The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio on a last-second field goal. In a game that was arguably the most entertaining so far of the NFL season, Dallas actually had chances to win but came up short.
A lot of blame for this loss can rest on the shoulders of head coach Brian Schottenheimer. However, there were several key moments in this game where some players came up small. These three in particular deserve to be singled out.
3 Cowboys players who deserve the most blame for Week 3 loss
1. Markquese Bell, S
It's difficult to pin too much blame on a backup, but Markquese Bell deserves his share for how this game unfolded. With Dallas down Malik Hooker and P.J. Locke, Bell was thrust into the starting lineup at strong safety. Expectations weren't particularly high, and unfortunately, Bell did little to exceed them.
Beyond looking lost in coverage, Bell committed two huge penalties that changed the game early and late. With Dallas up 10-7 in the second quarter, Bell committed a long pass interference penalty on third down that brought the Ravens to the three-yard line. Derrick Henry scored on the next play, and all the momentum went straight to Baltimore.
The ball was underthrown by Lamar Jackson, but Bell impeded the WR's ability to make a play on the ball. It was a fairly easy decision by the referees.
Late in the fourth quarter with Baltimore trailing 28-24 and driving for a go-ahead touchdown, Bell committed another huge pass interference penalty. Sure, it was 1st-and-goal, but the Ravens were just pushed back five yards to the seven-yard line by a false start. Bell's penalty gave them a fresh set of downs from the two.
A field goal would have done nothing in that situation. The penalty gave them new life and took more time away from the offense to try to answer.
If Bell doesn't commit either of those penalties, Dallas arguably has a much better chance to seal the win at the end. Backup or not, he's been in the league long enough to know he has to be smarter in those situations. Given how costly both mistakes proved to be, Bell deserves the largest share of the blame for this loss.
2. Terence Steele, RT
Not only did Terence Steele have another game struggling to protect on the right side of the line, but he also made two huge mistakes on back-to-back sequences in the second half. The first was another huge penalty, while the other was a brutal missed assignment.
After the defense forced a rare punt, Dallas had another chance to take the lead at the start of the third quarter. The offense quickly marched into Baltimore territory, and it looked like the Cowboys were on the verge of seizing momentum.
That changed when a 20-yard George Pickens catch was wiped out by a Terence Steele holding penalty. If that play stands, there's a good chance Dallas finishes the drive with seven points instead of coming away empty-handed. Even three points would've made all the difference in a 34-31 ballgame.
Two plays later, though, Brandon Aubrey's field goal attempt was blocked. Steele looked like he did not know who he was supposed to block on the attempt. He did seal the man on the edge, but Keondre Jackson was left untouched with a free lane to block the kick. It looked like a miscommunication between Steele and rookie tackle Drew Shelton.
If Steele doesn't commit either of those errors, Dallas at least comes away from that drive with points. In a game where the defense rarely complemented the offense, those points could have made all the difference. Steele deserves another healthy share of the blame for this loss.
3. Jake Ferguson, TE
A lot of things went well for Jake Ferguson last week when he caught two touchdowns, but Sunday saw old bad habits return. While he did score his third touchdown of the year, which helped Dallas get back into the game, he killed a drive coming out of halftime that should have given Dallas momentum.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Cowboys were desperately looking to get back on track after blowing a 10-0 lead. They came out firing, putting together a sustained drive as George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb helped get the passing attack rolling again.
Just as Dallas appeared to be finding its footing, however, Ferguson fumbled a shovel pass and brought the promising drive to a screeching halt. While the decision to call a shovel pass to a tight end was a highly questionable one by Schottenheimer, it was another killer fumble by Ferguson, who had this problem last season.
The defense ultimately stopped the Ravens on the ensuing possession, but that doesn't erase the opportunity Ferguson's fumble squandered. With the way Dallas was moving the ball, everything pointed to that drive ending in a touchdown
The turnover is another knock on Ferguson, who did nothing to silence the noise of his inconsistencies as a No. 1 tight end. Even though the play looked dead from the start -- and replay showed he may not have completed the process of a catch -- he still should have made sure to have both hands on the ball in a sea of Ravens.
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