The decision-making around the clock quickly became a major point of criticism for both Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott. Dallas left Baltimore with seven seconds after the field goal, giving the Ravens an opportunity to win the game, which they ultimately did.

The most questioned play came on third-and-goal, when Prescott did not take a chance on a potential throw to George Pickens. After the game, Schottenheimer acknowledged that the decision was an initiation from him, taking responsibility for the controversial sequence as Jerry Jones expressed his frustration with mistakes made by both the players and coaching staff.

Brian Schottenheimer admits his mistake after Cowboys loss

Brian Schottenheimer did not shy away from the criticism and made it clear that he was willing to accept responsibility for what happened in the final moments. The Cowboys head coach also revealed that he had a conversation with Jerry Jones about the situation and said the team owner provided advice he valued.

“I’m man enough to take mistakes. I make a lot of mistakes. I’m certainly not perfect. And I know one thing, Jerry and I had a very good conversation about it. I explained it. He understands that there was a mistake that was made, and he was terrific. Great, sound advice. I value him. He’s been around the game a long time, just like I have, and he’s seen a lot of stuff.”

The Cowboys now have to put the Ravens loss behind them and prepare for their matchup against the Houston Texans. The controversial ending has put additional attention on Schottenheimer and Prescott, but Dallas still has an opportunity to respond on the field rather than allowing one late-game sequence to define its season.

The NFC East could also give the Cowboys some room to recover, with the division not looking particularly strong this season. Schottenheimer believes the conversation with Jones can ultimately help him improve as the Cowboys move forward.

“To me, that shows that Jerry and I are aligned very closely. This will make me better. I’ll be better. And again, I’m looking forward to lining up and playing this week against the Texans.”

Key takeaways

• Brian Schottenheimer took responsibility for the end-of-game play-calling mistakes in the Cowboys’ loss.
• Dallas failed to score from the 1-yard line with under 30 seconds left.
• The Cowboys will next prepare to play against the Houston Texans.

“Frustrated,” Prescott said, via the team’s website. “Frustrated as hell. Excuse me. Embarrassed. We don’t call ourselves the best offense, GOTI [Greatest Offense There Is], and get down to the one-yard line and don’t put it in.

“Yeah, it just (expletive). Not a lot of words or full explanation of it. Defense shouldn’t even have been in that position. Those guys were over there saying ‘it’s on us,’ absolutely not. We’ve got to put the game away, period.”

The Cowboys were in an ideal position to at least take the game to overtime. The rest is history: Tyler Loop’s kick with just one second left on the clock sealed the Ravens’ victory.

The Cowboys’ lack of awareness

The Cowboys blew it before Baltimore even got the ball back, mainly because their offense completely sputtered out right after tying the game at 31–31. With a chance to take the lead or at least drain the clock, Dallas went cold when it mattered most, getting stalled by self-inflicted mistakes, predictable play-calling, and a crucial failure to pick up key third-down conversions.

Instead of taking control of the game, America’s Team handed the ball right back to Baltimore with a few seconds left, setting up the painful 34–31 finish. These types of mistakes can prove very costly when it comes to the final stretch of the regular season.

Dak’s numbers at the Maracana

In the historic international matchup in Rio de Janeiro, Dak Prescott put up a solid individual stat line, completing 25 of 40 passes (62.5% completion rate) for 276 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. He added 19 rushing yards on 4 carries and finished with a 91.2 passer rating, but despite his efficient play through the air, it wasn’t quite enough to prevent the Cowboys’ heartbreaking defeat.

Back to the drawing board

Looking ahead, the Cowboys hit the road for a Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans. They then return home to AT&T Stadium to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, before heading out on another tough road test against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 6.

Key takeaways

• The Cowboys dropped to a 1-2 record following their defeat against the Ravens.
• Tyler Loop converted a game-winning kick with just one second remaining.
• Dallas moves forward to prepare for a Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Dak Prescott understands why the loss was frustrating, but the Cowboys quarterback does not believe one game should define the team’s season. With Dallas preparing for its Week 2 home opener against the Washington Commanders, Prescott was asked about fans already becoming impatient and questioning whether this year’s team will be different.

His response was direct. Prescott acknowledged that the Cowboys were just as disappointed as their supporters after starting the season 0-1, but he also reminded fans that there are still 16 games remaining and plenty of time for Dallas to change the narrative.

Dak Prescott sends clear message to frustrated Cowboys fans

Dak Prescott made it clear that he loves Cowboys fans, but he does not feel the need to respond to every supporter who is already losing faith in the team. For the veteran quarterback, the people who truly believe in Dallas will continue supporting the team throughout the long NFL season.

“I mean, it’s a long season. I love our fans, but I don’t necessarily feel like I need to speak to that fan, you know? Sorry for them. If they’re a real fan, they’ll stick with it. They’ll trust it. They’ll believe in it. And at the end of the day like we just said, it’s one game.”

Prescott also made clear that the Cowboys are not satisfied with the way the season began. The quarterback said nobody inside the locker room was more frustrated than the players themselves, while pointing out that the team had entered the season with the same excitement surrounding its offseason changes and training camp.

Dallas now has an opportunity to respond immediately against Washington, and Prescott wants the team’s supporters to turn their frustration into energy inside AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys quarterback’s message was ultimately about perspective: the loss to the Giants matters, but it is only the first result of a 17-game regular season.

With expectations still extremely high around the Cowboys, the pressure will only increase if they fail to respond in Week 2. Prescott, however, is asking fans to remain patient and judge the team over the course of the season rather than after one disappointing performance.

“Nobody’s more pissed than myself and these guys in here. We didn’t want to start 0-1. We’re as excited as any fan out there about the offseason and things we’ve done in training camp. So, turn that energy and come to the game this Sunday and be as loud as you can. We appreciate it.”

Even though head coach Brian Schottenheimer admitted the physicality brought by the Giants was too much for the Cowboys, many believe there was one play where the game was lost for Dallas. That was Prescott’s costly interception before the end of the first half.

“Yes. Yes, [that was when the game turned]. We all know you can’t make it on a play. But a play sometimes is the decisive point,” Jones stated during an interview on 105.3 The FAN. “And there’s no question that [Prescott’s interception] was impactful for the entire game, what happened to us.”

The quarterback wants to move on. Prescott made that clear when he acknowledged the loss to New York while urging Dallas to stay focused on the 2026 NFL season. However, the loss stings, and he didn’t get such grace from America’s Team’s owner.

Prescott’s first INT in a while

Although his pick on Sunday night against the Giants wasn’t the first time the Cowboys’ signal-caller made an eyebrow-raising play in primetime, it was indeed his first turnover in a long time. Obviously, the fact that it was only Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season and Dallas hadn’t played since January helps.

Still, Prescott had entered the season with a four-game interception-less streak. Dak had finished the last season stringing together several clean games. However, he didn’t have the best of starts to the campaign.

Prescott finished the 28-20 loss in New York with 175 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Prior to Week 1, Prescott’s last interception in an NFL game was on Dec. 4, 2025, when he threw two picks in a 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions.

It’s far from ideal. Especially with the way the game went. It never really looked as if the Cowboys had any chance of coming back in the game. Learning they may be behind the Giants in the race for the NFC East—and discovering that one game into the season—is less than encouraging.

Still, the NFL regular season is long. It’s not a sprint but a marathon. Prescott understands that and never lost track of it, not even in the aftermath of the primetime defeat in East Rutherford. His hope is that the rest of the team and fanbase acknowledge it, too.

“I know our standard. Don’t change, don’t flinch, don’t blink,” Dak Prescott stated postgame, via the Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt. “This is a long year. We have to stick together.”

