Cowboys Country

2 winners and 4 losers from Cowboys disastrous Week 6 performance

The Dallas Cowboys were blown out in Week 6, and it was hard to find any bright spots.

Randy Gurzi

Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) intercepts the ball in the endzone on a pass meant for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium.
Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) intercepts the ball in the endzone on a pass meant for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
In this story:

A comeback win in Week 5 had the Dallas Cowboys feeling confident heading into Week 6 against the Detroit Lions. That confidence was gone in the blink of an eye as they were pushed around all afternoon.

Detroit won 47-9, dropping the Cowboys to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 at home. It was another embarrassing showing which makes it hard to identify any "winners" on the home team's roster.

Even with that being the case, here's a look at which Cowboys stood out in Week 6.

Loser: Mike Zimmer, Defensive Coordinator

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Jul 30, 2024; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer during training camp at the River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California. / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Mike Zimmer is in his second stint with the Cowboys, and it's safe to say this tenure has been a bust to this point. As if giving up nearly 500 yards wasn't bad enough, this was already the second time his defense allowed more than 40 points. What's even more dumfounding is how much worse they are at home.

On Sunday, Dallas had no answers for anything the Lions did on offense. It was so bad that the Lions were practically toying with them by trying to get an offensive lineman in the end zone.

There were a myriad of injuries that gave Detroit the edge but the issue wasn't always talent. The defense seemed unprepared and confused, and this wasn't the first time that happened under Zimmer.

Winner: KaVontae Turpin, WR/KR

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin
Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (9) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Lions were up 27-3 after David Montgomery ran in a touchdown with 36 seconds to play in the half. Needing a spark, KaVontae Turpin decided to run the ball out despite fielding the ensuing kickoff nine yards deep in the end zone.

That was the right call as he went for 74 yards, finally being pushed out of bounds at the Detroit 35.

Dak Prescott was sacked on the next snap, and they had to settle for a 47-yard field goal from Aubrey, but it was still one of the few bright spots on the day for Dallas.

Turpin had 194 yards on kick returns. He did have a fumble after a reception late in the fourth but it's hard to be upset with him for that given the way the rest of the game went.

Loser: Ezekiel Elliott, RB

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott
Sep 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) celebrates his first down run against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Prior to this game, Ezekiel Elliott was rumored to have spoken to coaches about his limited role in the offense. Jerry Jones was then asked about the lack of touches for Zeke, and he stated they were "saving him" which makes no sense for a multitude of reasons.

The primary issue with "saving" Elliott for a potential playoff push is the fact that he hasn't been very good this season. Despite a solid outing in Week 1, Elliott has been a disappointment this year and that continued against the Lions.

Elliott apparently got the coaching staff's attention as he was the one they tried to feed early in the game. They had to abandon the run quickly due to the deficit, but he still had the most rushing attempts on the day, finishing with 17 yards on eight attempts.

Compare that to 25 yards on five attempts for Rico Dowdle, and it's fair to ask why Elliott is being utilized at all.

Winner: Brandon Aubrey, K

Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey
Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) kicks a field goal during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The one person who benefits from the Dallas offense stalling out constantly is Brandon Aubrey. The second-year kicker has one of the strongest legs in the game and boasts deadly accuracy. He's also afforded plenty of opportunities to get on the field.

Aubrey entered this game 14-of-16 on field goals and knocked in another three, one of which was from 50 yards out. He's now 17-of-19 on the year with a long of 65.

Loser: Dak Prescott, QB

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott
Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) drops to pass with pressure from Detroit Lions defensive end Josh Paschal. / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Dak Prescott is the most criticized quarterback in football but there are times when the criticism is deserved. That was the case early in this one as he threw an awful interception in the end zone on the second drive.

MORE: Dak Prescott starts civil war on social media with terrible first half against Lions

Down 7-3, Prescott and the Cowboys were trying to take the lead and the QB thought he had CeeDee Lamb in the back of the end zone. The pass wasn't great and he failed to account for Brian Branch who wound up with the ball.

This has become an alarming trend as the offense has had more turnovers in the red zone than any other team this year. It was also the second week in a row Prescott threw an interception while trying to hit Lamb for a touchdown.

Prescott's struggles weren't exclusive to that drive either as he nearly had a pick on the opening series but was bailed out by a penalty.

He was mercifully pulled from the game with more than 13 minutes to play. He finished 17-of-33 with 178 yards and two picks.

Loser: Jerry Jones, Owner/GM

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (left) greets Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp before the game at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

There's no team in the NFL set up the way the Dallas Cowboys are — and there's a reason for that. Jerry Jones wants all the attention and credit for everything his beloved franchise does. That's why he appointed himself as general manager when he purchased the team in 1989 and continues to hold that title.

Sunday was his 82nd birthday, but he's not letting his age get in the way of holding every title possible. He also won't let his failures to build a competent roster stop him.

Jones, who is often shown in his owner's box looking upset during beatdowns, has no one to blame but himself over the team's slow start in 2024.

This offseason, Dallas failed to build depth, which is why they have struggled to replace players such as Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, and DeMarcus Lawrence. He also let key players such as Tyron Smith leave after overpaying Terence Steele and Michael Gallup in previous years.

In addition to his frustrating free agency approach, he's been behind some questionable moves with the coaching staff and put Mike McCarthy in a no-win situation by forcing him to play with no job security.

This is without even getting into his baby, AT&T Stadium which is built in a way that the sun causes issues during afternoon games.

Don't expect Jones to point the finger at himself, but the issues on this team — from the culture to the talent — is all on him.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (left) takes a photo with Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband Steve before the game at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

— Enjoy free coverage of the Cowboys from Dallas Cowboys on SI —

Jerry Jones offers delusional reason for Ezekiel Elliott's diminished snap count

CeeDee Lamb explains sideline exchange with Dak Prescott

Primetime Dak: Cowboys QB ranks with the best ever in primetime games

Mike McCarthy praises the secret weapon behind Cooper Beebe's early success

Meet Victoria Kalina: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

Published
Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Arizona State grad

Home/News