Cowboys coach is practically begging to be fired with take on Amani Oruwariye gaffe

It's crazy how fast things can change in the NFL. Back in Week 4, Amani Oruwariye clinched a win for the Dallas Cowboys over the New York Giants with a late interception. Fast forward to Monday night and Oruwariye is now public enemy No. 1 in Dallas.

So much so that Cowboys fans are actively campaigning for his release. The Cowboys would have been in the driver's seat against the Cincinnati Bengals after Nick Vigil blocked a punt with exactly two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Everyone inside AT&T Stadium knew Oruwariye should have let the ball die, but he lost his bearings and tried to recover it. The ball slipped through his grasp and the Bengals recovered. Shell-shocked by the gaffe, Dallas' defense allowed Cincy to score the game-winning TD three plays later without any resistance.

It is one of the most heartbreaking ways to lose a game. Micah Parsons was visibly distraught afterwards and special teams coach John Fassel was furious on the sideline as the Bengals rallied to the live ball.

Despite that, Fassel preached empathy in his postgame press conference.

Cowboys' John Fassel had confusing take on Amani Oruwariye's muffed blocked punt

It is certainly admirable of Fassel to defend Oruwariye.

The 28-year-old was devastated and walked to the locker room with a towel over his head. Cowboys teammates rallied around him. Veteran special teams ace C.J. Goodwin went as far as to tell the media that nobody would speak to Oruwariye.

With that said, Fassel sent the wrong message. While Fassel shouldn't have thrown Oruwariye under the bus, he should have left the coddling to the players. Yes, Oruwariye is taking it hard, but he is the reason Dallas lost. He needed to be held accountable. That could've been accomplished without listing outlandish excuses to rationalize why Oruwariye touched the live ball.

Fassel said the block happened so quickly that Oruwariye heard the unhinged crowd and nothing else. The ball trickled into his path and he reacted by trying to recover the ball. That is a patently absurd stance by the Cowboys' special teams coordinator.

While Oruwariye's back was turned at the time of the punt, there is simply no defending touching the ball in that spot. A handful of nearby Bengals didn't try to recover it. It should have registered that simply letting the ball die would have given Dallas possession.

Did Oruwariye try to play hero like Juanyeh Thomas against the Commanders three weeks go? It certainly looked both in real time and on replay that he attempted to return the punt rather than corral it.

Regardless, it is a terrible look by Fassel to strip Oruwariye of accountability. Fassel's special teams unit has been a disaster all season. While we admire him defending an under-siege player, you would except more urgency and frustration from a coach who's job is undoubtedly on the line.

More Cowboys news and analysis