The Dallas Cowboys had an opportunity to get back to .500, build some momentum and finally end their losing streak against the Arizona Cardinals.
Instead, they found another way to lose.
Dallas blew a 24-10 lead and fell 33-30 in overtime, dropping to 3-5 on the season. The offense looked lifeless for long stretches, the defense collapsed in the fourth quarter, and Brian Schottenheimer’s conservative approach late in the game left plenty to question.
For a team that desperately needed to start stacking wins, this was an embarrassing loss.
What Happened
The Cowboys appeared to have control early, particularly on defense. Dallas made life difficult for Jacoby Brissett, who completed just eight of 20 passes for 68 yards and an interception against four or fewer rushers, according to Next Gen Stats.
But everything changed when Arizona turned to Gardner Minshew in the third quarter.
Minshew completed 17 of 23 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns, all coming in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives late in regulation, completely erasing Dallas’ advantage.
Even after recovering an onside kick, the Cowboys settled for another field goal, extending their lead to just six points. Arizona responded with another touchdown, and Dallas was fortunate that Chad Ryland missed the go-ahead extra point with six seconds remaining.
According to NFL Research, Arizona became the first team since 2000 to miss a go-ahead extra point in the final 10 seconds of regulation and still win the game.
The Cowboys got bailed out, and somehow still lost.
The Offense Couldn’t Finish
My biggest frustration wasn’t even the defensive collapse. It was watching this offense struggle to do much of anything at home against a two-win opponent.
After the success against Philadelphia, Dallas couldn’t establish the running game, protect Dak Prescott consistently or create opportunities downfield for CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
But the most frustrating part came late.
With opportunities to put Arizona away, Schottenheimer became increasingly conservative, relying on a running game that wasn’t working and settling for field goals rather than attacking.
Then came overtime.
The defense finally delivered a three-and-out, giving Dallas possession with an opportunity to win. What followed? A two-yard run, an incompletion and a sack.
Three plays. Punt.
Instead of trying to win the game, the Cowboys looked more concerned with avoiding a mistake.
The Defense Collapsed Again
For all the positives Dallas showed defensively in the first half, the second half was a return to familiar problems.
Tyler Allgeier rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries, including three runs of at least 10 yards. According to Next Gen Stats, he had recorded just two such runs across his previous 61 carries.
Dallas turned a struggling rushing attack into an explosive one.
And while the Cowboys recorded sacks, they couldn’t consistently pressure Minshew or stop Arizona when it mattered.
🚨 The Overreaction 🚨
Editor’s note: The following section contains no level-headed analysis. This is my chance to fire off a hot take I may regret by Tuesday.
Maybe it’s time to accept that the Dallas Cowboys just aren’t a very good football team.
We can keep talking about the talent on this roster, the potential of the offense and the possibility of getting back into the NFC East race. But at some point, what happens on the field has to matter more than what this team looks like on paper.
The offense couldn’t consistently move the football, the offensive line struggled, the defense completely collapsed, and the coaching staff failed to put its players in positions to finish the game. This wasn’t one player making a mistake. This was an entire team finding different ways to lose.
And that brings us to Brian Schottenheimer.
We’re now 25 games into the Schottenheimer experience, and Dallas sits at 10-14-1 with just one winning streak during his tenure. The Cowboys continue to struggle with consistency, execution and closing out games. At what point do we start questioning whether this experiment is actually working?
Some media outlets are already raising questions about his job security, and while Jerry Jones has dismissed the possibility of a midseason coaching change, that doesn’t mean the conversation goes away. If Dallas continues down this path, the future of the Schottenheimer era deserves to be a serious discussion.
Because right now, this doesn’t look like a team that’s one adjustment away from turning things around. It looks like a team with problems everywhere.
And maybe the biggest overreaction is continuing to believe the Cowboys are better than their record says they are.
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