Hold up, y’all. Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer didn’t mince words after his team’s crushing 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, delivering a self-assessment that’s going to sting for a while. He went right for the jugular, telling reporters straight up, “I give it an F.” Yeah, you read that right. An “F.” For offensive play-calling. After a game they absolutely had in their grasp.
The Drive That Earned an ‘F’
This loss is going to haunt them, especially when you look at that final offensive sequence. The Cowboys were down by three points, 34-31, with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Thanks to a controversial pass interference call against the Ravens, Dallas had the ball practically on the goal line, at Baltimore’s 2-yard line. This was it. Game-winning touchdown time, right? Not so fast. Prescott threw an incompletion. Then, he was forced out of the pocket and scrambled for a measly two yards. What happened next is the killer: another incompletion, tossed out of the side of the end zone, and the replays showed George Pickens looking like he was wide open. Wide. Open. They settled for a field goal, expecting to duke it out in overtime. But when you get that close, with that kind of setup, and only come away with three? That’s the kind of play-calling that earns an F, no doubt.
Instant Karma and a Stunner in Rio
You think settling for a field goal and overtime was tough? Just wait. Brandon Aubrey’s ensuing kickoff was a touchback, giving Lamar Jackson and the Ravens the ball at their own 35. That’s a huge flip in field position, and Jackson made them pay instantly. He hit Zay Flowers with a 27-yard pass, got a timeout with one second remaining, and then Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yard field goal. Game over. Just like that. Schottenheimer didn’t hold back, saying he was “disappointed as hell right now because of the pain in that locker room.” He called it a “very cool trip,” but that feeling quickly evaporated. Prescott himself admitted the Cowboys “should have been able to end the game on their final offensive drive.” The fact that they didn’t, and then allowed that quick-strike field goal, means this loss is a gut-punch that’ll test the “men in that room” he talked about.
Now, sitting at a disappointing 1-2 on the season, the Cowboys have to figure things out fast. Next up? They face the Houston Texans, a team that’s surprisingly winless so far. This isn’t just a regular game; it’s a chance to get their season back on track, or sink even deeper into an early-season hole. No more F-grades allowed if they want to turn this around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply