Brian Schottenheimer spent extra time with the defense this week on a continued mission to solve the many ailments dooming the Dallas Cowboys in their first four losses.
Smacked for 30 touchdowns and 250 points in eight games, the Cowboys (3-4-1) are not far off the pace of the record-worst performance by a defense set last season by the Panthers (534).
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are doing enough to stay above water as they tread into a Monday night matchup, with the Cardinals (2-5) coming to Arlington with a mind to unpack their cumbersome five-game losing streak.
Arizona’s five defeats were by a total of 13 points and the winning score came in the final five minutes of each one.
“No secret ingredient,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said. “Coach better and play better. There’s no magic sauce. Just gotta play better.”
Entering Monday, the Cowboys are averaging 41.3 points and 441 yards per game at home this season. But if quarterback Kyler Murray is available as expected, the home-field edge might be up for grabs. Murray is 9-0 at AT&T Stadium dating to his 5-0 record at Allen High School. He’s 2-0 with Arizona, 1-0 with Oklahoma and 1-0 with Texas A&M.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said his experience with six other teams before joining the Cowboys gives him enough evidence to know Dallas should be winning consistently.
“We’ve got one of the best offenses in the NFL. Defense just has got to pick it up,” Clowney said. “I think if we can get our side going like we need to, it could be a great team and try to head into the playoffs.”
Arizona anticipates Murray being available Monday night. He missed the past two games with a foot injury before a bye last week. Gannon said Murray is preparing to start. He’ll jump back in with tight end Trey McBride on a tear as the primary outlet for backup Jacoby Brissett.
Gannon said the week of rest was significant for Murray and everyone else in the Cardinals’ locker room preparing for a “premium player” in Prescott.
“They’re rested. It looks a little bit different,” Gannon said. “It was very beneficial.”
Rest can be critical before playing the Cowboys, who are No. 1 in the league in passing and average 4.7 yards per carry. The Cowboys have had issues at cornerback and safety, contributing to the transition of multiple games into track-meet mode.
Prescott has leaned heavily on tight end Jake Ferguson (51 receptions, six touchdowns) among a multitude of pass-catching threats. His Arizona counterpart, McBride, had 10 receptions and two touchdowns in Week 7 and leads his team with 47 receptions, 421 yards and four scores.
Prescott’s play has been washed out to some extent by opponents marching down the field to answer. Prescott leads the league with 204 completions, shares the NFL lead with six 40-plus yard completions and has 16 TD passes.
But opposing quarterbacks have 20 TD passes against the Cowboys.
Prescott averages 7.1 yards per completion; opponents are at 8.2.
Passer rating? Prescott loses there, too, 101.6 to 112.0.
“We’re a football team that’s 3-4-1. You can take the stats on offense and shove them up your ass as far as I’m concerned,” Schottenheimer said. “Is what it is. We want to win. People talk about MVP and this and that. Dak Prescott doesn’t want to win MVP. He wants to win a Super Bowl. And that’s what we want to win. We’re not there yet. We’ve not played that consistently well enough to be in that conversation. It doesn’t mean the journey stops. You’ve got to get more focused. More intentional. And we’ve got to do it together.”
Five of Dallas’ eight opponents have put up 30 points. The Cowboys allowed at least seven points in 10 of the last 13 quarters and Denver had 13-plus points in the first, second and fourth quarters to rack up 44 last week.
Dallas has shifted between man and zone coverage behind a modest pass rush. The options are plentiful considering the Cardinals’ ailing running game. Murray leads the team in rushing (173 yards) and top backs James Conner and Trey Benson are on injured reserve. Benson could be back next week.
Schottenheimer said Monday there would be changes before the Dallas defense took the field against the Cardinals. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus pointed to a different kind of shift.
“It’s real simple,” Eberflus said Thursday. “You look in the mirror. How can I perform better as a football coach, as a defensive tackle, as a defensive back, and you look to do that. And you use the people around you. You use your coaches, your players, and then you grind to get better.”
