The Dallas Cowboys' early-season struggles continued in Week 8 as they suffered a 30-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on "Sunday Night Football."
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' tumble - a decline in the standings and a decline in the faith of even the truest of believers - continued in Week 8 as they absorbed a 30-24 loss at the San Francisco 49ers on "Sunday Night Football."
It can be argued that the Cowboys, in falling to 3-4, put lipstick on a pig with a late rally led by the two-TD combo of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. But no matter the judgment, Dallas now finds itself uncomfortably behind in the NFC East race, saddled by its own decision for 2024 to be a season meant to lead to a "Blow It Up/Remodel'' spring of 2025 ....
And now, in the court of public opinion, the Cowboys are paying the price.
This is pro football, so when things go wrong, the finger-pointing blame is often directed at the owner/GM, at the head coach and at the quarterback.
In Prescott's case? His two interceptions were costly, calling attention to the fact that at $60 million per year, he's the highest-paid player in NFL history.
In coach Mike McCarthy's case? His "Texas Coast Offense,'' which last year led the NFL in scoring, is broken, with his offense limited to just 292 total yards compared to San Francisco's total of 469.
And owner Jerry Jones? He's the one who oversaw the decision to sign Prescott while leaving McCarthy (and so many other players and coaches) dangling on their one-year contracts, creating a lame-duck sense of instability.
As a cumulative result? One typical Cowboys Nation response is led by former Dallas star wideout Dez Bryant, who took to social media (as he so often does) to vent about his favorite team.
"Fire everybody, Jerry," Bryant wrote on X. "Quit (bleeping) around."
Bryant is given to putting his emotions above his logic, as he knows "firing everybody'' is not practical. The coach will get dismissed soon enough, to be sure. But the owner and the quarterback are here to stay.
Truthfully, if the Cowboys get to a point this season at which a trio of sad-sack things occur? Jones could "quit bleeping around'' and break his promise and fire McCarthy in-season. What are those three things? 1) Consistent embarrassment on the field. 2) Mathematical elimination from the playoff chase. 3) Evidence that the coach has lost the locker room.
In short - passion and anger aside - we are simply not there yet.
Yes, change is coming. A brutal schedule is on the horizon, with games against the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders. That gauntlet could in theory bring on those "three things.'' ... but even then, how do the Cowboys get better without McCarthy? Does, say, elevating top defensive aide Al Harris to interim head coach suddenly spark a playoff run?
Realistically, for now, in terms of drastic change? If "inactivity'' and "keeping our powder dry for next year'' is your version of "bleeping around''? You'd better accept the fact that Jerry Jones will continue to "bleep around.''
