The Dallas Cowboys may have lost their Week 9 showdown to the Philadelphia Eagles, but they remain as confident as ever.
The Cowboys came up just short of their goal of beating the Eagles, losing 28-23. However, they did so in a manner that should inspire confidence, driving 79 yards downfield with under a minute remaining and coming within 4 yards of scoring the game-winning touchdown.
During his postgame press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy sent a strong message about his team in the aftermath of a tough loss.
“We know who we are,” said McCarthy on Sunday, November 5. “We needed to make one more play tonight. … I love the way our team plays.”
Cowboys Blew Several Opportunities to Win Game
The Cowboys had several key plays in the fourth quarter that didn’t go their way. Those plays ultimately decided the result in a one-possession game.
Trailing 28-17 with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Dak Prescott completed a fourth-down pass to tight end Luke Schoonmaker that was initially ruled a touchdown. However, upon further review, the play was overturned with Schoonmaker being ruled short of the goal line.
On the Cowboys’ ensuing drive, which cut the score to 28-23, Dallas went for a 2-point conversion. After Prescott appeared to successfully convert on a run on the right end, the play also was overturned after review.
On their last drive, Prescott drove Dallas from their own 14-yard line to the Eagles’ 11-yard line in the span of 19 seconds.But with 27 seconds remaining on the clock, Prescott took a sack for an 11-yard loss. Following an incomplete pass with five seconds remaining, Dallas committed a delay-of-game penalty before the final play, which saw wide receiver CeeDee Lamb tackled — before fumbling — at the Eagles’ 4-yard line as time expired.
In other words, McCarthy’s assessment that the Cowboys just needed one more play was actually accurate. The problem is, Dallas had three different opportunities to seal the game — yet still came up short.
Micah Parsons Sends Strong Message on Cowboys After Loss
Despite the loss, not only does McCarthy say he remains confident, but so does the rest of the team. Linebacker Micah Parsons had his own strong message for the Cowboys following the game.
“Sunday’s loss to the Eagles doesn’t change how Micah Parsons feels about what the Dallas Cowboys can accomplish: ‘It’s all about runs. We just gotta click at the right time and make our run,'” Jon Machota of The Athletic wrote.
The Cowboys may be two-and-a-half games behind the Eagles in the NFC East, but they still have a Week 14 matchup with Dallas on their schedule. Parsons is obviously looking forward to the rematch.
“I’m not even going to spit fuel in the fire,” said Parsons. “We’ll see them again in four weeks.”
Prescott — who threw for a season-high 374 passing yards with zero interceptions — also stressed how close Dallas was to victory.
“It sucks in the moment, but there’s a lot of good we can take [from this game]. … We’re doing things the right way,” said Prescott following the game. “It’s just an inch here, an inch there. We gotta find a way to gain that.”
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