DETROIT — For the previous month, the Dallas Cowboys have carried with them the burden of dropping a teammate and the enjoyment of stepping into playoff rivalry.
On Thursday night time, the Cowboys’ 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Discipline was their first for the reason that demise of Marshawn Kneeland and their first in additional than a month, dropping them to 6-6-1 on the season and giving them troublesome odds to make the postseason.
“I feel guys are pissed off proper now,” quarterback Dak Prescott stated. “I do not assume it is any deflated second like, oh, fingers are up, we’re achieved. No. No. Completely not. I feel you are going to get a workforce that is pissed, particularly as we discuss a workforce that is form of modified for the reason that bye week. That is the primary time this group, to an extent, suffered this. So hopefully it pisses folks off the suitable means, we use it as gas, and I do know, beginning with myself, I am going to ensure that we now have a fantastic week of prep for the following one.”
The Cowboys’ playoff probabilities dropped to eight% with the defeat, in response to ESPN Analytics. The Cowboys would lose head-to-head tiebreakers in opposition to the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Lions.
Their remaining 4 opponents embrace three groups — Minnesota Vikings (Dec. 14), Washington Commanders (Dec. 25) and New York Giants (Jan. 3 or 4) — with a dropping report. They play the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) on Dec. 21.
Thursday’s sport was the fourth in an 18-day span for the Cowboys, following wins over the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the three video games since buying defensive deal with Quinnen Williams on the commerce deadline.
“Actually happy with the group,” coach Brian Schottenheimer stated. “4 video games, [18] days, battled their asses off, happy with them. We knew tonight it was going to come back right down to a few issues — the power to maintain the soccer and take it away, and we did not do a superb job of that. Then we wanted to win the trenches, and we did not actually try this.”
The Cowboys misplaced the turnover battle 3-0, with two interceptions and a misplaced fumble that the Lions changed into 14 factors. They averaged 3.8 yards per rush, with Prescott having the longest run of the night time (12 yards), and allowed 4 dashing touchdowns, together with three by Jahmyr Gibbs.
“It was an essential sport for each groups,” Schottenheimer stated, “and so they received the perfect of us.”
Prescott was pressured 20 occasions, together with 10 within the fourth quarter, and was sacked 5 occasions. The Cowboys additionally had a few pricey, if questionable, offensive cross interference penalties.
Regardless of all of that, twice within the fourth quarter the Cowboys closed the hole to a one-score sport after dropping Professional Bowl huge receiver CeeDee Lamb to a concussion within the third quarter. Each occasions, the Cowboys’ protection allowed touchdowns on the following drive.
“The complementary soccer wasn’t what it was the previous a number of weeks,” Schottenheimer stated.
Maybe their finest likelihood to make the playoffs is profitable the NFC East if the Eagles proceed to slip.
“I do not know if I can say we management our personal future,” Prescott stated. “It was not a stretch saying that earlier than. Fairly positive if we had received out, we had been going to have a reasonably rattling good report, solely having 5 losses and a tie.
“Being 6-6-1 proper now with [four] left now, yeah, I am fairly positive — particularly with simply the way in which a few of the divisions are formed, the North, the West — we’ll want some issues to occur for us. I do not assume it is in our management at this level. However what we will management is the way in which that we method the sport. I feel that is nearly pleasure and love you’ve gotten for this sport, teammates, the group, having a chance to play this sport. That shall be my message to the gamers, and I feel if we try this, we’ll nonetheless give ourselves an opportunity.”
