A full 48 hours have passed since Thursday night, and frustration among Dallas Cowboys fans hasn't cooled in the slightest. That is what happens when a team is humiliated in a can't-lose primetime game against a previously winless opponent.
At 2-3, the Cowboys very much control their own destiny. They may have squandered an opportunity to apply pressure to their NFC East rivals, but they are still firmly in the thick of the division race. That might be underselling it.
A lot of self-reflection is currently taking place at The Star, as Brian Schottenheimer and Christian Parker have well over a week to get the team ready to face the Packers at Lambeau Field next Sunday night.
Both Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones have elaborated on the loss, so let's not waste any more time and get into the latest happenings surrounding America's Team.
Latest Cowboys news
- Brian Schottenheimer discusses benching Jake Ferguson
- Latest on CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Guyton injuries
- Quick Slants
- Week 5 Cowboys superlatives
Brian Schottenheimer discusses benching Jake Ferguson
Other than Christian Parker, there is no bigger storyline in Dallas right now than the play of DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson, two of the highest-paid players on the team.
There is a groundswell of demands to reduce their respective playing times, and Brian Schottenheimer was asked about Brevyn Spann-Ford getting more opportunities.
"As we look at this process, no one’s sicker than (Ferguson) about (his dropped pass that turned into an interception)," Schottenheimer said, via Jon Machota. "We know what a great player he is, but at the same time, we’re evaluating all that stuff. ...
But to be very, very clear, Jake Ferguson is a big, big part of what we’re building here offensively moving forward. He’s got a number of touchdowns and the next ball that gets thrown to him, I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to catch it."
That probably isn't what Cowboys supporters wanted to hear. While we don't expect Schottenheimer to drag Ferguson through the mud, it'd be a grievous misstep for him to remain a "big, big part" of the offense. He's barely a starting tight end right now.
Spann-Ford might not be a TE1 yet. He dropped the first pass of the game on Thursday and remains inconsistent as a blocker. However, he offers much more in that department than Ferguson and has shown enough to warrant a larger role. At this point, Dallas has little to lose by finding out what he can do with more playing time.
Ferguson's been a bad player this season. A myriad of fans will be out on Schottenheimer (if they aren't already) if he's afraid to enforce consequences for poor play.
Latest on CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Guyton injuries
Lamb and Guyton both departed in the fourth quarter on Thursday night. While Lamb was able to check back in for a snap, Guyton went to the locker room to be treated for a back injury.
NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported that Lamb is dealing with a quad bruise, and it's not a long-term injury. The star WR popped up on the injury report last week with a quad. He practiced in full, but took a hit in the same area.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan, Stephen Jones downplayed concerns regarding Lamb and Guyton's injuries, saying that he thinks "they'll be fine," both "are in good shape," and both will be ready to face the Packers.
That is a huge relief, as Lamb and Guyton have been two of Dallas' best players this season.
Lamb was shockingly quiet on Thursday, catching just two of five targets for nine yards after he erupted for 17 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Texans.
Guyton, meanwhile, has held down the fort at left tackle to the tune of not allowing a sack in the first five games. His pass protection is night and day compared to last season. Even when he doesn't win cleanly off the snap, he's learned how to use his athleticism to recover. And in the run game, he's been a locomotive.
Great to hear that both players won't miss any time.
Quick Slants
Your late-week dose of pressing Cowboys news items.
Jerry Jones evaluates Christian Parker
Jones said after the loss that it's too early to consider moving on from Christian Parker or stripping him of play-calling duties. The 83-year-old remains confident in the first-year defensive coordinator.
“I do (have confidence). Yes, I do,” Jones said, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s sitting there taking it on the shoulders, which goes with the territory, but I feel that he’s competent, and the things that he’s trying to do.
I’m going to say it one more time: The thing that probably bothers me the most tonight is how they ran between the tackles, so to speak, and we’re able to have that running game up in there, where we have a lot of strength. That’s something that we’ve got to really look at and will.”
Now under a microscope, Parker has a lot of growing up to do. Jones' tune will change if things don't improve. However, Jones has a point in saying that players have to do their jobs. The Buccaneers should not have been able to run for 241 yards.
Quinnen Williams defends Christian Parker
Williams said that Cowboys players have "100 percent faith" in their DC.
“At the end of the day, we step in between those lines, and we got to execute to the best of our abilities every single down,” Williams said. “No matter what CP calls, we got to execute.”
Are Williams' comments a relief? Sure. You never want to hear that players don't have faith in their coach. That was clearly the case last season with Matt Eberflus.
On the flip side, though, it is alarming that these questions are already being asked five games into Parker's tenure. Growing pains were expected, but the defense is arguably worse than last year's group despite being decidedly more talented.
Week 5 Cowboys superlatives
Do I have to? Fine.
Award | Player |
|---|---|
MVP of the week | George Pickens |
Unsung hero of the week | Ameer Speed |
Biggest disappointment | DaRon Bland |
Hot seat of the week | Brian Schottenheimer |
Credit where it's due: George Pickens came to play against the Bucs, catching nine of 13 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown. While Jake Ferguson was busy dropping passes, Pickens was a reliable outlet for Dak Prescott, and together, they were taking over the game in the fourth quarter and may have sent it to overtime if not for Ferguson's second drop.
There's a steady drumbeat of support for Ameer Speed on social media. He played 17 coverage snaps on Thursday night and was only targeted once, per PFF. That pass fell incomplete. In last week's win over Houston, he played 14 coverage snaps and allowed just one catch for eight yards.
If any member of the defense can hold their head high, it's Speed, whose snap count should double against the Packers. He should take the place of DaRon Bland, who continues to be hunted by the opposition.
According to PFF, Bland allowed six catches on seven targets for 83 yards, the most of any Cowboys defender. This comes after he was picked on for 104 yards against the Texans.
He can't be on the field right now. And if he does, it should be in the slot. If this defense has any chance of righting the ship, Bland should not see any more reps as a boundary corner.
And while Brian Schottenheimer's seat may not be perceived as hot inside The Star, there are only so many times an NFL head coach can acknowledge that he needs to be "better" before those words ring hollow and questions arise about whether he's cut out for the job.
Short week or not. Third game in 12 days or not. Lingering exhaustion from the Rio trip or not. There is no excuse for losing at home in primetime to a winless team.
It's admittedly hard to go through an NFL season without a loss that makes you want to pull your hair out as a fan, but a good head coach would not have allowed his team to get picked off the way Dallas was. They were 9.5-point favorites and were nearly trailing by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Schottenheimer better pilot a bounce-back showing next week. And if the Cowboys do respond, it's about time they prove they can string wins together. The excuses have run dry.
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