If there was one thing Cowboys Nation had faith in, it was their offense. And more often than not, it was the case: last season and the first two weeks this year too. But imagine our surprise when the same side went against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry wasn’t the problem.
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Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin couldn’t either. The same side that was turned by Dak Prescott as the ‘greatest offense there is’ came under fire for their inability to close out the game, and Prescott was right at the heart of the discussion.
Appearing on ESPN, Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin didn’t hold back on where he placed the blame for the collapse.
“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.”
And we can see why Irvin is frustrated. The Cowboys have had plenty of late-game collapses since the mid-1990s. Whether it’s a blown lead against the Packers in November 2022, Tony Romo’s interceptions against the Broncos and the Packers in 2013, or the many games before that, Irvin has seen this play out before.
Even when the season started, he was visibly upset, going on to say, “I don’t know what I’m going to say tomorrow. I’mma have to study on my flight. I know why it happened.”
But Week 3 against the Ravens wasn’t just about the final few snaps taken by the Cowboys offense. They looked lackluster early on.
After the defense forced an early turnover, Dak Prescott and the offense took over. They went downfield for 62 yards all the way to a first-and-goal. But that’s when the team couldn’t make it count. Four yards from Javonte Williams was all they could gain. Prescott couldn’t complete the pass and got sacked on subsequent downs, forcing the Cowboys to go for a field goal instead.
It didn’t stop there. Missed opportunities continued across the entire game. A pass to Jake Ferguson turned into a fumble. Even when the Dallas defense managed to cause a turnover, in yet another poor showing, Brandon Aubrey’s field goal was blocked. But the worst was yet to come, as Irvin highlighted.
“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.”
Despite their misses early on, the Cowboys had managed to find their footing. Trailing by three points and with just 14 seconds on the clock, Dak Prescott had a chance to end it all. They needed just five yards to close it out with a touchdown. And when he took the snap on a third down, it looked like he was about to seal it all.
George Pickens had just been the secondary and found space in the end zone. It should have been one of those passes Prescott made all the time. But when Prescott released the pass, it went sailing right over his head. Dallas had to settle for a field goal, and the following six seconds were enough for Baltimore to seal the deal. That moment was enough for Prescott to take the heat.
It was a poor performance from the QB. 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.
“Frustrated as h—l. Embarrassed,” Prescott said in the post-game press conference. “You don’t call yourselves the best offense, and we down there on the one-yard line and don’t put it in. Yeah, it just sucks… Not a lot of words, or a full explanation of it. Defense shouldn’t even be in that position. Those guys are over there saying, ‘It’s on us’; absolutely not. We’ve got to put the game away, period.”
The defense, dealing with plenty of injuries to their starters, had kept the Cowboys in the game despite plenty of criticism in the first two weeks. That’s why Irvin gave the 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.”
While Irvin called out the entire offense, coach Brian Schottenheimer took most of the blame. “We thought we were gonna score a touchdown and move the ball really well down there. We’ve got to find a way to punch it in. I’ve got to call some better plays to get it in. I don’t ever question these guys, man. Watch the way they play. This team doesn’t have quit in them, but they’re hurting right now. I’m hurting. I felt like we made enough plays to go win the game, but we didn’t. So we give Baltimore credit for that.”
Dallas left Rio at 1-2 and now turns to a Week 4 road matchup against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.