The Dallas Cowboys are still within striking distance of the NFC playoff picture, but Sunday’s 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos was a wake-up call and reminder that there are serious issues that need to be addressed for the Cowboys to make a serious run at the Lombardi Trophy this season.
“I said to them, ‘If anybody feels like you coached or played well today, raise your hand,’ and there was not a single hand that went up,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said in a post-game media session, according to ESPN. “I said, ‘OK, I agree with that.’ I said, ‘We have to learn from it. We have to fix it.'”
“Just the old saying: ‘Adversity reveals character and also builds it,'” franchise quarterback Dak Prescott said of his approach to getting the train back on the tracks. “And so, who are we? And I just challenged everybody, myself included, to look in the mirror.
“Are we giving enough? Are you giving enough through the week, through your preparation, and particularly on game day, to make sure that you’re giving your best performance? I know the coaches. I know the men in that building. I know how pissed we all are from this, and I know the way we’re going to get back to work and be ready for Monday night.
“So it’s a hell of a business we’re in. It’s a tough business, but I wouldn’t choose anything else. Wouldn’t choose any other men than those guys in that locker room and those coaches. We’re going to come together and we’re going to make sure this doesn’t turn into two games.
“And more importantly, we need to find a way to get a [winning] streak going.”
While the Cowboys are 3-4-1, Schottenheimer still believes Dallas is a good team.
“I see us every day, I see what we’re capable of,” he said. “Here’s the word that’s coming back again: consistency. We’re not very consistent and we have to be more consistent. Last week, we did a great job stopping the run — tonight, we didn’t. Therein lies a problem. [The] last couple of games, we’ve been protecting the football, which has given us a chance. Tonight, we didn’t. I think we’re a talented football team. I know we have things to get better at and improve on, but I do think we’re a good football team.”
The next few weeks will determine whether or not he’s right.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.