Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Cowboys are watching their season slip away from them. It would be unfair to assume that we have all been in the position that I am about to describe. My freshman year of college I took physics for the first time (it was difficult and I had to re-take it, a point you are about to learn) and I vividly remember how demoralizing the final exam was for my internal confidence. The subject matter was insanely difficult as was, but I can now be honest and note that I did not apply myself enough or do enough studying and prep ahead of time. This left me in a bad spot and I stared at the final exam knowing that I had no idea what to do, how to start and ultimately had to accept that I would soon enough be back taking the class. But the exam still had to be taken and I wasn’t going to just turn it in blank. I can’t exactly recall what I filled out for each question as far as equations and all of that jazz are concerned, but I knew as I walked down the classroom to turn it in that it was a failing grade. It felt like everyone knew. I made the bed and had to lie in it. I thought a lot about that physics exam on Sunday afternoon. The Dallas Cowboys were me. The 2024 season is the exam. The Ravens were my walk down to turn it in. Any and every fear we had about this team as we lamented over the offseason about their inactivity is coming to life in the most monstrous way possible. Here are my Day After Thoughts following Sunday’s latest disaster. This was never preventable, but it did not have to be this way There has been a lot of conversation about Derrick Henry. To be clear, almost no one believes the Cowboys win this game against Baltimore if he had been on the opposite sideline. But this is about a point larger than Henry (although not much is). Foregoing free agency, scoffing at the idea that it could be used to help the team, drafting completely for need, ignoring addressing the running back position in a serious way, delaying superstar and market-setting extensions until the last possible minute – it is not hyperbolic to say that everything we have seen from this team since the playoff loss has been done in about the most toxic way possible. Name the thing they did that efficiently improved their overall operation. Seriously. we’ll take any answer. This was all assembled in such chaotic fashion that seeing it wobble and wiggle before the first month of the season is not surprising in the least bit. Our fears that the run game would not be enough, that there were no viable pass-catching threats outside of CeeDee Lamb, that defensively this team did not have enough beef to stop the run and that relying on rookies in critical spots could prove costly are all manifesting themselves. It did not have to be this way. Jalen Tolbert and Hunter Luepke were lost in the chaos On a positive note, the Cowboys did mount what some people are calling a “comeback”. A big reason for this was the emergence of Jalen Tolbert, Hunter Luepke and KaVontae Turpin. We have long believed in these players as ones who could make a difference if given the proper opportunity. The unfortunate reality right now is that the opportunities that they are being given are too intense due to an absence of other options. Still it was impressive to see Tolbert and Luepke find their respective footing in the offense. If this team is going to survive this season then this is going to need to happen on a much more regular basis. Thursday night feels like a must win in the worst way Obviously every game is a must win in a literal sense, but doesn’t it feel like Thursday night carries just a little bit of drama? When you play on Thursday night you have to wait a long time until you are seen from again. Dallas visits the Pittsburgh Steelers next week on Sunday Night Football so an enormous amount of time will go on between Thursday night and then for people to praise or ridicule them even more. Should the Cowboys lose it would be three losses in a row, the first one to the Giants in some time and Dallas would have to sit on it for double-digit days. Would the Cowboys be so bold as to make a legitimate change in that lull? That feels doubtful. But the heat is on and everything feels like it is coming to a head. A win on Thursday night would hardly calm everything down. But a loss… well. Yikes.

Perry Knotts/Getty Images The Cowboys could still look to add some help to their roster at this point. If we’ve learned anything about the Dallas Cowboys through the first three weeks of the 2024 season it’s that this year’s roster has some glaring holes that will continue to cause them problems until they are addressed. No matter how much posturing Jerry Jones makes about about the current state of the Cowboys roster being just fine, it’s abundantly apparent the opposite is true. Today, we are going to explore three relatively low cost moves the Dallas Cowboys should make after back-to-back losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. Each proposed roster move has the possibility of addressing some of the Cowboys problem areas and would do so with relatively minimum investment. These are exactly the type of low-risk, high-reward moves Dallas likes to make and should absolutely be considered. Trade for New York Jets RB Israel Abanikanda Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images The Cowboys rushing attack, or lack thereof, so far this season has really made the entire offense one-dimensional. The trio of Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn don’t strike any fear into opposing defenses. Dallas would be wise to try to upgrade this position and trading for Israel Abanikanda would at the very least be a step in the right direction. At 5’10”, 216-pounds with reported sub-4.4 speed, Abanikanda would add a different element to Dallas’ current stock of RBs. And considering he’s currently RB4 with the Jets and hasn’t played a single snap for them this year, he could be acquired relatively cheaply via trade. Sign DT Siaki Ika off Cleveland Browns practice squad Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images