ARLINGTON, Texas – Let's just call it what it is: This isn't just a one-sided problem anymore.
Sure, the biggest issue is obviously the defense, which once again had glaring problems and allowed a career backup quarterback to have his best game of the season.
But it wasn't just the fact Jacoby Brissett looked invincible; it was that he was the best quarterback on the field – for this game. No, let's not get crazy and stir up a debate that he's better than Dak Prescott, but he was on this night.
And that leads me to my overall point here: No longer is this just a defensive problem. I've said it over and over this year that the offense has to be like a surgeon, where perfection isn't just needed, but expected.
Well, the offense wasn't perfect at all Monday night. And to be honest, the offense really hasn't been that way in a couple of weeks.
I've watched enough football to know that if one side of the ball is clearly bad, the other is going to do everything it can to overcompensate. Well, do you realize what happens if you have a bad right foot and constantly limp and put pressure on the left foot? I'm thinking it's going to start hurting, too.
That's where we are. The problem was the offense looked like it had two left feet in this game.
This certainly wasn't the 40-point-a-game offense we've been seeing here at AT&T Stadium. And man, on the first drive it looked like it would be.
Javonte Williams for 9 yards, Javonte for 8, George Pickens for 16, CeeDee Lamb for 15, Javonte for 11. I mean, they were at the Cardinals' 7-yard line without even running a third-down play yet. And all of a sudden, the momentum stopped. Four straight plays short of the goal line resulted in a turnover on downs.
I'll admit it, I hated the call then, and I hated it now. Kick the field goal and get the points. I understand that you're going to have to score touchdowns in order to win most of these games, but in every game they've won or tied this year, Brandon Aubrey has made at least one field goal. And in those games, the Cowboys are still averaging over 40 points. So kicking a field goal doesn't mean you have to be held to 20 points.
Kick the ball and get points. But Brian Schottenheimer trusted the offense, and to his credit, there was no big reason not to trust them. But the down-and-distance from the 4-yard line isn't favorable, and not only did the Cowboys not get it, but they were sacked back to the 11.
That was the start of a troubling night for this offense. And to think, they were basically at full strength for the first time since Week 1.
The entire offensive line that was projected to start this year was back on the field. The receivers were all there, as were the running backs and tight ends. And, of course, Dak was running the show.
This IS the 2025 offense, and it was probably the worst we've seen it all year. Forget the 17 points on the scoreboard, the offense scored just 10.
When you look at the stat sheet, it's pretty close to the same for both teams.
The Cardinals led in first downs, 23-22. The Cardinals led in total yards, 340-333. Dallas had a slight edge in the run game, but Arizona had more passing yards.
What's the difference? How about three turnovers for the offense, and that's just the takeaways. The Cowboys also turned the ball over on downs twice in Cardinals territory. And don't forget the missed field goal before the half. Yes, that would've tied an NFL record, but the offense could've done more to get a few more yards and make it manageable for Aubrey, who hadn't missed a kick all year to that point.
Again, this isn't finger-pointing on just the offense. I'm not just absolving this historically-bad defense that can't get off the field on third down to save their lives.
But I'm just pointing out that this no longer seems like a team that has an unstoppable offense but a really bad defense. Unfortunately, the only thing that no longer looks the case is the offense.
And maybe that's not fair to categorize them that way. Like I said, it's incredibly tough to have to carry the team for the entire game, but that's what it is happening. We see the big-play potential, but inside the red zone is where things have gotten really tough the last few weeks.
And that's something I didn't expect, especially with the offensive line now at full strength.
So what happens now? Do the Cowboys make a trade and help this team? I would like to see it, but maybe that's just selfish of me. Knowing we've got eight more games, I'd like to see better football.
A trade would help this team, I think. Adding help on defense should help the defense and maybe the offense, too.
Monday's game was evident that both sides could clearly use some help.
