The real reason why Cowboys lost to the Jaguars on Sunday
It's a QB-centric league and as such a lot of the postgame analysis surrounding the Dallas Cowboys' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars will center around Dak Prescott's two interceptions. That's more than understandable. But to suggest that the quarterback is the reason why the Cowboys ultimately fell 40-34 on Sunday is a reach, at best. […]
It's a QB-centric league and as such a lot of the postgame analysis surrounding the Dallas Cowboys' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars will center around Dak Prescott's two interceptions. That's more than understandable.
But to suggest that the quarterback is the reason why the Cowboys ultimately fell 40-34 on Sunday is a reach, at best.
Prescott's first interception came in the third quarter when Dallas led the game by 10. Even though it could be argued it was a momentum shift, there was definitely some breathing room by that point. It was a bad play and Prescott himself broke it down postgame. But that wasn't the main driving force behind the team's fourth loss of the season.
As for the second pick, that was clearly on Noah Brown. The veteran wide receiver deserves a ton of credit for what he's done this season but that was a rough moment for #85 as the football bounced off of his hands.
No, the real reason why the Cowboys lost is a surprisingly poor defensive effort. This shouldn't even be a debate even if the quarterback is king in the NFL.
Consider the following; the Cowboys defense allowed:
- 8-of-12 third down conversions
- 3-of-4 red zone conversions
- 7.2 yards per play (!!!)
- 2 wide receivers with 90+ receiving yards
- 1 running back with 100+ rushing yards
In the second half alone, the Cowboys allowed Trevor Lawrence to play a near-perfect game. The Jaguars quarterback passed for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Christian Kirk – catch-less in the first half – went off for 92 yards in six catches.
While the defense might be entitled to the benefit of the doubt due to injuries at every level, this is a legitimate concern moving forward. DT Johnathan Hankins and CB Anthony Brown are done for the regular season. Hankins and Leighton Vander Esch are expected to come back later in the year.
But the Cowboys need to figure out what changes to make on defense. Dan Quinn has done a fantastic job since his arrival in Dallas and has earned our trust. However, he has a tall task at hand.
For more on this topic, check out Sunday's episode of my nightly show A to Z Sports Dallas Primetime!
Featured image via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK
