The Cowboys knew they’d likely be in this situation. After their last loss, Dak Prescott admitted their playoff odds were all but extinguished, even though Dallas wouldn’t be officially eliminated until Saturday. Prescott spoke about playing for pride and wanting to finish the season strong even if the postseason was no longer an option.
Perhaps they need a new goal to push for, because there wasn’t much to be proud of during a 34-17 loss to the Chargers.
Things started off positively, with the Cowboys getting the ball first. Looking to finally start fast on offense, Brian Schottenheimer got aggressive and went for it on fourth and short, with Prescott hitting a big gain down the sideline to George Pickens. Several plays later, he found Ryan Flournoy for a touchdown.
Then it was time to see how the defense would respond to Matt Eberflus moving into the booth. As it turned out, the results were not much different: the Chargers scored a touchdown on just six plays, with Justin Herbert hitting two 23-yard bombs.
Dallas responded with a field goal to go up 10-7, but it took seven more plays for the Chargers to get back in the endzone. A few plays after that, Prescott found Pickens deep for a 38-yard touchdown, and it looked like this one was going to be a shootout.
Then the Chargers put together a long, methodical drive to give their defense a rest. They ate up nearly eight minutes and gained 81 yards on 16 plays – three more plays than their first two drives combined – and finished it off with a Herbert tush push for a touchdown. With just 19 seconds left in the first half, Dallas trailed 21-17, a score they took into the break with some level of confidence.
Then the Chargers made adjustments, and the Cowboys didn’t.
Los Angeles settled for a field goal to start the third quarter before adding 10 in the fourth, but their defense blanked Prescott and the offense. After torching the secondary in the first half, Pickens was limited to 44 yards on just three catches in the second half. After a punt and two turnovers on downs, the Cowboys waived the white flag and pulled Prescott for Joe Milton, who promptly fumbled the ball at the end of a big scramble.
The game was emblematic of the issue the Cowboys have had all year: they never play a complete game. The defense has routinely been a disaster, and the offense has had too many games where they either can’t get going early or can’t sustain their efficiency into the fourth quarter. All those issues reared their head on Sunday against the Chargers, and a slim opportunity to upset one of the top teams in the league was swiftly blown away, like dust in the wind.
When Schottenheimer first took the job as head coach, he talked about wanting to create the best culture in sports. It’s undeniable he’s made some inroads in that regard, and there’s plenty to feel encouraged about with the head coach, but this game was a stark reminder that there’s still plenty of work to be done.
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