Cowboys owner cites offense in loss

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones placed the blame for the latest defeat squarely on the team's offensive performance. The Cowboys lost 33-30 to the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. The loss marked the fifth consecutive defeat against Arizona. The Cardinals also extended their unbeaten streak at the Cowboys' home field to five games.

The offense struggled to convert key opportunities during the final minutes. Dallas held a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Cardinals mounted a comeback. Arizona drove to a field goal to secure the win after Chad Ryland missed an extra point attempt in the final seconds of regulation. The missed kick forced the game into overtime instead of ending it in the fourth.

Jones described the collapse as a failure of the entire unit. He stated that the performance was an indictment of the whole show. The owner noted that the team did not trail until the game was already over. He emphasized that the squad had the opportunities to win but failed to execute when it mattered most.

The defensive unit performed well for the first three quarters. They forced three punts and two turnovers during the initial Arizona possessions. The defense also recorded a goal-line stand. However, the unit allowed Tyler Allgeier to break free for a 63-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. The Cowboys then gave up three more touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, including a final drive of 80 yards in 63 seconds.

The offense stalled in overtime after finally forcing a stop. Javonte Williams ran for two yards on the first play. Dak Prescott's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage on the next play. A season-high fourth sack forced the Cowboys to punt the ball back to Arizona. The defense, which ranks among the worst in the NFL, did not record another stop after that initial success in overtime.

Jones said he was not ready to blame head coach Brian Schottenheimer. The coach has only one winning streak in his two seasons with the team. Jones noted that he has not been involved in many games the team should have won. He stated that none of the personnel are getting it done and that this should be his primary concern. The team is now 3-5 and has spent exactly one of the last 25 weeks above .500 under a first-year head coach.

Dak Prescott completed 19 of 29 passes for 195 yards. The running game averaged 2.4 yards per carry, a sharp drop from the 204-yard showing in the previous week's win against Philadelphia. Javonte Williams rushed for 56 yards on 24 carries, down from a career-high 155 yards against the Eagles. Prescott said that talk is cheap and the team must go write on its own story.

Schottenheimer expressed belief in his staff and players. He acknowledged that the team played a good first half but a poor second half. He said the group needs to look at the film and learn from the mistakes made in the second half. The Cowboys will continue to rely on a weak division for playoff hope despite the recent slippage.