What seemed like a promising opportunity to turn their season around instead ended in more heartache for the Dallas Cowboys, who suffered a 27-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. With just four games left in the regular season, the Cowboys now find themselves in a near-impossible situation, sitting at 5-8 and staring down the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time in four years.
“Just do the math,” head coach Mike McCarthy said after the game. “We’re not even back to even. We’re still in a hole. So, we need a tremendous amount of help. I’m just being Captain Obvious here. This one stings. We had to have this one. That’s the way we approached it.”
Cowboys’ Special Teams Mistake Leads to Another Heartbreaking Loss
The Cowboys entered the game with slim playoff hopes, but a win would have propelled them closer to postseason contention. They were in a good position to claim their third straight victory, especially after a strong defensive performance and an offence that racked up 183 rushing yards, including a 100-yard game from running back Rico Dowdle. But it was a mistake on special teams that ultimately doomed them.
With less than two minutes remaining, linebacker Nick Vigil deflected a Bengals punt, and the Cowboys might have a chance to take control of the game. However, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, who had just been activated off injured reserve, muffed a scoop attempt. The Bengals pounced on the loose ball, allowing them to score the go-ahead touchdown three plays later on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Joe Burrow to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
McCarthy explained Oruwariye’s error: “AO was in a vice situation. He heard the crowd roar, and the ball was right there when he turned. His response was automatic, and he reacted to it. It was a big play in the game.”
After the game, the locker room was sad, and several teammates rushed to shield Oruwariye from the media. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis defended his teammate, saying, “We can’t judge him. None of us played a perfect game. You can’t judge anybody by one decision. He thought he could make a play. Can’t judge him for that.”
Despite the mistake, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones did not solely blame Oruwariye. He expressed concern about the decision to attempt to recover the punt rather than letting it roll, which might have given the Cowboys a better field position to mount a final offensive drive.
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“I’m sure that there are low odds of the ball bouncing into one of our players after we touch the ball on a block,” Jones said. “But I don’t know if those odds are more positive than if we’d have taken the kick and gotten the ball, got within field goal range, and kicked the ball.”
Jones also reflected on the historical nature of the mistake, referencing former Cowboys cornerback Nahshon Wright’s similar mishap in a 2021 loss to the Denver Broncos. The most famous blunder came in 1993, when defensive tackle Leon Lett’s fumble recovery attempt allowed the Miami Dolphins to score on Thanksgiving Day, eventually costing the Cowboys the game.
The Cowboys’ loss comes when uncertainty surrounds the franchise’s future. McCarthy and his entire coaching staff do not have contracts for 2025, and nearly 20 players are set to be unrestricted free agents. Jones, however, downplayed the pressure of these decisions.
“I don’t weigh those things… They’re just serious, impactful decisions,” said Jones when discussing the potential changes that may come this offseason.
While the Cowboys’ defence kept Burrow and the Bengals’ potent offence at bay for much of the game, the loss was a reminder of how fragile their playoff hopes are. The injury to linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who suffered a serious knee injury during the game, added to the Cowboys’ woes on both sides of the ball. On offence, the rushing attack showed signs of life with Dowdle’s strong performance, but they couldn’t capitalise on crucial moments when they mattered most.
Edge rusher Micah Parsons, one of the team’s few bright spots this season, summed up the frustration that permeated the locker room after the loss. “I’m hurt. I won’t wish this on anybody,” Parsons said. “Man, I can’t put that in words, to be honest. Between the players, some of these situations, it’s just… I don’t want to say snowballing, but I feel like we’re paying a due that’s not fair. I don’t know if it’s bad luck, karma.”
As the Cowboys look to their remaining four games, their playoff aspirations hang by a thread, and the offseason could bring significant changes to both the coaching staff and the roster. For now, the team is left to reflect on a missed opportunity and the potential consequences that could follow in what is quickly becoming a lost season.
