Dallas – On his weekly radio show, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed the team’s 34‑31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, saying the final‑minute game‑management errors by the coaching staff cost the Cowboys a victory.
“There is no explanation you’re satisfied with. None,” Jones said. “We made mistakes during that time. There’s no question about it. So there is no explanation, but there will be an evaluation of how not to make the same mistakes again.”
Key moments in the closing seconds
Trailing 31‑28, Dallas had a first down at the Baltimore 2‑yard line with 23 seconds left. Dak Prescott’s pass fell incomplete in the end zone. A false‑start penalty on tight end Luke Schoonmaker pushed the ball back to the 5‑yard line, and head coach and play‑caller Brian Schottenheimer called a timeout with 14 seconds remaining.
Schottenheimer instructed Prescott to either throw a quick out to wide receiver George Pickens or throw the ball away, based on the remaining time. Prescott chose the throwaway, and the play lasted just four seconds.
After the Cowboys’ field goal, seven seconds remained. The Dallas defense left a gap at the exact spot where Baltimore set up for a game‑winning kick. Lamar Jackson completed a 27‑yard pass to Zay Flowers, called a timeout with one second left, and Tyler Loop nailed a 56‑yard field goal to seal the win.
Coaching staff under scrutiny
Schottenheimer is in his second season as a head coach after 25 years as an NFL assistant. Defensive coordinator Christian Parker, 34, made his debut in that role this season. Both will face heightened scrutiny from fans and analysts, and likely from the Cowboys front office.
Jones remained optimistic about the team’s direction. “We will be better from this experience that we had with Baltimore and what happened to us at the end of the game,” he said. “A win would have given you another way of couching it as far as having growth and enthusiasm for having won a game like that, because we did come back, and we came back in an impressive way. All of that makes us realize we really are just at the beginning of what I hope is an exciting year for us.”
Looking ahead
The Cowboys (1‑2) received a brief reprieve in the NFC East after two‑time defending champion Philadelphia lost to the Chicago Bears and backup quarterback Case Keenum on Monday night. Dallas travels to face the Houston Texans (0‑3) on Sunday.
In the broader division, the New York Giants, now without quarterback Jaxson Dart for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles atop the division at 2‑1.
“We are very much in the hunt, and I say that principally based upon the way I feel about our team, as much or more than what’s happening with the other teams,” Jones added. “Philadelphia has things that they want to work on just as the Giants do, just as we do. It makes you see how health is a factor. Availability is a factor. And we’re just getting started.”
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
