National Football League

Cowboys have no one to blame but themselves for Arizona loss

Updated Jan. 3, 2022 7:14 p.m. ET

By Matt Mosley
Special to FOX Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys had a chance to build serious momentum for the playoffs Sunday.

Instead, they looked like a team that no one should fear, especially not their likely first-round opponents, the Arizona Cardinals.

The final score Sunday was 25-22, but for three quarters, the Cowboys were barely in the game against a Cardinals squad that was missing its top receiver, running back and left tackle. If you thought the Cowboys' 56-14 romp of the Washington Football Team was a mirage, take a bow.

This team is not to be trusted because five of its 11 wins have come in the weakest division in the NFL. And even though the Cowboys will host at least one playoff game, that no longer feels like a big advantage.

Colin Cowherd on the Cowboys' loss

Colin Cowherd says the Cowboys' limitations were exposed in their loss to the Cardinals.

The Cowboys had scored at least 40 points at home in four games and were averaging 38.4 points at AT&T Stadium. On Sunday, it took desperation mode for them to score a couple of touchdowns.

Yet players seemed to be buying into some conspiracy theory that the league is out to get them via shoddy officiating. Four drives were undermined by holding penalties, and coach Mike McCarthy wasn't able to challenge what appeared to be a Cardinals fumble late in the game because he was out of timeouts. That seemed to be more about bad luck than any bias against the organization.

Fans of the other 31 clubs will certainly chuckle about suggestions that there could be bias against "America's Team." But players such as CeeDee Lamb, Leighton Vander Esch and DeMarcus Lawrence all suggested that the Cowboys were taking on the officials as well as their opponent.

"Even though we were facing two teams tonight, the results didn't come out like we wanted them to," Lawrence said after the game. "I'm going to let the NFL handle it. It's a possibility we see both of these teams in the playoffs."

That's a funny line from Lawrence, but he and his teammates came away looking like excuse-makers.

The Cowboys were basically dominated at home by a shorthanded team. That should be the bigger concern than the officiating. And it's not good that the conspiracy theory might have started with the team's head coach. Asked what message McCarthy gave the team after the game, Vander Esch touched on the officials.

"We've got to keep battling with everybody, not just the other team," the linebacker said, "if you catch my drift."

Skip Bayless on the Cowboys' loss to the Cardinals

Skip Bayless identifies the biggest reason for the Cowboys' loss to Arizona: "I've never seen Kyler Murray play better, and Dak Prescott was off from the start."

To his credit, quarterback Dak Prescott did not complain about the officiating. He said he was disappointed but not discouraged by the outcome. It was his fumble in the fourth quarter that hurt the Cowboys' chance at a comeback.

"I know the team that we have," Prescott said. "It starts with myself. I've got to be better. We've got to look at ourselves in the mirror and find a way to come out with a win in a game like this."

Without the aid of a running game — Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard combined for 25 yards — Prescott threw for 226 yards and averaged less than 6 yards per attempt. He acknowledged that opponents are doing a good job disguising coverages against him. Prescott was at his worst in the third quarter, while Kyler Murray and the Cardinals were taking a 22-7 lead. Prescott was 1-for-7 for 12 yards in that frame.

It's difficult to believe that Prescott was once an MVP candidate this season. Now, it feels like the Cowboys basically have to overcome their QB and offense to win games. But a defense that had 14 takeaways in a four-game winning streak had none against the Cardinals.

Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons pressured Murray throughout the game and had two tackles for loss, but the Cowboys had only one sack. In the first quarter, Murray hit A.J. Green on a 42-yard pass after the receiver used a double move to burn Cowboys Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs. In the final period, Murray showed off his speed, icing the game with two key runs. On the last one, he tapped into his baseball skills with a pop-up slide inbounds.

Overall, Murray accounted for 307 total yards. The Cardinals had the edge at quarterback, and it wasn't close.

Arizona also showed great patience in running the ball for 127 yards, even without top back James Connor, who's out with a heel injury. The Cardinals won the time of possession battle by nine minutes.

After their three-game losing streak, the Cardinals reminded everyone that they could be a dangerous playoff team.

Kyler Murray talks about Arizona's big win

Texas native Kyler Murray calls the win over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium "sensational."

The Cowboys reminded folks that they function well only against inferior competition, which happens to include all of the NFC East. The last time the Cowboys beat a good team was Oct. 17 in New England. That was before the Patriots found their footing.

Before Sunday's loss, players talked openly about Arizona as a measuring-stick game. If that's what it was, the Cowboys appear to be in trouble.

We've seen teams flip the switch in the playoffs and go on big runs. The Bucs of 2020 come to mind. But they had the greatest quarterback of all time, with a lot of complementary weapons. The Cowboys have a playmaking defense and an offense that sputters against decent teams.

Who wants to face the Cowboys in the playoffs? Anyone and everyone.

Matt Mosley has covered the Cowboys for The Dallas Morning News, ESPN, FOX Sports and Texas Monthly Magazine. He also co-hosted afternoon-drive radio in Dallas for 10 years and is now heard on ESPN Central Texas, home of his alma mater, Baylor. He makes regular appearances on "The Herd" on FS1 and Fox Sports Radio.