Jerry Jones knew exactly what Lamar Jackson could do, warned everyone about it before kickoff, and Dallas still looked surprised when he did it anyway. But even that was not the biggest problem in Rio. The Cowboys had the game sitting there for the taking and somehow managed to waste a blocked field goal, lose a fumble, and then botch their final red-zone opportunity. A pass interference call gave Dallas first-and-goal from the Ravens’ 2-yard line with 28 seconds left, but an incomplete fade to George Pickens, a false start, and Prescott throwing the ball away on third down when Pickens appeared to have a chance near the front pylon left them settling for a tying field goal instead of a potential game-winning touchdown.

The 34-31 score suggests a thriller. For Dallas, it looked more like another masterclass in making a winnable game unnecessarily painful, and one Hall of Fame wide receiver had plenty to say about exactly where it went wrong.

Appearing on ESPN, Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin didn’t hold back on where he placed the blame for the collapse. He said, “I’m way more disappointed in the offense because, first of all, I thought the offense started slowly, and then ending this poorly is the worst thing of all. I mean, and honestly, it’s been since Jimmy Johnson left that the Cowboys have been very poor in late-game situations.”

Irvin’s frustration was about a pattern he sees stretching back decades. Dallas can pile up yards, stay in games, and still unravel when the final possession demands clean execution.

“Late-game situations like this. You, how do you miss George Pickkins on a third down, game’s on the line?” Michael Irvin questioned. “Do you know how much conversation is being had in the huddle or talking about what’s going to happen on this play?… How do you have a miscommunication at that point in a football game is way beyond anything that I can conceive or perceive.”

Prescott finished 25-of-40 for 276 passing yards and one touchdown, while adding 19 rushing yards on four carries. The offense moved the ball well enough, but the finish was missing when Dallas needed it most.

Irvin, however, was not putting the entire loss on the offense. He gave the Dallas Cowboys’ defense credit for keeping the game within reach against a dangerous Baltimore rushing attack.

“The defense, one of the best running backs in the league, they got a chance. They stopped him on the goal line,” Michael Irvin said. “They kept this game within reach by making them kick field goals instead of getting those touchdowns.”

For Irvin, though, defensive stands only matter so much if the offense spends the game playing catch-up. His solution was less about fixing one fourth-quarter play and more about changing the tone from the opening drive.

“You can’t wait around and fill the game out,” Michael Irvin suggested. “You have to start scoring early to give them an opportunity, and that’s the problem.”

Dallas left Rio at 1-2 and now turns to a Week 4 road matchup against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.