FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have a wildly fluctuating first six games to ponder on their bye week, perhaps best illustrated by two recent glimpses of their quarterback.
After midnight on a rain-delayed Sunday night into Monday in Pittsburgh, Prescott’s winning throw in the final seconds capped a clutch fourth quarter in a 20-17 win almost two weeks ago.
Last weekend in the comfort of AT&T Stadium, Prescott’s early interception triggered the worst home loss since before owner Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989 — 47-9 to the Detroit Lions.
So, the Cowboys (3-3) sit at .500, winless at home, perfect on the road, with an offense that can’t seem to find a rhythm and a defense that looks strong one week, then among the worst in the NFL the next.
It begs one question for the defending NFC East champions, 12-win playoff qualifiers for three consecutive years, going into what’s shaping up as a huge game for them at San Francisco on Oct. 27.
“Why are we on this ebb and flow? Why do we perform seven days ago the way we performed at 1 o’clock in the morning and then come home and perform the way we did?” coach Mike McCarthy asked.
“So those are the kinds of things we’ve got to work on, focus on. At the end of the day, if we totally don’t believe it’s about us, it’ll always be about us, and play to who we are, what we do, how we do it, then we’re not going to get to where we want to go.”
Contract year
McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, so there might not be anything for him in Dallas beyond this year if the Cowboys don’t make the deep postseason run that has eluded them since the 1995 season.
Prescott and All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb are going to be around much longer than that, both getting expensive contract extensions before the opener.
Twice since the blowout loss to the Lions, Jones has said he isn’t considering a coaching change. The second time, he all but ruled out it happening during the season.
McCarthy’s answers get short on questions about his job security, even when asked about strong words of support from Prescott.
“I think it shows how he feels, and I think it speaks to our relationship,” McCarthy said. “Support is a nice thing. We should do more of it.”
Out of sync
Prescott and Lamb have had at least two tense sideline moments, and the disconnect has been clear on at least one throw every game. The boos were loud after one against the Lions.
Lamb missed all of training camp while holding out for the new contract that finally came. Now he’s still looking for his first 100-yard game after getting eight last season.
Prescott has five turnovers the past two games — four interceptions and a fumble — and the Cowboys are minus-6 in turnover margin, near the bottom of the NFL, after finishing at least plus-10 each of the past three seasons.
What has been one of the league’s best offenses during the three-year playoff run is in the middle of the pack now, with the worst run game.
“I don’t want to say that I have to play perfect by any means,” Prescott said. “But I’ve got to play better.”
Jekyll-and-Hyde D
The Cowboys have given up 460 yards per game at home, by far the most through three games in franchise history. The Dallas defense has been good, and sometimes dominant, on the road.
New Orleans scored touchdowns on its first six drives in Dallas’ home opener, and the Lions got points the first nine times they tried to score. The exception was a kneel-down at the end of the first half.
“When we’ve been bad, it’s like it just steamrolls,” said first-year defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, whose unit has created just five takeaways after Dan Quinn’s defenses had 93, or nearly two per game, in his three seasons. “It goes bad, bad, bad, bad.”
Dallas is compromised on defense. The top two pass rushers are out, and the Cowboys are hoping two-time All-Pro Micah Parsons will play against the 49ers after missing two games with a high ankle sprain.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks, who played in Minnesota when Zimmer was the head coach, missed the Detroit game with injuries.
So did cornerback DaRon Bland, who set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns last season. He is awaiting his season debut after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his foot at the end of the preseason.
History lessons
Prescott’s optimism for a turnaround is rooted in two seasons.
In 2018, a 3-5 start became a 10-6 finish before the first playoff victory of his career. Last season, a 42-10 blowout loss at the 49ers came two weeks before the bye, and Dallas won six of seven coming out of the break.
“I’ve been in worse situations, I guess you can say in teams, and they got it going,” Prescott said. “It’s about us sticking together. I think after a loss like this, there’s no better time to test the character of that.”
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