The first offensive drive by Dak Prescott and the Cowboys was spectacular. After a 17-play drive that included four different conversions to move the ball to the Dolphins' 1-yard line, a handoff to rookie fullback Hunter Luepke unfolded. Fumble recovered by the Dolphins.
This mistake cost them at least one field goal and at most one touchdown in a game they lost by just two points. There were also other well-known issues, including penalties, such as a face mask on the final drive against Dolphins linebacker Damone Clark, who was awarded 15 extra yards to boost what would ultimately be the winning drive. There have also been times when I have been attacked.
If the Cowboys can clean up those mistakes, their fortunes on the road will be significantly reversed.
“It was a hard-fought game,” McCarthy said. “This is a taste of how far we have to go to get this done and there's a lot we can take from this. There were some mistakes, so we I'm disappointed. I had a horse-backed plan,'' and we got backed up twice and didn't move our field position, so we couldn't help the defense there.
“We didn't get the points, but we got what we got. It's a big mistake you shouldn't make in a game like this, but we obviously have the resilience, the fight and the grit that we're looking for. I think.”
The Cowboys still have a chance to steal the NFC East title and top seed from the Philadelphia Eagles after making the playoffs, but it won't be possible without help from the New York Giants on Christmas Day. If not, they will be close to being locked into the No. 5 seed, and if they do, a playoff trip to the Super Bowl will force them away from home.
“We have to play better than we did today,” McCarthy said. “We've got to play better than that on the road. We're going to be road warriors.”
