Dallas Cowboys’ embarrassing Week 8 effort vs. Broncos highlights biggest weakness
It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the NFL this season.
That much was clear in Week 8’s 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, but there was one area of Matt Eberflus’ unit that put together a particularly embarrassing effort.
With Juanyeh Thomas and Donovan Wilson both inactive, the Cowboys only had two active safeties against Denver, and got burned as a result. Two undrafted safeties got the start, with Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell getting the nod. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
The secondary got off to a solid start, as cornerback Trikweze Bridges picked off Bo Nix on the second play of the game, but it was all downhill from there. The Broncos had their way against the Dallas defense, finishing with four touchdowns through the air, and the poor play in the secondary was a major reason why
Broncos Score Most Points at Home Since 2014 vs. Cowboys Defense
Despite the early interception, Nix finished 19 of 29 passing for 247 yards and four scores. He had little trouble finding wide receivers Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton, with the former scoring two touchdowns.
Injuries already played a factor coming into the game, but things weren’t made easier when Clark exited with a rib injury.
Undrafted cornerback Reddy Steward had to step in at safety, marking his first-career NFL snaps at the position. Not great.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, it can’t get much worse on defense … can it?
Look for Dallas to potentially make a trade to address the defense before Week 9’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
Dak Prescott gives harsh truth on Cowboys ‘unacceptable’ identity after Week 8
The Dallas Cowboys were humbled in Week 8 on Sunday afternoon, walking into Mile High and leaving on the wrong end of a 44-24 shellacking courtesy of the Denver Broncos.
It was another dreadful defensive performance by the Cowboys, who were down several starters in the secondary, and the offense was also held in check compared to what it has been able to do in recent weeks.
Bo Nix lit up Dallas’ wounded secondary to the tune of 247 yards and four passing touchdowns, while running back J.K. Dobbins rushed for 111 yards on just 15 carries.
Dak Prescott, meanwhile, had his worst outing of the season, going 19-of-31 for 188 yards and two interceptions.
After the game, Dak was asked about the team’s identity, and he was brutally honest about the “unacceptable” roller coaster ride the team has been on through the first two months of the season.
O”ur identity? Inconsistent. And that is unacceptable,” Prescott told the media, via Patrik Walker of the team’s official website. “Step up and shut the talk up.”
It’s been a brutal start to the year for Dallas, which now sits at 3-4-1 on the season and holds a dreadful 1-4 mark on the road. There is no denying the team will need to dig deep during the coming week to get back on the right track as they prepare for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.
It will be Dallas’ final game before the NFL trade deadline, which is the following day on Tuesday, November 4, and the result could dictate whether the team decides to make a splash or stay put and turn their focus to next year. Only time will tell how it all plays out.