Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Makes Feelings Clear on Being Benched Against Bears
Dak Prescott wanted to finish out the Dallas Cowboys‘ 31-14 Week 3 loss against the Chicago Bears, despite the game being out of hand.
The Cowboys decided to yank Prescott in the fourth quarter, down three scores. There was nothing left to fight for but pride. But Prescott wouldn’t have minded the extra work.
“I mean, obviously, I want every rep. I’m never happy about being pulled out, but you have to be realistic and professional about where the game was,” Prescott said.
Backup Joe Milton entered the game in relief of Prescott, completing 3 of 5 passes for 41 yards and an interception.
In all, the Cowboys racked up 396 yards of offense but had just 14 points to show for it. Untimely turnovers and miscues doomed Dallas as the team fell to 1-2. Prescott didn’t hold back in his review of the offense.
“I know scoring 14 points is never going to be OK,” Prescott said.”And damn sure not with this offense, this unit, the team, the players that we have and, what, and six of those were field goals. Not acceptable, not to our standard, not anywhere in what we believe in and what we’re capable of doing.”
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: ‘I Don’t Get to Play Defense’
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed a similar sentiment to Prescott on the team’s effort against the Bears.
“We didn’t play well. We didn’t play well enough to win, and so that’s why we’re sitting here with the loss,” Schottenheimer said. “This is one of the games that you look at and you’re like, ‘Yeah, I mean that’s humbling, and it sucks.’ But we can play pretty good, and we’ve gotta play better to win in this league.”
Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense demonstrated its capabilities in their Week 2 victory against the New York Giants. They collected nearly 500 yards of total offense and there were explosive plays all over the field.
While the defense has not been good — ranking near the bottom of the league in most major categories — Prescott is only focused on what he can control.
“I know we’re capable of scoring, and if we’ve got a score like we did last week [against the Giants], we’re gonna do that,” Prescott said. “I don’t get to play defense, and that’s not how this game works, and the guys on offense don’t. We’ve got to play offense to the best of our ability, regardless.”
Cowboys Miss CeeDee Lamb in Loss to Bears
The Cowboys played the majority of the game without star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who exited with an ankle injury before making a catch.
George Pickens stepped up with Lamb out, snagging five passes for 68 yards and a one-handed touchdown grab. However, he also had a ball bounce off his hands that resulted in an interception. Pickens declined to speak to the media after the game.
The fortunate news for the Cowboys is that Lamb is not expected to miss time. He said after the game that he feels confident that he can play next week against the Packers.
“This is like protect me from myself type of deals,” Lamb told reporters. “So, once I start feeling much better and I start to get the strength back in my ankle as far as mobility and able to cut and like real dynamic movements — I was ready to go back out there but then they told me not to. … Absolutely [it feels like something I can play through next week].”
Browns Make Joe Flacco Decision After Beating Packers
The Cleveland Browns made their stance on Joe Flacco clear following a gritty 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Cleveland’s offense sputtered for much of the afternoon, failing to score until late in the fourth quarter. Andre Szmyt broke the drought with a 35-yard field goal at the 3:38 mark, and a Grant Delpit interception set up rookie Quinshon Judkins for a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Green Bay nearly had the final say, lining up for a potential game-winning kick with under a minute left. But the Browns blocked it, giving Szmyt one more chance. The rookie kicker delivered, drilling a 55-yarder as time expired to secure the dramatic victory.
Despite the win, Flacco’s play remained a central storyline. The 40-year-old struggled to move the offense, finishing 21 of 36 for 142 yards with an interception — his fifth turnover in three games.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged the offensive inconsistency but said he never considered benching Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel to provide a spark.
“I’m just focusing on doing what I think is best for the team,” Stefanski said of his reasoning to stick with Flacco.
Stefanski emphasized that injuries along the offensive line, particularly at tackle, only magnified the challenges of going up against a stout Packers defensive front.
“That’s a great defense. I’m confident saying that’s a great defense. We had injuries early to our tackles,” Stefanski said. “They made life really hard.”
Browns QB Joe Flacco: ‘It Wasn’t Pretty’
The game was not an offensive showcase. Neither side cracked 230 total yards. Flacco admitted playing in that type of game isn’t easy, but he’s focused on playing his role.
“It’s hard. It’s hard to go out there and play in games like today,” Flacco said. “But that’s what football is sometimes. With the type of defense we have, it’s about going out there and capitalizing on turnovers and not making mistakes. It wasn’t pretty today. It was tough and there were times down the field where guys were open but I just didn’t make it happen. You feel for the group as a whole. Everyone wants to go out there and perform and put up numbers, points, yards, all that stuff. Part of your job as a quarterback is to get that done. But also, your job is to win a football game and play your role.”
The Browns’ offense was showered with boos in the second half as the scoreboard stayed stuck at zero. Even in his 18th season, Flacco acknowledged the noise still gets to him.
“You’re a person. You’re human. It hurts you a little bit and you want to react to it. But you can’t,” Flacco said. “Being a pro and being in this sport, you can’t be that guy. You will not survive. We’re all human and it affects people. But you have to be able to rally, at least fake it, and bring it to life.”
Browns Considered Starting Dillon Gabriel Against Packers
Through three games, Flacco has passed for 631 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had a fumble returned for a touchdown against the Ravens during a 41-17 blowout.
The Browns at least considered making a chance to Gabriel in the week leading up to the Packers game, per Brad Stainbrook.
“Earlier this week, Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees spent much of Monday in meetings weighing whether to hand the job to rookie Dillon Gabriel, per league sources close to the situation,” Stainbrook said. “The staff ultimately decided to stick with Flacco for another week, but the leash is short.”
The Browns head to Detroit next week with a chance to move to .500. Coming off the win, Cleveland will likely continue rolling with Flacco.
