The Dallas Cowboys came back off the bye week looking to distance themselves from an embarrassing loss at home to Detroit. For most of Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers they did just that.
The Cowboys flirted with a comeback late in the fourth quarter, but fell 30-24. This marked their fourth straight loss to San Francisco.
In a game filled with a depleted defense and an offense that could not find its way out of a paper bag until it was too late, there is plenty of blame to go around.
While the most amount of the blame should arguably go to the owner/general manager and head coach, several players need to be held accountable for how poor they played for most of the game.
4 Cowboys players who deserve blame for loss vs. 49ers
4. OT Terence Steele
Terence Steele has struggled this season to be polite. He had his hands full against the 49ers with one of the game’s best pass rushers in Nick Bosa. Bosa had one sack and three quarterback hits working against Steele. His inability to protect the right side made Dak Prescott uncomfortable most of the game.
The coaching staff should have made adjustment to give Steele some help on the right side of the line, but that did not happen. One could argue that was the bigger problem, but Steele is clearly not the same player he was before the torn ACL in 2022.
If Steele is unable to shake off two back-to-back poor performances against Aidan Hutchinson and Nick Bosa, the coaches really need to consider scuffling this offensive line.
Prescott is struggling and so is the running game this season because the offensive line is in much worse shape than it has been the last few seasons. Steele’s shortcomings in pass protection have been a big part of that.
3. TE Brevyn Spann-Ford
Yes it was only one play, but it turned out to be big in the end based on the final score. Brevyn Spann-Ford was targeted twice in the game, but failed to catch a pass. The one that stands out came at the end of the first half.
With the Cowboys up 7-3 the defense made a huge stop on fourth down. After the offense showed signs of life on their first scoring drive, their next possession looked just as promising. On second down in the red zone, Prescott looked for Spann-Ford in the endzone. Unfortunately, the tight end could not haul in the football and Dallas had to settle for a field goal.
Spann-Ford might be an undrafted rookie, but he has to make that catch. He got high enough where it looked like he could have down with the ball, but he could not complete the play. The Cowboys settling for a field goal was underwhelming. They left four points on the field.
When Dallas has had to consistently settle for field goals this season, they lose.
It was one play, but if Spann-Ford comes up with that touchdown, who’s to say how the rest of the game turns out? The Cowboys might have won with how their offense came to life in the fourth quarter. Spann-Ford can’t leave these plays on the field if he wants to stay on this team long term.
2. Kavontae Turpin
Kavonatae Turpin was circled by fans as the guy who can fill the void while Brandin Cooks is out. While Turpin has the occasional explosive play, he has not shown much more than what he is capable of on special teams.
Turpin had some small errors on Sunday night but had a chance to make the big play some have been hoping for.
He fumbled the ball after he ran for a first down on what looked like a broken play, but fortunately Cooper Beebe fell on it. On a kickoff return, Dallas tried to do a reverse pitch with Turpin but it was called a forward pass. However, the play Cowboys fans will remember most took place in the fourth quarter.
After scoring two quick touchdowns, both by CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys suddenly had a chance to win the game. The defense stepped up to the challenge and forced San Francisco to punt, giving the offense over three minutes to work with. That is more than enough time to score.
Prescott missed on his first two passes, but was on target on his third. The problem was Turpin failed to hold onto the ball when it hit him in the hands. It would have been a tough catch to make over the shoulder, but that is a pass that needs to be caught. If he makes it, Dallas is in the driver’s seat.
Turpin’s inability to make the big plays is also a sign of how weak this receiving group has been this year outside of Lamb. He had 146 yards, but the next closest was Jalen Tolbert with 44. Lamb was the only one that kept Dallas in the game. Turpin deserves blame for not coming up with a catch that could have been remembered.
1. QB Dak Prescott
The poster child for this loss has to go to Prescott. While he threw for two touchdowns in what could have been considered “garbage time”, he also had two terrible interceptions and could have had a third on Dallas’ final drive.
A franchise quarterback being paid $240 million should not be making the throws he made in this game. Plain and simple.
The first interception was arguably Prescott’s worst of the season. He looked long for Turpin and threw the ball into double coverage. About to take a shot from Nick Bosa, Prescott should have taken a sack.
With Dallas later down 13-10 in the third quarter, Prescott’s second interception spelled the end of the game. The ball was lofted to the sideline with Deommodore Lenoir draped all over Lamb. It was an easy interception Lenoir.
After his second pick, Prescott seemingly lost confidence and the game was pretty much decided, regardless of Dallas’ late surge.
This game marked Dak’s third in a row with multiple interceptions. He has thrown 10 touchdowns so far this season, but already eight interceptions. A QB making $60 million per year needs to be a lot better.
Dak will be blamed for almost every loss as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, but he has nowhere to hide after a performance like that. He deserves to be blamed the most of any player for the loss.
