FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys should have gone into halftime tied 7-7 with the New York Giants on Sunday night, coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday. He put that on a Dak Prescott throw and on his own play calls.
CeeDee Lamb caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Prescott in the second quarter to tie the game. Prescott later threw an interception to Jevon Holland, the only turnover Dallas committed. Jaxson Dart hit Isaiah Likely for a 15-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half.
“At the end of the day, as I look back on this game, the game should have been 7-7 at the end of the first half,” Schottenheimer said. “It was a slugfest. Dak’s got to throw the ball away. There were some play calls there I could have had that would have been better in that situation.”
“They take it, they score, make it 14-7, and then we battle back just like you do in most NFL games, and we make it a one-score game with five minutes to go,” Schottenheimer continued.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones called the interception the turning point on Tuesday.
Brian Schottenheimer Wants His Adjustments Sooner
Drops and other uncharacteristic plays hurt Dallas in the first half, Schottenheimer said.
“I wish we were 1-0 today, but we’re not,” Schottenheimer said. “And again, I’ve given them credit. But I also know that we didn’t play to the standards and capabilities that we’re capable of. I think you saw that from us offensively in the first half, not doing enough good things, drops, things like that, that are uncharacteristic for us.”
Schottenheimer calls the offense. He put himself in the same accountability he asked of his players after the game.
“How can I better? Well, I call better plays in the first half,” Schottenheimer explained. “I can make those adjustments in the second quarter, not the third quarter, not at halftime. So we’re all in this thing together.”
Prescott completed 22 of 34 passes for 175 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He was not sacked.
Lamb caught 5 of 8 targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. George Pickens caught 3 of 6 for 28 yards.
Dak Prescott And The Dallas Cowboys Get Washington Next
Dallas scored 13 points in the second half. Javonte Williams ran for a 1-yard touchdown late in the third quarter and caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Prescott in the fourth.
Dallas held the ball for 23:20. New York had it for 36:40.
The Washington Commanders lost 24-22 at Philadelphia in Week 1 and allowed 318 yards.
Dallas hosts Washington on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.