The Cowboys defensive front has been absolutely embarrassed in back-to-back weeks by both the Saints and Ravens. The solution to fixing the run defense doesn’t seem to be on the roster right now, and signing or trading for anyone who would would be an immediate upgrade seems highly unlikely. That shouldn’t stop the Cowboys from trying though. At 6’3″, 335-pounds, Siaki Ika is the big bodied type of DT Mike Zimmer likes in his defensive scheme. His size and talent is intriguing enough for the Cowboys to poach him off the Browns practice squad to try to upgrade their DL. Sign free agent WR Chase Claypool Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images Chase Claypool has been labeled as somewhat of a diva wide receiver with questionable effort on a down-to-down basis since entering the league, but could potentially help the Cowboys passing game if signed via free agency. At 6’4″, 238-pounds with legit 4.42 speed, Claypool would give Dak Prescott another big target on the outside in Dallas’ aerial attack. With both Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert struggling to find any kind consistency this year, Claypool would at the very least provide legitimate competition to push the two and quite possibly find a role in the roatition.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys loss was really bad, but particularly so relative to team history. The Dallas Cowboys were all kinds of bad on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Some late heroics made the mess more tolerable from a box score standpoint, but Dallas was down 28-6 when the Ravens decided to take their foot off of the gas. This move almost cost Baltimore, but it didn’t and that’s what ultimately matters. It was a horrendous game for the Cowboys, the latest unfortunate masterpiece they have painted with their questionable brushes. Thanks to our friends at Stathead and Pro Football Reference we are able to contextualize the game in certain respects relative to the longstanding history of the Dallas Cowboys. It was a historically bad day from the run defense In case you were unaware the Cowboys let the Ravens run for 274 yards on them. An opposing team reaching such a high mark is not a common thing in franchise history. It was only the ninth instance in franchise history in which this happened. Coincidentally the most recent occasion was also against the Ravens back on that weird Tuesday night in 2020. Speaking of history, the rushing performance is historically bad You do not need to comb through any sort of history to know that the Cowboys are really bad at running the ball right now. But just how bad are they? Through the first three games of the season the Cowboys have 221 rushing yards. This is the third-fewest rushing yards they have ever had through the first three games of any season. Those were some dark days. It should come as no surprise that the rushing margin was dreadful While the Ravens ran all over the Cowboys, the Cowboys themselves did very little of that. Dallas only produced 51 yards on the ground to Baltimore’s 274. This was the third-worst rushing margin in a single game in franchise history. That this came immediately after Jerry Jones proudly shouted about how great the Cowboys rushing attack was and against Derrick Henry of all people is ultimate theater. Derrick Henry had a career day against the Cowboys Forgive me for the screenshot here being long and thing. The issue is that Derrick Henry did something against the Dallas Cowboys that nobody ever has. Not one. Getting specific here, Henry reached three certain thresholds against the Cowboys. He had over 150 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and over 20 receiving yards. Nobody, you read that right, has ever done that in a game against the Cowboys. Until now.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Everything was ugly for the Cowboys on Sunday. Due to a late fourth-quarter resurgence, the Dallas Cowboys avoided yet another embarrassing loss in back-to-back weeks. They were able to fight their way back into the game scoring three late touchdowns in the fourth quarter, only to lose 28-25 in the Week 3 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. For the majority of the game the Cowboys looked out of sync and lethargic both offensively and defensively. While they were able to show signs of life late in the game on the offensive side of the ball, defensively they still look undisciplined and outmatched. If we learned anything though, there is still plenty of room for improvement in every aspect. Today, we are going to take a look at what little good can be taken away from this Week 3 matchup with the Ravens as well as some of the bad and the ugly. Unfortunately, the bad and ugly dominated this week, much like it did last week against the New Orleans Saints. THE GOOD – Brandon Aubrey It’s starting to sound like a broken record, but Brandon Aubrey is without a doubt the only consistent good thing to take away from the Cowboys Week 3 matchup against the Ravens. He made two more kicks from beyond 50+ yards (65, 51) and also helped to convert an onside kick that helped the Cowboys claw their way back into the game. While we all love to see him split the uprights on a consistent basis from just about any distance, we would all agree we’d probably prefer him kicking more extra points after touchdowns. THE BAD – Dak Prescott and Company through three quarters The Dak Prescott-led Cowboys offense couldn’t get anything going on the ground or through the air through the first three quarters of the game, but finally showed signs of life in the fourth quarter. It was almost as if the switch was finally turned on for the Cowboys offense in the fourth quarter. They played with an energy we have yet to see from them this year and as a result they fought their way back into the game after scoring three quick touchdowns. It unfortunately wasn’t enough, but something they can hopefully build upon. THE UGLY – Defense. Defense. Defense. The Cowboys defense was once again their Achilles’ heel against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Baltimore’s offense had a total of 456 yards, 238 of which came from QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry on the ground. We knew heading into this matchup this QB/RB tandem would be a problem for the Cowboys run defense and that ended up being the case. Sadly, it’s difficult to believe Dallas’ run defense will improve much moving forward unless there are some significant personnel changes made.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Cowboys show fight late, but can’t complete comeback, drop to 1-2- Shane Taylor, Inside The Star It wasn’t the bounce-back game fans were hoping for. Slow Start We all should know by now that this team is built to play with the lead, it has been that way for a few years now. Yet, the offense failed to do anything with the football after taking the open kickoff. Once again, the defense got shredded. They got gashed on the first two possessions, putting them behind early 14-3. The only points of the first half came from Brandon Aubrey. The only decent drive they had ended inside the 10-yard line when CeeDee Lamb fumbled the football. No surprise, right? The best player on the team finds a way to do such a Cowboys thing and end any quick hope of Dallas having a chance to keep the same close. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry did whatever they wanted to. They closed the first half with another touchdown to extend their lead to 21-6 at half. Gamebreakers: Cowboys who clawed vs. Ravens- Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The game wasn’t all bad. Brandon Aubrey, K It’s yet another week wherein the Cowboys struggled to find offense, but Brandon Aubrey was still Brandon Aubrey. He didn’t get many chances to swing his right boot against the Ravens by virtue of the offensive mistakes (e.g., fumble, penalties, etc.), but he made it count with each opportunity. His afternoon included kicking a 65-yarder right down the middle of the uprights with room to spare, the single longest field goal in the history of the Cowboys’ franchise. There was a time when the offense wasn’t the concern and the kicker was, but that’s flipped in 2024. Rico Dowdle, RB It was a valiant effort by Dowdle, to be honest. He not only started for the second week in a row, but he made it count when he was given the ball. His total yardage doesn’t say much, but what’s also true is that he was averaging 4.5+ yards per carry each time he took a handoff. So what is missing here? Well, the fact he was only asked to carry the ball seven times entering he fourth quarter, largely because the Cowboys were being blown out for a second consecutive week and running the ball would accomplish nothing. Dowdle looked solid, though, and also on his 18-yard burst late in the game that kept the Cowboys alive — leading to a touchdown by KaVontae Turpin. The Forgotten Play: This unremarkable Mike McCarthy decision cost Cowboys vs Ravens- K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire There is plenty of blame to go around. Trailing 21-6 at the half, the Cowboys defense took the field after the break but still wasn’t able to corral the Ravens’ rushing attack. Derrick Henry raced for 26 of his 151 ground yards and getting into the end zone for a 28-6 lead. Dallas took the ball back at their 29 with 11:58 remaining in the third quarter and marched into Baltimore territory before the drive bogged down. A Tyler Guyton hold on 1st-and-10 from the Ravens’ 29 effectively killed the drive. On 3rd-and-18, Prescott took a sack for a loss of 11 yards, pushing them back to the Baltimore 48. Dallas decided to punt and the Ravens started a new drive at their own 11. Why didn’t Dallas try for a field goal there? Earlier in the game, superstar kicker Brandon Aubrey nailed a 65-yarder with room to spare, kicking from just one-yard shy of the NFL record. Why wouldn’t McCarthy give Aubrey a chance to set the all-time record and inch a little closer? Sure, at the time the game felt out of reach and the decision was almost assuredly from the perspective of Dallas needing a big play to get back in the game. Kicking the ball deep to pin the Ravens means a turnover gets possession deeper in enemy territory. But if Dallas had kicked and made the field goal, everything about their fourth-quarter comeback changes. When Dallas scored their first fourth-quarter TD, the game is 28-15 with the extra point try coming. Derrick Henry revelation proves he took Cowboys’ free-agency snub personal- Leigh Oleszczak, The Landry Hat Henry could have been wearing the star on Sunday. What could have been? Derrick Henry set out to embarrass the Cowboys and he did just that For all of the wrong reasons, the Cowboys’ rushing attack has been one of the biggest talking points through two games. Rico Dowdle has been the best horse in the stable, but the backfield lacks a true difference-maker. Henry clearly took it personal that Dallas didn’t even call. He ran all over Zimmer’s defense to the tune of 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also tallying 20 receiving yards. He was a headache all afternoon. If the Cowboys went on to complete their comeback, we’d be attacking this story from a completely different angle but unfortunately, it fell just short. There’s no doubt that Dallas could have used Henry, especially in this game, as their rushing attack was once again a non-factor. The offense had just 51 rushing yards on 3.2 yards per carry and Dak Prescott had the only rushing touchdown. Cowboys winners & losers from Week 3 loss to Ravens – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated There was more of the latter on Sunday. Loser: Mike Zimmer In Week 1, Mike Zimmer was getting hit with all the praise. His defense was lights out in his return to Big D, holding the Browns to 230 yards. They also forced two turnovers and sacked Deshaun Watson six times. They were the complete opposite in Week 2 as they surrendered 432 yards to the New Orleans Saints in a 44-19 blowout. It wasn’t much different in Week 3 as the Ravens were able to assert their dominance from the opening drive. Zimmer has an impressive resume and has had