Prescott’s 2026 debut

Tyler Smith’s injury-related absence can serve as an excuse. The offensive line struggled, especially against second-year pass rusher Abdul Carter, who wreaked havoc wherever he was lined up. That led to Prescott being under duress all night long and having to stay alert in the pocket. He was never sacked, but he had a couple of close calls.

Prescott looked a gear off with his accuracy, and he made a couple of decisions that left fans scratching their heads. The biggest of them came late in the second quarter. Before the half, Prescott forced a throw on 3rd-and-5 with 58 seconds left in the quarter. His pass landed nowhere near a receiver but instead into the sliding hands of safety Jevon Holland.

Off that turnover in great field position, the Giants broke the deadlock with a touchdown and headed into the locker room with a 14-7 lead. They got the ball to start the second half, and Jaxson Dart commanded an eight-minute drive that ended with another touchdown.

That was when the game felt all but decided. There were over 20 minutes left, but it looked bleak for Dallas. And it was. Prescott finished the night with 22 completions on 34 attempts for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Cowboys must bounce back

Indeed, losing on the road to a divisional opponent and in such an overwhelming fashion—not on the scoreboard, but on the playing field—is a terrible way to start an NFL season. However, it would be absurd to throw in the towel one game into the year. This loss will only sting and be as painful for its playoff hopes as Dallas allows it to be.

The last thing they can afford is to start pointing blaming fingers around the room. Even though former wide receiver Dez Bryant aimed at George Pickens and his lackluster performance to start his franchise-tag year, Dallas can’t let the outside noise into the building.

Cowboys face Commanders in Week 2

The Cowboys will get one moment to lick their wounds before putting their pads back on. And what better opportunity to do so than to take down another NFC East foe back home in the Lone Star State?

Next Sunday (Sept. 20), the Cowboys will host the 0-1 Washington Commanders. Both sides will be coming off road losses within the division, so it will be a battle of equal desperation. Even in that sense, though, everything is bigger in Texas, and the Cowboys will be bearing the heavier weight on their shoulders.

The first Sunday Night Football of the 2026 NFL season will feature a heated showdown between two NFC East rivals with star starting quarterbacks. Jaxson Dart and Dak Prescott will go head to head at MetLife Stadium. It will be the second time both franchise QBs meet.

After a busy summer with multiple appearances in television and across the country, Jameis Winston will resume his NFL quarterback duties and be the Giants’ backup signal-caller against the Cowboys. As for the Cowboys, Sam Howell will be the backup quarterback in Week 1 behind Prescott.

Emergency quarterbacks

In the NFL, teams must always brace for the worst and prepare for injuries that could potentially derail even the best of game plans. Although both sides will roll into Sunday night’s matchup with a two-man QB room, they have named their third emergency quarterbacks.

New York will count on Jake Haener as its emergency QB, while Dallas will have Joe Milton III in that role. Both quarterbacks share a similarity in that they were released and re-signed to the practice squad.

Per NFL rules, emergency QBs can only be activated if both the starting and backup quarterbacks are injured. If that happens, both the G-Men and the Boys will be in much more trouble than simply playing Haener or Milton, respectively.

Dart’s stats against Cowboys

Although he’s only played once against Dallas in his NFL career, Dart is 1-0 against America’s Team. Dart earned the win over the Cowboys in Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season and will vie to do so again in Week 1 of the new season. Last year, in his lone appearance against Dem Boys, Dart completed 22 of 32 pass attempts for 230 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 32 yards.

“I believe this year is a year of shock and surprise,” Wilson started on CBS Sports’ NFL Today. “I believe that Dak Prescott is gonna take Jerry Jones to the Super Bowl, I’m thinking about that right now.”

Despite placing strong emphasis on the offensive firepower of America’s Team with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, Russell Wilson also named two other teams that could be a surprise: the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens.

“Kyler Murray… Can he do what Sam Darnold did? I’m excited to see this. . . Lamar Jackson too, new coach, everything else, is going to be a great year.”

