Cowboys Owner Frustrated After Last-Second Loss in Rio
Jerry Jones, the longtime owner of the Dallas Cowboys, expressed his frustration over the way the final moments played out in their unexpected defeat against the Baltimore Ravens, marking the NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro.
After the Cowboys managed to tie the game at 31 with less than a minute left, the Ravens had the ball with only seven seconds remaining. It looked like the game would head to overtime. But then, Brandon Aubrey’s kickoff went for a touchback, and Lamar Jackson connected with Zay Flowers on a 27-yard pass, setting up the Ravens for a crucial field goal.
Jones and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer reviewed the sequence leading up to Aubrey’s game-tying kick, especially noting the decisions made after reaching a first-and-goal at the 2-yard line. They also discussed Dak Prescott’s third-down pass that didn’t lead anywhere, forcing the Cowboys to settle for that tying field goal instead.
While Jones realized that the Cowboys couldn’t change the past moments of the game, he believed the team could learn from their mistakes to avoid repeating them. “There is no explanation you’re satisfied with. None,” he stated during a radio interview on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.
Jones continued, “Let’s be sure that we all understand that. [The coaches] don’t have one they’re satisfied with. But there’s an evaluation of how to avoid the same mistakes again. You can’t get that back. [There’s] no way to get it back. But what you can do is use the experience to get better. That’s what we’re aiming for.”
Schottenheimer echoed similar sentiments in his first comments after returning home from Brazil. He admitted to making mistakes and took responsibility, aligning himself with Jones’ perspective.
“I’m man enough to admit mistakes. I make a lot of them, and I’m certainly not perfect,” he reflected. “Jerry and I had a good conversation about it. He understands that a mistake was made, and he gave me solid advice. I really value that—he has so much experience in the game.”
He indicated that this experience would help him improve. “I hurt our chances to win that game. I’ll be better next time. I know I can do better than what I showed in the last 28 seconds,” Schottenheimer added.
He also mentioned how frustration over the third-down call had a bearing on the decision made during the kickoff, and acknowledged breakdowns in communication between the special teams and game management teams.
“My dad always said—one play at a time,” he shared. “It’s something he emphasized because he learned it the hard way. One bad play shouldn’t mess up the next decision, but I think it influenced me. I’ll take accountability for that—it’s part of football and life.”
Schottenheimer has only had 20 games as a head coach, bringing a quarter-century of coaching experience with him.
As the Cowboys sit at 1-2 heading into Week 4, they will face the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Green Bay Packers in their next three games, all of whom have had a rough start this season. Notably, the Buccaneers will be missing their starting quarterback Baker Mayfield for the next few weeks, and they’re looking to an undrafted rookie, Jalon Daniels, to step in.
