Dallas Cowboys fans should have known that last night was going to go poorly when before the game as pieces of metal fell from the AT&T Stadium roof onto the playing surface. This issue came just eight days following a blowout home loss to the Philadelphia Phillies where the sun’s position impacted Dallas’ performance on the field. Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, always the voice of reason, scoffed at using the in-stadium curtains to help with the visibility on the field. Jones said, “Let’s just tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?”
Dallas’ home woes continued last night as they were drubbed 34-10 by the Houston Texans for their fifth straight loss. The Cowboys were the best home team in the league winning 16 straight, but have now lost five straight at “Jerry’s World.” All facets of the Cowboys looked out of sync as the defense surrendered 27+ points for the fifth consecutive game and Quarterback Cooper Rush had 1 touchdown and 2 turnovers. Even though Rush finished the game with 354 passing yards, he fell short when the game was hanging in the balance. The Dallas Cowboys are now 3-7, is there any way to salvage the season?
Dallas Cowboys Season Summary
Jones said the Dallas Cowboys were “all in” heading into the 2024 NFL Offseason. Those words never materialized as Dallas had a quiet offseason. Their marquee move was bringing back Running Back Ezekiel Elliott. Jones dragged his feet during the offseason as he waited until the eleventh hour to sign Wide Receiver Ceedee Lamb and Quarterback Dak Prescott. Even with the dearth of offseason moves, the 2024 season should not be going as poorly as it has for the Cowboys. They were one of the league’s best regular season teams over the last few years as they made the NFL Playoffs three straight seasons.
Once the regular season began for the Cowboys, things really went downhill. One of the main issues has been injuries. Linebacker Micah Parsons missed four games with a high ankle sprain, Defensive End DeMarcus Lawrence has been out since Week 4 with a foot injury, and Prescott will be out the remainder of the year with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 9. Prescott was placed on IR last week ending his season. Even when Prescott was healthy, he was having the worst season of his career. He had 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions over eight games.
Even with a healthy Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys would not have been able to salvage the 2024 season. The most surprising issue Dallas has run into this season has been their anemic defense. Under former Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn, the Dallas defense was one of the league’s best. New Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer has not been good, and will have a one-year stint with “America’s Team.” The defense is 27th in total yards allowed per game, 31st in points per game allowed, and 22nd in sacks.
Final Thoughts
Such a miserable season will lead to Head Coach Mike McCarthy not having his contract extended. He entered the 2024 season in the final year of his contract, and the team’s performance this year will not lead to him returning. Dallas heads to Washington on Sunday to face Quinn’s new team, the Washington Commanders. One of the few positives from what has been a miserable season is the Cowboys hold the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If Dallas decides to draft a QB in April’s draft, it may mean Prescott’s time in Dallas has come to an end. With last night’s loss, Dallas should officially look forward to the 2025 NFL Offseason. This has been a miserable season for the Dallas Cowboys, and the team has countless questions to answer as they look to get “America’s Team” back on track.
