Throughout the contest, Todd Bowles’ defense had Prescott in the spin cycle. The QB rarely looked comfortable, was uncharacteristically off the mark on numerous passes, and couldn’t get things going until late, when Dallas was already down two scores. The final interception flew through Jake Ferguson‘s hands.
It was an overwhelming disappointment for Dallas. The defense remains a sore spot. DaRon Bland has been bad to open the season, allowing 91 yards on three catches Thursday. The Cowboys’ defense couldn’t slow Tampa’s offense in the second half or stop Irving. Even with a shot to get the ball back late after the INT, the Cowboys let Irving scamper for 22 yards to seal the loss.
The defense was bad, again. This time, the offense couldn’t overcome it, and special teams chipped in with a turnover.
After the game, fans’ frustration boiled over when a driver for a contracted car service yelled out “embarrassing” as Prescott walked past, leading to an exchange between the two that Prescott took exception to, per the team’s official website. The QB was more upset with the person than the opinion.
“I know when he said it, I just happened to look at him, and at that point, you know, he looked away, and then when I turned my head back, he said something else,” Prescott explained. “And so that’s the part that, as a man, feel free to speak your mind, but speak it, and don’t cower away from the reaction that you’re going to get.
“So, if you’re saying it’s embarrassing, say it’s embarrassing. If you’re saying it to me, then say it to me, you know what I mean? Don’t go back on it. So that’s all that was, and I hate that it’s even being talked about, to be honest with you.”
Prescott acknowledged the Cowboys didn’t play well, but he said calling it embarrassing would belittle Bowles and the Bucs.
“To use the word embarrassing; it’s tough,” Prescott said. “I feel like I’m discrediting the NFL if I use that and particularly the Tampa Bay Bucs, the great Todd Bowles, a coach, and defensive-coached team. The guy’s been a winning coach for a long time, whether he’s been a head coach or a defensive coordinator. That’s the plan and what they did tonight is the reason for that. To say embarrassing, I think I’d be discrediting them.
“But we were definitely supposed to win this game, that we’re supposed to have on paper or whichever way you want to look at it. I think Schotty said it best in the locker room, in this league, you’ve got to win the games you’re supposed to win. When a winless team comes into your home stadium on a Thursday night prime-time game, yeah, we’re supposed to win that. It sucks and right up there close to embarrassing, but I don’t know if I would say that.”
Whatever word you want to use for the Cowboys’ night, everyone can agree it was an ugly mess, and perhaps the worst loss of Brian Schottenheimer’s tenure.