"We've got to learn from this and make sure that we grow. It's still a long season and we have to control what we can." - Dak Prescott on Cowboys loss at Green Bay.
It is always a good sign when a head coach and his quarterback speak the same languages and share the same messages - in victory or defeat.
The Dallas Cowboys, with coach Mike McCarthy and QB Dak Prescott, at least have that.
"Control.''
Added Prescott: "It was a tough game, a tough environment and we've got to learn from this and make sure that we grow. It's still a long season and we have to control what we can."
"Control.''
The McCarthy context and the Prescott context? Different, of course; the coach is trying to describe the vibe while trying to explain some controversial decision-making on his part. The QB, meanwhile, is trying to turn the page to the big picture ...
But this much is true: The Cowboys were not and are not in "control.''
Two interceptions thrown by Prescott (on which there is shared blame) needed to be overcome here by Dallas, and they were; the Cowboys entered the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead - one that is historically insurmountable.
And they allowed the Packers to win anyway. And there went the "control.''
And then there is the point that Prescott is trying to make, a point that is essentially about the NFC standings. Suddenly, the Cowboys - not that there is anything wrong with a 6-3 record - have dropped to the bottom of the pile of "good teams.'' And more, they trail the 8-0 Eagles in the NFC East, with Philly preparing for a Monday night home bout with underdog Washington.
Prescott said that McCarthy is "disappointed that we didn't take that step that we've talked about - laying another brick and building on what we've accomplished to this point ... It's tough. It was a playoff environment.
"For us, it's about sticking together, knowing where we're going and who we are.''
And where are the 6-3 Cowboys "going''? Now it's on to Minnesota, the Vikings boasting an 8-1 record ... and Dallas searching for a way to regain "control.''
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