Philly — Mike McCarthy was given an option.
The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys could highlight the mistakes his team made, the near-scores they blew, and the penalties that tormented them in a 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Alternatively, the Cowboys might concentrate on their offensive output of 406 yards, which is the second-highest o
f any club against the reigning NFC champs, against Philadelphia. With the Eagles managing 292 yards of offense, the second fewest of their nine games, McCarthy could concentrate on his defense’s capabilities, which were best highlighted by three straight stops in the fourth quarter.
McCarthy concentrated on the latter. He concentrated on the stre
In the locker room after the game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told Yahoo Sports, “He said we played well enough to win.” “Yes, he did say those things.”
The message highlights an intriguing dilemma that the 5-3 team is dealing with. The Cowboys need to assess their own performance. And just how near are we?
Leaders such as McCarthy and Prescott have to ask themselves this question: Does stressing that football is a “game of inches” (Prescott used the term “inch” or “inches” at least 12 times on Sunday night) instill overconfidence in a team that has failed for almost 30 years, or will it provide the necessary drive to go the extra mile and inch?
ngths of the Cowboys. And he continued.
Near the conclusion of the game, Prescott recalled, “you have three different plays where you’re talking about inches that change the way that game unfolds.” Indeed, he is not incorrect. We [performed well enough to prevail]. What hurts even more is that.
I can assure you that this is not, by any means, a moral victory. Even so, we know we’re on the correct track because we’re only inches away.
Near the conclusion of the game, Prescott recalled, “you have three different plays where you’re talking about inches that change the way that game unfolds.” Indeed, he is not incorrect. We [performed well enough to prevail]. What hurts even more is that.
Cowboys’ postgame locker room in Philadelphia was affected by their loss to the 49ers.
A hint as to why this Cowboys team was relieved to find they could hang with the Eagles could be found in Micah Parsons’ postgame remarks.
After earning nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hits in the defeat, Parsons declared, “A team like the 49ers, we won’t see them again.” However, we had the opportunity to redeem ourselves [against the Eagles]. We shall see them.
Throughout the regular season, the Cowboys are unable to get rid of
What direction do the Cowboys go next?
Broadly speaking, they have a schedule that will match them up with the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, and Washington Commanders—three teams that have a losing record in a row. They would receive a wild-card spot if the playoffs began today, despite being 2.5 games behind the Eagles in the NFC East.
They are all thinking about figuring out the formula for success in the postseason.
Tyler Smith, the left guard, stated, “That’s something I gotta improve on, because we can’t have that, especially if you want to win a championship,” following his call for a false smart on the game’s last drive. Michael Gallup, a receiver who was able to catch two passes but failed to complete a third, understood that “these games,
