Dallas Cowboys 'Out-Coached' in Loss at Cardinals: 'That Starts With Me!' - Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys bumble their way to a wholly unpredictable 28-16 loss at the Arizona Cardinals in which they were ... Outplayed? Out-coached? Out-schemed? Out-hustled?

Outplayed. Out-coached. Out-schemed. Out-hustled. 

I am scanning some review of the Arizona Cardinals stunning stomping of the previously unbeaten Dallas Cowboys 28-16 on Sunday. ... and I am seeing a lot of "retro-fit'' predictions in the form of "I told you so's.''

Problem is ... No, you didn't. Only now, after this Week 3 weirdo, can we be honest about what we thought and what we saw. And at least Dallas coach Mike McCarthy is doing that.

“I gotta do a better job,'' McCarthy said. ""That starts with me.''

Dak Prescott of the Cowboys

Sure. Fine. McCarthy is speaking the truth. But "predictable''? That's a lie.

You told me that Dallas sometimes struggles with the Cardinals, and indeed, weirdly, the Cowboys have now lost six of the last seven to that bunch. 

But that's not "predictable.'' That's "odd.'' And you didn't predict a Dallas loss.

Nor did you predict that Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs (17-of-21 for 189 yards and a touchdown) would be better than Dallas' Dak Prescott, who with three minutes to play tossed interception in the end zone from the six-yard line to end any comeback hopes.

Seriously, you predicted Dobbs would pick up his first career victory as a starter in this game? No, you didn't.

Nor did you predict that Dallas' "Doomsday'' defense would fold in the clutch, as was the case in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys needed a stop. But a blown coverage by coordinator Dan Quinn's guys meant Dobbs finding a wide-open Michael Wilson for 69 yards to set up Marquise Brown for a two-yard touchdown giving the Cardinals a comfy cushion.

The Cowboys offense, which came into the game averaging 35 points and 327 yards per game, was doomed by red zone inefficiency as Dallas came away with just one touchdown from five red zone attempts. 

Did you predict that the Cowboys might struggle emotionally and otherwise with Trevon Diggs on IR and with starting O-linemen Zack Martin, Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz all reduced to limping spectators? Maybe.

Did you predict that Dallas' red-zone offense, a sore spot even in the first two games while outscoring foes 70-10, would come back to bite the Cowboys? OK, maybe you did that - and it was true here. They made it to the red zone five times, but only came away with a touchdown once. They settled for field goals twice, turned it over on downs once and most back-breaking of all, threw that interception in the end zone late in the game.

Did you predict poor run defense? A penalty-plagued group? A Cowboys team that maybe believed coming it that its stink doesn't stink? OK, maybe you've got me there, there and there, too.

But all of that, plus ... Outplayed? Out-coached? Out-schemed? Out-hustled? Those couldn't have been predicted because, simply, they shouldn't have happened. But it "starts with'' McCarthy. And it needs to end there, too.

“Obviously,'' McCarthy said, "we’re disappointed. But this is part of the journey. … We need to grow from this experience.”