The Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff didn’t show up when it mattered most on Sunday evening in Brazil.
The Cowboys fell to the Ravens, 34-31, on a last-second field goal on Sunday evening. The Cowboys tied the game with 0:07 to play. Dallas then kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback, before Lamar Jackson hit a long pass to set up a game-ending field goal by Tyler Loop.
Dallas dropped to 1-2 on the season, while Baltimore improved to 2-1 on the year with the victory.
But while Cowboys fans are pointing the finger in many different directions on Monday, the loss is squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff. Brian Schottenheimer and Co. simply made too many mistakes in the game’s final 30 seconds.
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Cowboys’ coaching staff ultimately made six crushing mistakes in just 30 seconds on Sunday night:
- Calling a fade to George Pickens on 1st and Goal, which was easily stopped
- Calling a timeout quickly at 14 seconds on second down, when more clock should’ve been milked
- Calling a one-read play on 3rd and Goal, forcing Dak Prescott to quickly throw the football away
- Kicking the ball out of the end zone, allowing for a touchback, when you should have at least tried to make Baltimore return the ball and waste some clock
- Going to a Cover 1 Man with three backup defensive backs
- Not going for an all-out block on the game-winning field goal attempt
NFL fans agree: The Cowboys made too many mistakes
It was tough to watch.
“Sad part is if we just get one of these things right, we are AT least playing on in OT.. we went 0 for,” one fan wrote.
“We’re always going to be a sub .500 team with these type of coaching decisions that happen every single game, of every season!” one fan added.
“Basics of coaching too these scenarios are things that should require little to no thought for a good coach,” one fan added.
“You can throw in playing for OT with a depleted secondary. Just try to win the game when you can,” one fan added.
The Cowboys and, specifically, their coaches, will need to be much better moving forward, if the team is going to contend for a playoff spot.
