4 days Ago
It's official: The organization formerly known as "America's Team" is no longer even "Texas' Team." In another dismal home performance in Arlington, the Dallas Cowboys failed on a fake punt, coughed up two turnovers, committed nine penalties, missed a 40-yard field goal, mistakenly took points off the board and were hurt by a dropped pass and two pre-snap penalties by star receiver CeeDee Lamb. Add it all up and the 34-10 blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football dropped the Cowboys to 3-7 and cemented the transfer of professional football power in the Lone Star State from DFW 250 miles south on I-45.
This was the Cowboys' first ever home loss to the Texans. Houston's social media team was understandably giddy after the game, posting " Texas' Team " and an " L " using the sheet metal that fell from AT&T Stadium's roof to form the letter. Ouch.
Our Top 10 observations: 10. HEAVY METAL: The bottom long ago dropped out for the Cowboys. On Monday, the top crumbled as well.
As AT&T Stadium opened its roof for a game for the first time in nearly two years, two large piece of sheet metal fell from the top of the $1.2 billion structure. One piece flew all the way to the field about two-and-half hours before kickoff.
The other piece became lodged in the stadium's catwalks. The roof was closed with, fortunately, no one being hit or injured by the metal. Said ESPN analyst Troy Aikman in realizing the potential of sharp-cornered metal falling 300 feet and hitting a human being, "That could have been catastrophic.
' Last week it was the glaring sun. This week it's heavy metal. 9.
AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS: The Cowboys don't just lose at home, they find comical ways to do so. This game ended early in the fourth quarter in another episode of Keystone Cops. Trailing only 20-10, quarterback Cooper Rush dropped back to pass but had his throwing arm hit by Texans' defensive lineman Derek Barnett.
The loose ball caromed to Cowboys' rookie offensive Tyler Guyton, who caught it and began to run. He was instantly clobbered, however, and immediately fumbled. A hustling Barnett scooped up the ball and ran 28 yards for a touchdown and a 27-10 laugher.
8. HOME ALONE: The Cowboys won 16 consecutive games in Arlington and then in an instant became one of the worst home teams in NFL history. In their last six at AT&T Stadium they have trailed by these gaudy deficits: 32 to the Green Bay Packers , 25 to the New Orleans Saints , 22 to the Baltimore Ravens , 38 to the Detroit Lions , 28 to the Eagles and 24 to the Texans.
There's never been a more “awful” stretch in the franchise's storied history. In fact, trailing by 20+ points in six consecutive home games is an NFL record. The Cowboys went 0-8 at home during their 1-15 nightmare in 1989, but at this point this team feels like it's even worse.
Cowboys haven't won at home since Dec. 30, 2023, the night Jimmy Johnson was inducted into the Ring of Honor. 7.
CANTON CALLING?: This clash featured 10 penalties, two interceptions, a failed fake punt, a fumbled kickoff and seemingly serious injuries to Jake Ferguson (concussion) and Markquese Bell (shoulder) ...
in the first 25 minutes! In other words, it won't wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. It also won't crack our list of the Top 10 most memorable Cowboys MNF games. It might, however, prove more entertaining than the upcoming Thanksgiving Day game which, at this point, will features Rush battling Giants' undrafted third-stringer Tommy DeVito.
6. OH MY BELICHICK: The juiciest Cowboys storyline these days involves future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Belichick taking over for Mike McCarthy in 2025. The man with six Super Bowl rings as a head coach got a front-row seat to this game, as he sat in with Peyton and Eli on their ESPN Manningcast .
Groaned Belichick about Rush's first-quarter interception intended for Lamb: " Oh my God! " Added Bill after watching Trevon Diggs' trademark shabby tackling: "Go tackle him. You wear pads for a reason. Go tackle him!" 5.
OFFENSIVE OFFENSE: With Dak Prescott on crutches and watching from a suite after season-ending surgery to his torn hamstring, the Cowboys' offense again looked like an outmanned and overmatched junior varsity squad. Receiver KaVontae Turpin ran an impressive 22.3 miles per hour during his 64-yard run-and-catch touchdown in the second quarter.
Otherwise, zilch. Having punter Bryan Anger attempt a fourth-down pass didn't work ..
. again. Dumping the running-back-by-committee approach and going with Rico Dowdle (28 yards on 10 carries) didn't work.
In their last three home games the Cowboys have scored exactly one touchdown. We saw more offense in last weekend's Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, and in that one not a single punch was thrown. As for the defense, not much better.
The Cowboys have allowed 37.4 points per game at home this season, on pace to be the most by any team in a season in NFL history. Who currently holds the dubious record? The 1960 Cowboys at 36.
5. 4. SILVER LINING: When in doubt, write about Brandon Aubrey.
The second-year kicker nonchalantly boomed a 53-yard field goal in the second quarter like it was from 53 feet. He had never missed a field goal attempt at AT&T Stadium, going 34 of 34. He became the first kicker in NFL history with 10 field goals from 50+ yards in consecutives.
Of course, right on cue, on his next attempt his plant foot slipped and he pushed a 40-yarder off the right upright just before halftime. He also made a 64-yarder, but McCarthy decided to take it off the board because a Texans' penalty gave Dallas a first down. Silver lining, meet dark(er) cloud.
3. THIRD AND LONG: Cowboys have been outscored a league-worst 85-22 in the third quarter including 3-0 in this one. Asked recently if he thought halftime adjustments were overrated owner Jerry Jones snapped, "Oh no.
I I think they're very important. Crucial." Uh-oh, McCarthy.
Related: Tee Higgins Linked To Cowboys in $100M Free Agency Shopping Spree 2. MIKE MCGONE?: Lame duck McCarthy doesn't have a contract, but he does have a clue. And, according to his covert real estate plans , he had a strong inkling that he wasn't going to be back as the head coach of the Cowboys in 2025 since way back in July.
Yep, even before the start of training camp. McCarthy has a buyer for his $5.7 million mansion in Allen.
The house has been on the market - yet under the radar - for five months. It's one of two homes belonging to McCarthy in DFW. The other? Closer to the The Star in Frisco and the former stomping grounds of Dan Quinn.
1. ONE OF THOSE ..
. YEARS: Sometimes you just have one of those days. The Cowboys are just having one of those years.
From Jerry's "All In" faux pas, to injuries to both their best player on offense (Prescott) and defense (Micah Parsons), to the moves they didn't make (Derrick Henry) working out and the moves they did make (Prescott) failing miserably, to members of the Jones family getting into a car accident on the way to the game in San Francisco, to parts of the roof falling before kickoff, it's been an unmitigated disaster. For a young, developing team it would merely be a setback. For 82-year-old Jones and a generation of Cowboys fans who haven't witnessed anything close to a Super Bowl in almost 29 years, it simply feels like another shovel of dirt on the grave.
Related: Source: Cowboys Coach Selling $5.7 Million Mansion.
