Dak Prescott calls the Cowboys’ 14-point outing “not acceptable” after the Week 3 loss, as injuries to CeeDee Lamb, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Booker compound the issues.
The Dallas Cowboys left Chicago with more than a loss—they left with serious offensive questions. Following a 27–14 defeat to the Bears, quarterback Dak Prescott didn’t sugarcoat his frustration.
“I know scoring 14 points is never going to be OK,” Prescott said.”And damn sure not with this offense, this unit, the team, the players that we have and, what, and six of those were field goals. Not acceptable, not to our standard, not anywhere in what we believe in and what we’re capable of doing.
Prescott pointed to self-inflicted mistakes and stalled red-zone drives as the main reasons the offense failed to finish.
“We were biting ourselves [in the foot],” Prescott said. “We’re kicking ourselves, and that’s the reason that we’re not converting to touchdowns and it’s the reason that we’re not getting first downs. It’s gotta start there. Everybody’s gotta look in the mirror and say, ‘How can I be better?'”
Dallas entered Week 3 already without cornerback DaRon Bland and center Cooper Beebe. Things got worse in Chicago.
These losses remove Prescott’s top target and could disrupt the protection more than before, magnifying the pressure on the quarterback and running game.
The absence of Booker will force the Cowboys to move a player into the starting lineup, which can create timing issues in the passing game and limit the effectiveness of the running attack.
This type of disruption often shows up on third downs, where chemistry and blitz recognition are crucial.
Prescott’s 71.4% completion rate is excellent, but his three interceptions, including a costly red-zone pick in Chicago, have stalled drives. His passer rating sits at 86.1, placing him in the middle of the league.
While the numbers show efficiency, they also show an offense that is not generating explosive plays at the same rate as Dak Prescott’s last healthy season.
Without Lamb, defenses can key on George Pickens and Jake Ferguson, daring Dallas to beat them with so-called secondary receivers. The offensive line shuffle with Beebe and Booker out could create even more pressure situations for Prescott.
“I don’t get to play defense, and that’s not how this game works, and the guys on offense don’t. We’ve got to play offense to the best of our ability, regardless.”
For Dallas to bounce back, they must keep Prescott upright, get creative with quick passes and screens, and finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals.
A heavier dose of Javonte Williams in the running game may be necessary to keep the offense in balance.
If the Cowboys can get through this injury stretch at .500 or better, they could still make a strong push down the stretch when their starters return.
With the Packers and Micah Parsons reunion on the horizon, the Cowboys have little time to address these issues before their season slips further out of reach.
The talent is there; it’s just a matter of weathering the storm and avoiding costly mistakes that have turned winnable games into losses.
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