Dallas Cowboys 'Got Punched in the Mouth, But ...!' DeMarcus Lawrence Reveals Perspective in Loss
There was plenty of blame to go around after the Dallas Cowboys’ 28-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Quarterback Dak Prescott threw a costly late-game interception. The defense let an uninspiring Cardinals offense dictate the game. Head coach Mike McCarthy’s four-minute drive play calls were questionable, too. There were injuries, far too many penalties, and hey—maybe losing cornerback Trevon Diggs just has that kind of impact.
Whatever the reason, the Cowboys are now 2-1 after dropping a game in which they were favored by double-digit points.
Some have decided to press the panic button. Others are mourning the perceived loss of a historic season. Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence didn’t seem too rattled.
“Feeling great about ourselves, but it’s the NFL: It’s Not For Long,” Lawrence said. “So definitely put that feeling behind us.”
Lawrence has been a part of Cowboys teams that have dropped embarrassing games before. Fans may accept the near-yearly occurrence as a fact of life. However, it’s clear he doesn’t feel the Week 3 loss was a grand indictment on the fate of his football team.
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Simply put, upsets happen. Arizona played a really good game and by a handful of measures, Dallas did not. The Cowboys expected to address their adversity head-on and failed to do so. That’s the thing about adversity, though; there’s always more to come.
Sunday’s loss was humbling, perhaps inexcusable. The only thing Lawrence and his teammates can do is use it to help them for next week’s date with the New England Patriots (1-2).
“We got punched in the mouth tonight, but it’s all about us,” Lawrence said. “I don’t feel like they did anything special. I feel like through the pre-snap penalties and the flags after the plays, we actually beat ourselves.”
Dallas was called for 16 penalties (13 accepted). A few were controversial, a couple could be pinned on missing center Tyler Biadasz. Whatever the reason, the Cowboys didn’t play a clean game, and they certainly didn’t play well enough to withstand any sort of referee-induced impact.
Wise words from Lawrence are palatable in the days after a loss creates a media storm, but an early-season losing streak would put Dallas’ start in jeopardy. They’ll have a week to get healthier and address Sunday’s shortcomings.
