As Tom Brady put it on the FOX broadcast, the Dallas Cowboys are a 64-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey away from being 0-3. That's a grim way to look at it, but it's a realistic perspective. They are lucky to be 1-2 after they got blown out by an average Bears team on Sunday.
It's hard to be optimistic about the rest of the season. If CeeDee Lamb's ankle injury isn't serious, the Cowboys will be fun to watch and competitive. If Lamb has to miss significant time, it won't be long before fans start studying 2026 NFL Draft prospects.
Of course, the players in the locker room aren't going to just quit. There's plenty of season left. As one of the best leaders in the league, Dak Prescott called out his teammates - in a good way - following the loss.
Dak Prescott said exactly what the Cowboys needed to hear after ugly Bears loss
"We were biting ourselves [in the foot]," Prescott said. "We're kicking ourselves, and that's the reason that we're not converting to touchdowns and it's the reason that we're not getting first downs. It's gotta start there. Everybody's gotta look in the mirror and say, 'How can I be better?'"
Prescott predictably started by saying the offense has to be better, saying that, "14 points is never going to be OK." While they deserve some blame, the Lamb injury was difficult to overcome. The defense gave the Cowboys no chance, but Prescott didn't point fingers.
"I know we're capable of scoring, and if we've got a score like we did last week [against the Giants], we're gonna do that. I don't get to play defense, and that's not how this game works, and the guys on offense don't. We've got to play offense to the best of our ability, regardless."
Even though Jerry Jones will happily throw Prescott under the bus, Prescott isn't someone who's going to hang teammates and coaches out to dry. However, he will hold teammates accountable, and that's exactly what he did here.
"We're biting ourselves in the football" can be applied to both sides of the ball.
On offense, Javonte Williams ran hard and efficiently once again, but his first-quarter fumble was a turning point. Tyler Guyton continues to commit pre-snap penalties. And George Pickens dropping a surefire first down with Dallas trailing 31-14 early in the fourth quarter was a back-breaker.
On defense, what can you even say? The second level isn't comfortable in Matt Eberflus' system, while the pass rush is nowhere to be found. Sunday marked Caleb Williams' first career game without being sacked. The secondary continues to be plagued by miscommunications and blown coverages, another sign that Eberflus' system is making life difficult.
Top to bottom, everyone has to look themselves in the mirror. A stacked Packers team that just lost as a big favorite against the Browns is coming to town this Sunday night. The scoreboard could get ugly again if things don't get cleaned up.