Last time the Cowboys reached the SB

America’s Team last appeared in a Super Bowl on January 28, 1996, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX to capture their fifth franchise title. Led by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, the victory capped off an era where Dallas won three championships in four seasons.

However, that game in Tempe, Arizona, also marked the end of an era; the Cowboys have not returned to the Super Bowl or the NFC Championship Game since, establishing one of the most notable championship droughts in modern NFL history.

The start of a new dream

In 2026, one of the teams generating perhaps the most buzz ahead of their debut is the Dallas Cowboys. It will not be an easy task for Dak Prescott and his teammates, as they will have a tough opening game this season.

The same will take place in an exciting Sunday Night Football matchup between division rivals. MetLife Stadium will be dressed to the occasion as it welcomes the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys for a showdown between contenders that will also feature a halftime show performed by cast members of the Broadway musical Hamilton.

Wilson’s new role

After officially hanging up his cleats following a 14-year NFL career, Russell Wilson is trading his helmet for a microphone as a full-time studio analyst for CBS Sports on The NFL Today. The 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion brings a massive depth of high-level quarterback experience directly to the set, stepping into the media spotlight alongside veterans like James Brown, Bill Cowher, and Nate Burleson to break down Sundays from the desk.

“It’s life, man. You’ve got to be able to live with it and roll with it and be able to deliver blows back whenever it’s time,” Milton said via ESPN‘s Todd Archer on X. In the battle to become Prescott’s backup, Sam Howell ultimately won the job.

In the NFL, resilience is often the name of the game, and that is something Milton is putting into practice as he returns to the Cowboys’ facilities. “I’m still the best quarterback in my eyes. So it is what it is. It’s just something you gotta live with, take it to the chin.”

Prescott takes the reins of the Cowboys once again

Dak Prescott is gearing up to lead the Cowboys once again as QB1 for the upcoming 2026 NFL season. Coming off a strong 2025 campaign where he threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions over 17 games, Dak continues to be the unquestioned leader under center.

However, the offense hit a bit of a bump right out of the gate following a negative injury update on Tyler Smith, as the star guard is set to sit out the season opener against the New York Giants. Even with that blow to the line, Prescott will look to keep the momentum rolling and start his tenth year in Dallas on a high note.

Milton will look to earn his spot

Coming off a solid preseason where he completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions—plus a rushing score—Joe Milton is embracing a new role in Dallas. He’s staying completely locked in and ready to seize his opportunity whenever Brian Schottenheimer calls his number.

Dallas’ highly anticipated debut

The Cowboys hit the road to open their 2026 season on Sunday night, September 13, facing off against their division rivals, the New York Giants. They’ll be kicking things off under the lights at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Dallas will begin the season on the road against the New York Giants, entering the Week 1 matchup as favorites. The Cowboys return their offensive core while making significant additions on defense, and the overall feeling around the team has been noticeably more positive than it was a year ago. Still, Prescott understands that the first real test will come when the ball is kicked off at MetLife Stadium.

For Prescott, the Cowboys’ strong preparation only matters if they can translate it into results. The quarterback acknowledged that he remains optimistic heading into every season, but he also delivered a blunt reminder that confidence, good energy and positive vibes cannot win games by themselves.

Dak Prescott sends clear message to Cowboys before game vs Giants

Dak Prescott was asked about the optimism surrounding Dallas and whether this offseason feels different from previous years. While he admitted that the atmosphere has been positive, he stressed that the Cowboys still have to prove themselves on the field, beginning with their Week 1 trip to New York.

“Positive vibes and good energy doesn’t win you games. I’m optimistic going into every season. So, just understanding we’ve put ourselves in a great position. We’ve put ourselves right where we need to be to go and give ourselves the best chance to win Week 1 up there in New York.”

