ARLINGTON, Texas – Name one problem the cowboys had.
Discarded passports. Overturned balls. Punish. A leaky run defense. Big games allowed. A subdued, blocked punt. The list continues.
Sunday saw a tough return to reality for a Cowboys team that entered the competition with a winning streak of six games. Fans would have had a hard time remembering that it was the Cowboys who brought their most precious player, Dak Prescott, back after a single-game calf wreck, rather than the Broncos, who were just days away from being star pass rushers Swap from Miller.
Because the Cowboys had mistreated their opponents in 2021 despite the home game and the dominant offensive, the Broncos defense suspended Dallas for a full 55 minutes of playing time with a 30:16 defeat. It was not until the Cowboys had possession of the ball for the ninth time, with less than 5 minutes on the clock, that Dallas managed to score.
And by then, it was way too late – and arguably dangerous, with the $ 160 million Cowboys quarterback holding a second spot despite previous insists from him and the franchise that the risks would reflect their rewards after a recent streak of injuries -Point conversion.
Was this overconfidence by the cowboys, a message sent to the owners by a feisty Broncos team, or just a reminder that the NFL-beloved “any Sunday” stereotype is still true?
The Broncos travel home at 5-4 while the Cowboys have ample opportunity to ponder the weaknesses the game has uncovered.
To pursue the postseason goals that the team has repeatedly stated, Dallas must find a way 6-2 without winning the pass protection of left tackle Tyron Smith, who missed the competition with a hind ankle. The offense must sustain drives more effectively than its 5-out-13-third-down, 0-out-3-fourth-down performance.
Prescott and his receivers will wonder: where’s the chemistry that was previously with Prescott’s best completion rate of 73.1% in the league, the league-high offensive yardage of the Cowboys and an average of 32.1 points per game that finished third documented, was illustrated?
Against the Broncos, Prescott only completed 48.7% of the passes – and only 31.6% in the first three quarters.
Defensively, a Cowboys team that only allowed 88.3 yards per game gave up 190. Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 19 of 28 passes for 249 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown for receiver Tim Patrick. Patrick got the touchdown from Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, who also drew two costly interceptions. Despite 10 tackles for loss, including three from rookie Micah Parsons, the Cowboys defense failed to respond adequately to a sharp day after the Broncos attacked.
Dallas will host the Falcons next week before heading to Kansas City. The cowboys stay at the forefront of NFC East.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein.
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