Cowboys offense needs to be more ‘focused,’ make fewer ‘mental errors,’ Dak Prescott says after loss to Ravens |Max Sporty|

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys offense reaped all the ramifications of owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ “all-in” offseason, which transformed into the “do it with less” offseason in Sunday’s 28-25 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.

Their running game led by veteran undrafted running back Rico Dowdle, late-career Ezekiel Elliott and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn totaled 51 yards on 16 carries for 3.2 yards per carry. First-round rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton struggled, allowing two quarterback pressures, three quarterback hurries and a sack. Guyton also had a critical holding penalty at the end of the first half that negated Ravens pass interference on an end zone throw to All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb that would have led to a first and goal. Instead, Dallas settled for a 51-yard field goal by All-Pro Brandon Aubrey and a 21-6 halftime deficit. Jones said he “Couldn’t afford Derrick Henry” despite the fact that he could have done if he had been quicker to re-sign quarterback Dak Prescott and Lamb.

“I don’t know that today I would have shown any position that could have made that difference today,” Jones said postgame on Sunday. “I think overall we had a lot of areas we can play better in. Still, we did some good things. At the end. Our offense, I thought we would have had more productivity really in our offense.”

Jones chose to have his WR3 option be a combo of 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert and 2023 seventh-round pick Jalen Brooks. That youth and not getting Lamb re-signed to his four-year, $136 million contract earlier, which would have resulted in his presence at training camp, led to an incredibly out-of-sync, upside-down product that was on. full screen in Week 3.

“I don’t want to be corny, but I never looked in the mirror at what I didn’t have, a lot of corrections to make. I’m not trying to be nice, but it just doesn’t work that way,” Jones said. “There are some things that looked good at the time, but there are a lot of things you can do better.”

Six of the Cowboys’ first eight drives ended in both punts (four), a lost fumble (one) and a turnover on downs (one). Field goals were the result of the other two. Dallas scored touchdowns on each of its final three possessions, but it wasn’t until they trailed 28-6 midway through the fourth quarter.

“Very frustrating, especially when you play quarterback the way you do on that side. An offense that powerful, you just can’t do it, honestly,” Prescott said of Dallas’ slow start. “We have to look in the mirror. We offense first, and we have to help them. I know they stand: they don’t allow 28 points against an MVP player and an offense like that. It’s a game we have. score 30 and we know it. We didn’t do it and started late. The penalties and some mistakes to be cleaner We have to close and be more focused on our work, take responsibility in every position and grow.”

Lamb, an All-Pro WR1 from Dallas who signed a four-year, $136 million extension in the offseason after sitting out the team’s entire offseason program, finished with 67 receiving yards and four catches on seven targets. His stat line also included a drop, and an incorrect fumble on a catch nine yards short of the end zone early in the second quarter where a score would have led to Baltimore’s lead being cut down to four, 14-10. Instead, Dallas didn’t find the end zone until the fourth quarter. It seems as though Lamb is still there shaking off the rust of a missing training campsomething he admitted on Thursday. He did not speak to the media postgame on Sunday.

“I think, especially in a game like today, the most important thing is to look straight in the mirror,” McCarthy said when asked about Lamb’s night. We put a lot into this game. We put a lot into it every week. Our practice — sometimes your preparation is really good and you don’t play as well as you would like, and there are times when your preparation is not very good and you play better than you thought. I think clearly this week our preparation was almost in line with the way we played. This group works hard. They do. I really love the locker room. They have a lot of fight, but we are going through some growing pains. So, we have to keep growing. Get ready for this game in New York.”

Prescott refused to make much of Lamb’s spirited outing on the edge Sunday, but he noted that getting caught up in early game miscues may have cost the Cowboys a Week 3 win.

“Reading body language, I don’t really like it. I just want to make sure he doesn’t get worried,” Prescott said. “The body language, whether it’s good or bad, it’s irrelevant, it’s where his mind is. And so, he’ll be disappointed when you’re passionate and when you expect a lot from yourself. You’ll be like that. So for me, it’s just about letting him know, ‘Hey, next play, wipe it. Who cares what happens when you have a chance to fix it this next play or make a better play?’ If you sit in that, about that, your mind is not in the right place to move forward It’s about always talking, not just him, but the other guys of You don’t have time to dwell You look at the way that game ended, I feel , that we don’t live in different places on offense, it’s a different game.”

Why is there even a conversation about what it entails to be a professional wide receiver? Well, the collective group of Cowboys pass catchers today didn’t look at all like seasoned vets on Sunday. Prescott ended up throwing in a tight window on 35.3% of passes, according to NFL Per Insights, which is his highest rate in a game in more than six seasons – since Week 4 of the 2018 season. During Dallas’ two-minute offense, he completed more passes to open receivers on the final two drives — four — than he did on the Cowboys’ first eight possessions (three).

“Well, I think like anything, you know, there’s more to it,” McCarthy said. “It’s the coverage and just staying after the connection. I thought the pocket was a little hot early. There’s probably a couple of calls I wish I had back. But yeah, I mean, it’s part of the work in progress that You know, I’m the one who sets up the passing game, so I’ve got to do a better job.”

What does it mean to be a professional receiver? Going above and beyond in preparation outside of practice, watching film, working to get extra reps with Prescott after practice. Going above and beyond.

“We just have to be more focused,” Prescott said. “That’s what to me on offense where we weren’t as focused as we should have been. Had some mental mistakes that were crucial, I guess you could say, timing wise. To me, it just goes into being professional and understanding what you have to do.”

Dallas’ focus now shifts to being better in their practice and preparation process a short week before traveling to face the 1-2 New York Giants on the road in “Thursday Night Football.” Both teams’ only win came against Deshaun Watson’s Cleveland Browns, and both teams are looking to improve to 2-2 and avoid the heat of a 1-3 start.

“I didn’t have a great practice, I think it was Thursday. I even told Coach [McCarthy] that I feel better when it’s me,” Prescott said. “I can control it. I can get over it. I will make that change and that difference. There is also a sense of having to make sure that other people are doing what they should be doing. … We have to be ready. … Just doing what I can to make sure guys are positive and upbeat and optimistic about their opportunity that we have every time we get on this field.”