SAO PAULO — The Dallas Cowboys' first-ever international regular-season game ended in heartbreak, and quarterback Dak Prescott didn't shy away from pointing the finger squarely at himself and the offense.
In a wild back-and-forth affair under the Brazilian lights, Dallas fell 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens, but it was the final sequence that left a bitter taste. With 23 seconds left and the ball at the two-yard line after a pass interference penalty, the Cowboys had a golden chance to steal a win. Instead, two incompletions, a false start, and a short scramble forced them to settle for a field goal, sending the game to overtime. Baltimore then marched downfield, and Justin Tucker's kick sealed Dallas's fate.
Prescott, visibly frustrated, didn't hold back when addressing the media afterward. "Frustrated," he said. "Embarrassed. We don't call ourselves the best offense, GOTI [Greatest Offense There Is], and get down to the one-yard line and don't put it in. Yeah, it just sucks."
He went on to absolve the defense, which had actually given the offense a chance to win. "Not a lot of words or full explanation of it," Prescott added. "Defense shouldn't even have been in that position. Those guys were over there saying 'it's on us,' absolutely not. We've got to put the game away, period."
The Cowboys' red-zone inefficiency was a recurring theme, and it's a problem that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged after the game, admitting he needs to call better plays in critical moments. The botched final possession only magnified the issues that plagued Dallas all night.
Special teams also played a role in the defeat. Kicker Brandon Aubrey, normally automatic, booted the ball through the back of the end zone for a touchback, giving Baltimore the ball at the 35-yard line with no time consumed. That decision, combined with the offense's inability to convert, proved costly.
The loss drops the Cowboys to 1-2 on the season, and questions are mounting about the team's ability to close out tight games. The officiating in the Brazil clash also drew scrutiny, but Prescott refused to blame the refs, instead focusing on his own unit's failures.
For the Cowboys, the trip to Brazil was a historic occasion, but the result was a harsh reminder of the work ahead. They'll return to the States with a short week to prepare for a tough divisional matchup against the Houston Texans. Prescott knows the standard, and he's determined to fix it.
"We've got to be better," he said. "That's on me. I've got to find a way to get us in the end zone. Period."
