s knee issue after talking with him after the game. It doesn’t appear to be anything serious,” The Athletic’s Jon Machota reported.
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McCarthy, Dak React to QB’s Performance
In a credit to the Broncos’ defense, Dak was hardly the MVP favorite the Cowboys saw prior to his injury, finishing with a paltry 24.0 QBR, according to ESPN, and failing to establish any chemistry with his primary pass-catchers. Constantly under duress, his leading receiver was tight end Dalton Schultz, who made 54 yards on four grabs.
“I thought he had a tough, uphill day,” head coach Mike McCarthy said after the game, per WFAA’s Mike Leslie. “There wasn’t a lot of completions readily available. I think they did a really good job of covering our perimeter, and pressing our tackles.”
It’s worth noting, though, that Prescott got no help from the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Tony Pollard, all of whom committed backbreaking drops, nor from his offensive line that, sans Tyron Smith, surrendered two sacks and five hits.
“We got beat. We got thumped in every aspect … never got going,” Prescott said, via Leslie. “I missed some throws. We didn’t throw and catch the way that we usually do.”
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