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The Dallas Cowboys have too many playmakers on offense to keep making the same mistakes, yet that’s exactly what happened against the Green Bay Packers.
Dak Prescott and the offense struggled to find a rhythm, missed opportunities piled up, and Dallas never looked comfortable trying to claw its way back into Sunday night’s game. The 23-13 loss left several Cowboys writers searching for answers. How can a team with this much talent make scoring look so difficult?
The Cowboys failed to put up any points in the first half of Sunday’s game. Prescott threw two interceptions, and Dallas managed just 48 rushing yards on 15 carries, leaving the offense with little to show for its efforts.
Despite having CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, the Cowboys averaged just 4.3 yards per play and struggled to sustain drives. Their PFN NFL Offense Impact Score of 80.4 ranks just outside the league’s top five, making Sunday’s showing all the more frustrating.
Clarence Hill Jr., who has covered the Cowboys since 1997, didn’t hold back in his reaction to the team’s latest setback. He vented his frustration in a post on X, writing, “The Cowboys have gone from embarrassing to inexcusable and unconscionable.”
Prescott’s turnovers weren’t the only issue. Dallas also failed on two of its four fourth-down attempts, including one at midfield and another at the Packers’ 14-yard line in the fourth quarter.
Penalties also proved costly, including a holding call that pushed the Cowboys back before Prescott threw an interception. With so much talent on the roster, the lack of execution has become increasingly frustrating.
Jon Machota of The Athletic pointed to that disconnect, writing, “There’s too much talent on the Cowboys’ offense to look this bad. Everything is difficult for them tonight, just like last week against Tampa Bay. Makes no sense.”
Dallas’ inability to find answers on offense also wasted a defensive effort that improved after halftime.
Cowboys writer Brandon Loree highlighted the gap between the two units in a post on X, writing, “Cowboys continue their loss streak vs. the Green Bay Packers. We got some answers on defense. We have no answers on offense.”
Loree added, “Where this team currently resides,” alongside an image of the Backrooms, a fictional maze of endless, eerie rooms. It’s a fitting image for where the Cowboys find themselves right now: lost, directionless, and searching for a way out.
The Cowboys’ struggles have also put head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his offensive approach under scrutiny. Dallas had trouble getting its top receivers open, while CeeDee Lamb needed 18 targets to finish with nine catches for 70 yards.
Sports analyst Sam Gannon summed up the frustration bluntly: “Things should not be this hard for this offense.”
Injuries in the secondary, including Cobie Durant’s hamstring issue, added to the team’s challenges, as Green Bay converted 11 of 18 third-down attempts.
For many fans, the frustration has gone beyond a single defeat. Cowboys analyst RJ Ochoa wrote, “Obviously we are all mad, but I think it is telling that most (from what I see) Cowboys fans aren’t MAD the way you should be after a loss. Everyone is so down/out/embarrassed by this team. The last 3 seasons have been really hard/toxic/not fun. It takes a toll.”
Senior NFL writer Marcus Mosher added to the criticism by pointing to Schottenheimer’s record, writing, “The Cowboys are now 9-13-1 under Brian Schottenheimer.”
The Cowboys now turn their attention to a divisional showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. They’ll need to clean up their offensive execution and fourth-down decisions to avoid another frustrating outing.
Another loss would only turn up the heat on Schottenheimer and raise more questions about the direction of a 2-4 Dallas team.