The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys could highlight the mistakes his team made, the near-scores they blew, and the penalties that haunted them in a 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Alternatively, the Cowboys could concentrate on their offensive output of 406 yards, which is the second-highest of any team against the reigning NFC champions, against Philadelphia. With the Eagles managing 292 yards of offence, the second fewest of their nine games, McCarthy could concentrate on his defense’s strengths, which were best highlighted by three straight stops in the fourth quarter.
McCarthy concentrated on the latter. He concentrated on the strengths of the Cowboys. And he continued.
In the locker room after the game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told Yahoo Sports, “He said we played well enough to win.” “Yes, he did say those things.”
The message highlights an intriguing dilemma that the 5-3 team is dealing with. The Cowboys need to assess their own performance. And just how near are we?
Leaders such as McCarthy and Prescott have to ask themselves this question: Does stressing that football is a “game of inches” (Prescott used the term “inch” or “inches” at least 12 times on Sunday night) instill overconfidence in a team that has failed for almost 30 years, or will it provide the necessary drive to go the extra mile and inch?
Prescott remarked, “You’re talking about inches in three different plays that alter how the game plays out towards the end.” Indeed, he is not incorrect. We [performed well enough to prevail]. What hurts even more is that.
“I can assure you that this is not, by any means, a moral victory. Though we’re only a few inches away, we know we’re acting appropriately.”
Cowboys’ postgame locker room in Philadelphia was affected by their loss to the 49ers.
A hint as to why this Cowboys team was relieved to find they could hang with the Eagles could be found in Micah Parsons’ postgame remarks.
After recording nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hits in the defeat, Parsons declared, “A team like the 49ers, we won’t see them again.” However, we had the opportunity to redeem ourselves [against the Eagles]. We shall see them.
The Cowboys are unable to get rid of the sour taste left in their mouth after losing to the 49ers 42-10 on “Sunday Night Football” on October 9. Three of Dallas’ four turnovers in the contest came from interceptions by Prescott. The 49ers relentlessly hammered downfield against what was thought to be a formidable Dallas defence. The 49ers have already eliminated the Cowboys from the previous two postseasons. Tight end George Kittle caught three touchdown passes from quarterback Brock Purdy, and all-purpose weapon Christian McCaffrey gained 78 yards and a score from scrimmage.
Prescott described the match as his most humble experience. McCarthy described the outcome as “a kick in the ass, a punch in the gut.” The Cowboys’ loss dropped them to 3-2, but the issue wasn’t just that they were getting too close to.500 for comfort; their execution of their game plan had collapsed along with it.
On the other hand, Prescott completed 65.9% of his passes for 374 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Eagles game. Prescott and CeeDee Lamb’s relationship was still going strong as they combined for 11 catches for 191 yards on 16 targets. In addition, the Cowboys defence held the Eagles scoreless in the fourth quarter, not even allowing a first down on any of the three Philadelphia possessions, while struggling to get off the field in the third quarter, partly as a result of self-inflicted penalties.
The Cowboys were still defeated.
When Luke Schoonmaker, a rookie tight end, dove at the goal line, Prescott found him. Schoonmaker’s right leg was clearly over the plane, but after review, his left leg was outside the end zone and landed first, bringing Dallas within one score. There was 10:07 remaining in the game when officials reversed the touchdown after a review. The Cowboys were still behind by 11.
On their next drive, Dallas marched downfield once more, setting up at the 7 after a Tony Pollard touchdown was called back due to a penalty. With receiver Jalen Tolbert free to the right of the end zone, Prescott ducked to his right and fired a pass on the run. However, Prescott stepped too wide as he started to race for the 2-point conversion, causing the top half of his right cleat to escape the field almost two yards early.
Prescott remarked, “Really just mad at myself for not just using two hands to attack the pylon earlier.” “To be honest, I’m disappointed that I didn’t trust my speed and just went vertical. We understand that those final two possessions are obviously very different.
For the next six and a half minutes, the Cowboys were behind by five points and needed a touchdown instead of a field goal to tie the game with a 2-point conversion. After connecting from 51 yards on Sunday, rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey of the Cowboys, who has made all 19 of his field goals this season, reset the NFL record for most made field goals without a miss to start a career.
The Cowboys, though, required a touchdown.
The next drive, Prescott would miss Tolbert on fourth-and-8 from the 29. Additionally, Dallas’ own penalties moved the team from the 6 to the 27, changing the play calls and probability charts the Cowboys use. This is in contrast to the Eagles’ penalties, which allowed Dallas to go 81 yards in 46 seconds on the game-ending possession.
Lamb caught Prescott’s last pass for 23 yards, but he fumbled and was tackled just short of the winning touchdown.
“The ebb and flow of the NFL is like riding a roller coaster,” receiver Brandin Cooks said to Yahoo Sports. “We have guys that are strong and persevered; they just, regrettably, lost.”
“I wanted to be in this role,” said Dak.
So what’s next for the Cowboys?
Broadly speaking, they have a schedule that will match them up with the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, and Washington Commanders—three teams that have a losing record in a row. They would receive a wild-card spot if the playoffs began today, despite being 2.5 games behind the Eagles in the NFC East.
They are all thinking about figuring out the formula for success in the postseason.
Tyler Smith, the left guard, stated, “That’s something I gotta improve on, because we can’t have that, especially if you want to win a championship,” following his call for a false smart on the game’s last drive. Michael Gallup, a receiver who caught two passes but failed to bring down a third, understood the importance of these games because they will be crucial when the playoffs roll around. You won’t be blowing people away forever now. (The average margin of victory for the Cowboys’ five victories has been 26.2 points.)
In a micro sense, Dallas is fully aware of its areas of improvement. The Eagles’ lengthy third-quarter scoring drives were made possible by pass interference penalties, which the defence knows it cannot afford. The offence is aware that it must go home in the red zone rather than attempting to get closer. And it’s common knowledge that the Cowboys must reduce their pre- and post-snap penalties.
Contrary to popular belief, the Cowboys weren’t resting on their laurels after putting on a solid show against a rival that ultimately crumbled. Rather, they thought that if they could improve their execution, their best chance of winning came from the skill, coaching, and game plan that drove Sunday’s performance. McCarthy and Prescott discussed the positive “vibes” on the team extensively this week, using more colloquial language.
Prescott stated, “As a leader, it’s my responsibility to start this week by just moving forward and letting guys know how tight this league is—that’s what makes the difference between winning and losing.” “We’re operating correctly. We’re working extremely hard. We are following the appropriate plan.
“We won’t alter who we are or how we behaved after our fight. To be honest, I wanted to be in this situation, and as I sit here, I’m grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to win this game. The fact that I didn’t win won’t shake me, and I won’t allow it to shake this team either. We will be alright.
“We’re OK. We’re damn sure OK.”