Dak Prescott injury, loss to Falcons proves Cowboys must embrace the tank
By Jerry Trotta
The Dallas Cowboys' season was on the line Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. While analysts circled this is a prime chance for Dallas to right the ship, they laid another leg in a 27-21 loss at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Everything we've seen over the first seven (now eight) games indicated the Cowboys are a bad football team. Their one saving grace has been quarterback Dak Prescott, who, despite playing below his standards this season, kept Dallas within striking distance.
In further evidence that the 2024 season is cursed, Prescott left injured in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. The severity of Prescott's injury is unknown, but after falling to 3-5 it might be time for the Cowboys to embrace the tank.
Imagine saying before the season that we'd type those words in Week 9.
Dak Prescott injury, loss vs. Falcons prove Cowboys should tank 2024 season
The Dallas Cowboys front office did nothing but hinder their team this season with all of their offseason antics, delays and pot-stirring.
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) November 3, 2024
They then puffed their chests and acted like anybody who questioned them was wrong for it.
They built this monstrosity of a season.
While a 3-5 record is far from a death-knell, this Cowboys season cannot be salvaged.
Losing against an above-average Falcons team is one thing, but the Cowboys lost by multiple touchdowns yet again. The defense gave up myriad chunk plays and the offensive line made a lowly Atlanta pass rush look like a world-beater. Somehow, that didn't contribute to Prescott's injury, as he took countless big hits in the game.
That brings us to Mike McCarthy. While Jerry Jones and the front office didn't do McCarthy any favors with their roster construction, McCarthy has been just as bad with his play-calling and game management.
Between calling a jet sweep to CeeDee Lamb on 4th-and-1 and sanctioning a fake punt on the opening possession of the first half, Sunday was McCarthy's worst coaching display of the season.
Fans and the media will be calling for McCarthys job, but Jerry Jones has stated multiple times he won't make a mid-season coaching change. Regardless, even if the Cowboys manage to string a couple of wins together, this season is headed nowhere.
Former Dallas head coach Bill Parcells once famously said "You are what your record says you are." While normally accurate, it might be wrong in the case of the 2024 Cowboys. This team is a lot worse than 3-5.
This roster wasn't good enough to win before Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland went on the shelf. With Prescott injured and potentially facing a stint on the sidelines, getting the highest draft pick possible feels like the only silver lining to an abysmal season.
That's if Jerry Jones and Co. are capable of swallowing their pride.
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