DENVER (AP) — Dak Prescott spent a significant portion of the fourth quarter on the sideline during a game that was already well out of reach. It was just another chapter in what has been an inconsistent season for the Dallas Cowboys.
This time, it wasn’t just a porous, injury-riddled defense that was stymied; it was the league’s best offense. “Surprised is a good word to use,” Prescott said about the Cowboys’ struggles in the 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. “Frustrated as well.”
The defeat came after a promising 44-22 win over Washington the previous week that seemed like it might spark momentum for the Cowboys (3-4-1). Instead, the team continued its streaky performance pattern. They have yet to win two games in a row this season.
A telling sign of how sour things went against the Broncos: Prescott was taken out with just over seven minutes remaining, replaced by backup Joe Milton, who threw the only touchdown pass for Dallas. The Cowboys have not beaten Denver in 30 years.
“We want to put a streak together and talk about identity, trying to find identity,” Prescott said. He finished the game 19 of 31 for 188 yards with two interceptions before giving way to Milton. “It’s hard to even give you an identity until we put a couple of games together in a row.”
The defense struggled once again, giving up 250 points through eight games— the third-most in team history, according to ESPN Research. Only the 1960 team (272 points) and the 2020 team (266) had allowed more points through the same span.
“We had high hopes, because we thought we could come in here and have a big win for us,” said team owner Jerry Jones. “That didn’t happen. They had everything to do with it. Got to get better.”
With the trade deadline approaching, could an acquisition help turn things around?
“If I saw a proposition for us to help this team, no matter what this score was today, then I would look at it on the merits,” said Jones, who also serves as Dallas’ general manager.
It certainly worked out for the Cowboys in 2018 when they traded for receiver Amari Cooper. That move transformed a 3-4 start into a 7-2 finish, earning them a playoff berth.
Prescott expressed confidence in the current roster. “I trust and I like the guys that we have,” he said. “I honestly do, and that’s not just a political answer or whatever it is.”
He added a challenge to his teammates: “I just echo to those people or to the guys in the locker room, forget a trade. Do more. Shut that talk up. Whether it be offense, defense, whatever position group you’re alluding to, step up and shut the talk up.”
Prescott also emphasized the need for consistency. “We’ve got to find a way to be consistent, whether it’s at home, on the road, regardless. We’re too good,” he said. The Cowboys committed nine penalties for 80 yards in the game.
“We’ve got too many good players. We’ve got great coaches. Jadeveon (Clowney) was just saying in the locker room this roster should not be going up and down like we’re doing. We’ve just got to look in the mirror.”
For Prescott, his two interceptions—one at the end of the first half while the Cowboys were advancing, and another in Denver territory in the fourth quarter—were costly.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer didn’t feel the turnovers were due to Prescott pressing too hard. “It was one of those deals where it was hard to get into a rhythm a little bit,” Schottenheimer said. “At the end of the day, Dak has done a great job of trying to just say, ‘Each play is its own.’”
It was a bittersweet homecoming for Broncos running back Javonte Williams, who scored two touchdowns against his former team but was largely contained along with the rest of Dallas’ offense.
“It turned out the way it did,” Williams said. “We have to execute better.”
Jones shared a similar sentiment. “We all saw the same thing out there,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Bo Nix led a Broncos offense that gained 426 yards against the beleaguered Cowboys defense.
When asked about his confidence in defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Jones was diplomatic. “I’ve seen him take players and units, and they improve and get better as he coaches, and I’ve seen it more than once,” Jones said. “He’s a good coach.”
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