That message reflects the mindset Dallas needs entering the season. The Cowboys have avoided many of the distractions that surrounded the team during previous offseasons, allowing the roster to focus on football and build chemistry. Prescott believes that stability has helped put Dallas in a strong position, but the quarterback knows preparation can only take the team so far.

“The energy and everything is great, but we got to make sure we’re doing everything to be accountable to each other and just continue on that trajectory. We’ve got to go and do it. We’ve got to go and win games.”

That is ultimately the challenge facing Prescott and the Cowboys. Dallas can be confident about its roster and enter the Giants matchup as a road favorite, but Week 1 represents the first opportunity to show that the optimism is justified. For Prescott, the Cowboys have done everything necessary to put themselves in position for success. Now, they have to prove it when the games actually count.

This will be the first real test of the new era in New York. John Harbaugh arrived with the expectation of changing the culture around the Giants, and Schoen believes the roster is prepared to play the type of football his head coach demands. Physicality, discipline and consistency have been major themes throughout the offseason, and those qualities will immediately be tested against a Cowboys team capable of putting pressure on opponents in multiple ways.

The importance of the game goes beyond simply getting a win in Week 1. Although it is still very early in the 2026 season, Giants-Cowboys is an NFC East rivalry with major implications for both teams. For New York in particular, the matchup will provide an early indication of how close the Giants are to becoming legitimate contenders in the division after years of struggles.

NY Giants send clear message to Cowboys

Joe Schoen knows the Giants will have to play at a high level to compete with Dallas, particularly against an offense featuring Prescott and several dangerous weapons. Rather than focusing on the Cowboys’ reputation or the expectations surrounding the matchup, the Giants’ general manager believes his team has the physical and mental preparation necessary to make Dallas work for every yard.

“Yeah, we’re going to be prepared. We’re going to be prepared for the game. We’re going to be physical. You’re going to have to go 60 minutes to compete with us. And we’re going to be disciplined on both sides of the ball. We’re going to be ready to go. I know we’re going to be ready to go. Week in, week out, we’ll be ready.”

That message fits perfectly with what the Giants want their identity to be under Harbaugh. New York does not need to prove everything in one game, but competing with Dallas for 60 minutes would immediately provide evidence that the team is moving in the right direction. The Giants have spent the offseason building a tougher and more disciplined roster, and Week 1 will show whether those changes translate when the stakes become real.

The Cowboys and Giants will meet on September 13, at MetLife Stadium in the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2026 regular season. For New York, the result could become an early measuring stick for the Harbaugh era. If the Giants can match Dallas physically and remain competitive deep into the game, they could send an even stronger message that they belong in the NFC East conversation. If they fall short, the matchup will also reveal just how much work remains before they can legitimately challenge the division’s top teams.

Speaking to the press, Prescott spoke on Milton being back with the Cowboys. “It means a lot. Just me, personally, I thought he would’ve been picked up in the waivers or whatever it is. Fortunate for us, we got a hell of a player back and a guy that makes our room better, a guy that makes our team better,” Prescott said.

Prescott doesn’t see Milton as competition, he sees him as a great locker room presence and a guy who has a lot of talent. The starting QB seems like a fan and friend of Joe Milton III. Having your QB happy is always a good thing, and by bringing Milton back, they made Prescott happy.

Prescott also spoke on the personal relationship with Milton

Prescott not also spoke on Milton the player, but also on their relationship. “So, for me, it’s just about being the right leader and the right brother for him, giving him everything he needs and make sure that he’s not pissed off,” he said.

The last part is very telling. Milton making the 53-man roster only to get cut a few days later will certainly upset any player. In fact, Dak acknowledged it. However, he still wants to help him grow as a player.

Updated Cowboys QB depth chart

Of course, Dak Prescott is clearly a franchise quarterback so that is not in question. However, it’s clear that the rest of the depth chart did move. For instance, Milton is no longer the QB2, it seems.

• Dak Prescott
• Sam Howell
• Joe Milton III