Cowboys must quickly put an end to a disturbing trend
The Dallas Cowboys blew a three-score lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars. An overtime pick-six allowed the Jaguars to come back and steal a win over Dallas, who was in control for much of the game. It's a bitter pill to swallow. Dallas appeared to be on its way to 11-3, setting the stage for next […]
The Dallas Cowboys blew a three-score lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars. An overtime pick-six allowed the Jaguars to come back and steal a win over Dallas, who was in control for much of the game.
It's a bitter pill to swallow. Dallas appeared to be on its way to 11-3, setting the stage for next week's NFC East battle with the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, the Cowboys must put the loss behind them and prepare for the Eagles in a game that has now lost some luster.
Dallas cannot allow this loss to carry over. It is crucial for the Cowboys to move on and make the necessary adjustments. There is one obvious adjustment that has to be made: closing out a win.
The Cowboys lead by as much as 17 points in the third quarter. However, costly mistakes and the Jaguars taking advantage flipped the script — quickly. The offense couldn't get out of its own way, and the defense failed to make stops.
Cowboys must close out games
As a result, the Jaguars were able to hang around, tie the game. and eventually hand the Cowboys their fourth loss of the season. It was the second time this year that the Cowboys blew a double-digit advantage.
Furthermore, this latest Cowboys loss is similar to their defeat to the Green Bay Packers. Dallas jumped out to lead on the road, seemingly had the game in the bag, and then lost in overtime.
Similar factors led to both losses — self-inflicted mistakes, multiple turnovers, and the inability to get off the field on defense. The Dallas Cowboys are a good team, but they aren't good enough to overcome all of that. Very few, if any, teams are.
It's an issue that needs to be addressed.
Two of the four losses have come in similar fashion. The Cowboys cannot allow that to happen in the postseason, in do-or-die scenarios. Stepping on the throat and not letting the opponent get off the mat, so to speak, is important.
We have seen the Cowboys have a killer-instinct. They closed out the Colts in dominant fashion. Dak Prescott executed a game-winning drive against the Texans. Dallas never let up versus the Vikings.
Still, it's an issue that has to be fixed before it becomes a trend that ends the Dallas Cowboys' 2022 season.
Featured image via Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
