ARLINGTON, Texas – This might be hard to believe.
In lieu of Texans 34, Cowboys 10.
In lieu of the Cowboys losing their fifth consecutive game.
In lieu of now 0-5 here at AT&T Stadium after winning 16 consecutive regular-season home games heading into the 2024 season.
In lieu of the Cowboys now 3-7, their worst start since COVID 2020 and coming on the heels of three consecutive 12-5 seasons since.
And consider the now 7-4 Texans gained just three more yards than the Cowboys and the Cowboys threw for 74 more yards than the Texans.
But dang it, with 4 minutes, 16 seconds left in the third quarter of this Monday Night Football game, with Cowboys Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin on hand, the Cowboys were only trailing in this Texas Showdown, as this game was being billed, 20-13. And that despite the Texans already having rushed for 92 yards, 80 of those belonging to Joe Mixon.
And then the roof caved in, and must admit there is a cheap line here for what took place on a high-wind afternoon with the roof actually open some 3½ hours before kickoff, causing the roof to recoil on a perfectly blue, uh, sunny day.
This despite still playing without Dak Prescott, DaRon Bland, Brandin Cooks, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland and heading into this one without Jourdan Lewis and Hunter Luepke. And then losing tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion by halftime.
Why, the Cowboys were starting Josh Butler at left corner, signed to the 53-man roster prior to the game, his first NFL game appearance; had Israel Mukuamu playing in the slot; and first-year free-agent Princeton Fant, elevated from the practice squad, making his NFL debut at fullback.
And then self-destruction, reminiscent of last week's 34-6 loss to the Eagles when coming away with only a field goal on two first-and-goal possessions from the 6-yard line. Trailing now 20-10, and desperate to score a touchdown, the Cowboys took Brandon Aubrey's 64-yard field goal off the board, what had initially cut Houston's lead to 20-13. But after the Texans were called for a head slap, gifting 15 yards and a first down at the 31, head coach Mike McCarthy couldn't bear to pass up the opportunity to press on for a touchdown.
And here we go again, first-and-10 at the Texans' 16, the Dead Zone. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush, as he did against the Eagles, drops the shotgun snap, minus-5. Almost throws an interception on second down. But on third down hits CeeDee Lamb, as he did eight times in the game for 93 yards, this one for 13 yards, setting up a fourth-and-2 at the eight.
Stubborn for a touchdown, the Cowboys gambled. And while Rush's pass was high for a would-be touchdown to an open Jonathan Mingo, the recent acquisition, it would not have been since Luke Schoonmaker was flagged for holding.
Houston ball.
And then 2½ minutes into the fourth quarter, there goes any hope for the Cowboys. Texans defensive end Derek Barnett knocks the ball out of Rush's hand as he was about to attempt a pass. Now, the fumble is recovered by rookie tackle Tyler Guyton, but instead of just falling to the ground, he tries to run with the ball. Not sure where he thought he was going in that cluster, and of course Houston's Jalen Pitre knocks the ball out of his hands, only for Barnett to scoop and score from 28 yards out for the Texans' first second-half touchdown in five games.
Texans 27, Cowboys still 10. Ball game.
Frustration mounting.
"It's very frustrating, McCarthy said. "It's frustrating for everybody, frustrating for players, frustrating for coaches. I know it's disappointing for the fans.
"We have a lot of moving parts going on, and we just have to be cleaner and more detailed in certain spots. We're not playing well enough, executing well enough, coaching well enough to overcome some of the mistakes we're making at the critical times of the game."
Bad enough, right? No siree. Now this grows worse.
By time the game is over, the Cowboys are missing three-fifths of their starting offensive line.
Down went left tackle Guyton (shoulder again). Asim Richards came in for him.
Down went right guard Zack Martin, another ankle and shoulder again. T.J. Bass came in for him.
Down went left guard Tyler Smith (ankle). Brock Hoffman came in for him. There were no more active offensive linemen. One more injury to either Terence Steele or Cooper Beebe, and the Cowboys likely would have employed a tight end in there and moved Hoffman to center if Cooper Beebe went down.
Yep, that bad.
The Cowboys now are on a short week, six days to get ready for Washington on the road, which doesn't bode well for Ferguson returning in time from the concussion. And then a mere four days until the Giants arrive on Thanksgiving. As McCarthy points out, they will not have another padded practice, because of now playing three games in 11 days, until the week of the Cincinnati game on Dec. 9, another nationally televised Monday night game here at AT&T.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked if he ever remembers a season going this south with yet another home loss and four of the seven losses by 25 points, 38 points, 29 points and now 24 points, all four of those here at AT&T Stadium.
"Well, we won one game my first year," Jones points to that 1-15 season in 1989. "We've had some tough (years). This one we didn't anticipate this season and the way we're playing right now."
Of course, those not watching or choosing to not pay attention to the injuries, those not seeing this team being overwhelmed by more talented teams and the Cowboys' own mistakes right away want to point to effort, as if these players have tucked tail.
Wish that were the truth. But it isn't. Still not good enough, and with each and every injury-missed starter, missing Pro Bowler, missing veteran, this all is getting worse.
"It's overblown," Jones said of blaming effort. "Lot of the times that's overblown."
He's right. Such a cliché. If they aren't trying, how does Eric Kendricks finish with nine tackles. How does Malik Hooker finish with eight tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one QB hit. Think Butler, playing in his first NFL game, isn't trying. Same for Fant. Think Rush is mailing it in attempting … wait for it … 55 passes while getting beat up with five sacks in the second half alone. Think Schoonmaker, with just eight receptions in nine games, is mailing it in his first opportunity to be the lead tight end with Ferguson out, catching a career-high six passes for 56 yards, or rookie free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford not busting his butt blocking and catching four passes.
Did it appear as if KaVontae Turpin was loafing on just his second touchdown grab of the season, looking as if shot out of a cannon on that 64-yard TD that Next Gen Stats clocked him running at 22.3 mph, the NFL fastest this season?
"I'm not coming out here playing to lose," Lamb says, refusing to give in.
Be realistic, as hard as this season circling the drain is to comprehend. Documented all the weird things happening just this past week, not to mention the weirdness that began in training camp when one of the player's hotel condo rooms caught on fire and taking like six hours to get to Las Vegas for the second preseason game due to plane delays, Mazi having an allergic reaction to an energy drink and busing to LAX in Friday rush-hour traffic. And now this, Monday, Monday occurring, "can't trust that day."
As if the sky was really falling.
For real.
