Maybe the Dallas Cowboys can get things rolling, but a disappointing feeling after Week 3 isn't helping.
It was a long flight home for "(North) America's Team" after the Dallas Cowboys suffered one of their most devastating losses in recent memory, a walk-off 34-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
A game that undoubtedly brought excitement in the NFL's first-ever game in Rio, the 1-2 Cowboys felt like it slipped from their grasp, with the Ravens taking hold of the result with one second remaining to call a timeout and kick a game-winning field goal.
"At the end of the day, I just really just feel bad for [the players]," said coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose team came back from down 15 points in the second half. " You know, we played hard, we fought back, after a long trip, and we had our chance to win. Unfortunately, we didn't get it done."
Cowboys executive vice president and co-owner Stephen Jones offered a more passionate reaction to the game in his radio segment on Monday after the team's return.
"Is it disappointing as hell? Yes, it is," Jones said. "But we've got to go back to work, we've got to go back to chopping wood; we've got to go play a really good [Houston] Texans team that unfortunately hasn't won any football games. I know they're hungry to get one. We've got to go to work."
Jones used the word "unfortunately," because the Texans will be entering the game with intensity as if their season depends on it (it actually might, though the AFC South hasn't always lent itself as the league's most competitive division year-round).
A silver lining, however, is that Dallas' next opponent has less figured out than the Cowboys do, potentially offering an opportunity to get things right and return to a .500 record. It will have to be done on the road as Sunday's Rio game counted as a "home" contest for Dallas, meaning one more true road game on the schedule than one at AT&T Stadium.
Regardless of where the game is held, Schottenheimer has commended his team's resilience. That has been on full display as the roster has been decimated by injuries, especially on the defense.
"I don't ever question these guys, man," Schottenheimer said. "Watch the way they play. This team doesn't have quit in them, but they're hurting right now. I'm hurting. I felt like we made enough plays to go win the game, but we didn't. So we give Baltimore credit for that."
Schottenheimer admits to having not called a "perfect game" on the offensive side, but another silver lining moving forward might be Dallas' resurgent run game, which posted a season-high 148 rushing yards. Bell-cow ball-carrier Javonte Williams scored his second rushing touchdown of the season and recorded a season-high 98 yards on the ground.
"It's something that we needed to get going," quarterback Dak Prescott said about the run game. "The offensive line embraced it, they wanted that challenge. They wanted to run the ball. I saw early in the game the way that they were playing us, I went over there and told them we were going to have to run the ball. They're playing back and they respect our guys outside, they don't want us to get behind them. The offensive line did a good job of answering and making some holes, and the running backs did a good job."
"They had great communication, they executed the game plan well," Williams added about the offensive line, which has also allowed only three sacks of Prescott - a respectable number given the unit is playing without its All-Pro captain Tyler Smith.
"I feel like the two days that we got out here and got moving around really helped us with the game plan. Then just CeeDee, George and the receivers, tight ends, they opened it up for the run game. So we got to keep it going."
Dallas' next two opponents, the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are a combined 0-6 to start the season. Both teams are allowing an average of over 200 yards rushing per game, and 25 points per game.
The Bucs will be without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield when they come to Arlington for Thursday Night Football as he suffered a dislocated thumb last week.
Unlike what transpired at the Maracanã, the Cowboys are looking to make the most of this opportunity to get things on track.
