Antonio Pierce wasn’t interested in the Dallas Cowboys segment he was handed. Appearing on NFL Today+ this week, the former Las Vegas Raiders head coach grew visibly irritated as the panel kept returning to Dallas. Rather than let it pass, Pierce directed the broadcast’s attention behind the camera, asking that the show’s producer be shown on-air.
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“I mean, the Dallas Cowboys—just keep it 100,” Pierce said on NFL Today+. “They’re an embarrassment. They’re o- they’re underachievers by far, and we talk about them way too much for a team that’s not good enough for us to even talk about on this show. We should be talking about other factors, but again, because they have the star and cause I’m a giant. I’m an idiot…
“Dan, put your—show me your face. Hey. Show it, Dan…We’re done. Done. Done. The Giants and Eagles week, and Slate, y’all going south too, baby.”
Pierce was clearly done with the Cowboys talk on Sunday morning. During a segment of NFL Today Plus with Kyle Long, Russell Wilson and Darius Slay, the former Raiders head coach made it plain that he thought Dallas was getting far more airtime than it deserved.
His preferred topic was the Giants, the team he won Super Bowl 42 with in the 2007 season. They currently sit atop the NFC East at (5-2-1), which says a lot about how weak the division has been. Dallas, even at 4-5, is somehow still close enough to count itself in the race.
He then turned to the team’s ownership.
“Jerry Jones is gonna come down and have so many speeches and protect [head coach Brian] Schottenheimer and [quarterback Dak] Prescott, firing employees.”
Ironically, the Cowboys gave everyone a little something to talk about later that day. They beat the Colts 27-23, handing Indianapolis its fifth loss in a row and moving to 4-5 themselves. It was not a pretty win, and CBS Sports writer John Breech gave it a C plus, which is barely a passing mark.
Still, he pointed to a few encouraging signs. The defense held an opponent under 300 yards for the first time this season, and Quinnen Williams was a big reason, finishing with three tackles for a loss. On offense, Dak Prescott came alive late, throwing for 150 yards in the fourth quarter as Dallas piled up more than 500 total yards.
So where does that leave them? The Cowboys have a win, a few bright spots, and plenty of noise around them. Whether Prescott and Schottenheimer can turn that into a real run at saving the season is still very much an open question.
Dak Prescott believes the Cowboys already have what it takes to make the playoffs. After Sunday’s win, the quarterback made it clear where he thinks the responsibility sits.
“Obviously, credit Jerry [Jones], credit the front office, and those guys of if you can always add, go do it,” Prescott said. “Even if you think you have enough, if you can make sure you have enough and get better, go do it. I encourage that. But, yeah, they’ve done a hell of a job with the team they’ve put together.
“It’s on us now. Period.”
Coach Brian Schottenheimer sounded just as comfortable with his group.
“We just came off a big win with missing some key guys, and we ended up playing really well. So I love our team. I love our roster. I love the way they worked and performed tonight. I’m really proud of them.”
Part of the reason Dallas is still in the hunt is the state of the NFC East. The Cowboys have also yet to win back-to-back games this season, and the 49ers visit AT&T Stadium on Sunday.
Prescott did not dodge the larger picture.
“Our record, we’ve done it to ourselves,” he said. “We put ourselves in this position. It is what it is. At this point, just thank God for the opportunity that we have to fight out of this hole that we’ve put ourselves in. Understanding the [Giants did win today], so it’s not like they’re making it easier for us, so at this point, it’s as simple as that, yeah, it’s a must-win. Every game’s a must-win.”
With the Giants holding the tiebreaker and no back-to-back wins yet, Dallas has to start proving Prescott’s confidence right on Sunday against the 49ers.