Cowboys Fall To Titans At Home 28-14, Playoff Chances Begin To Fade
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - The Dallas Cowboys traded a first round pick for Amari Cooper during their bye week, and the wide receiver paid immediate dividends by scoring a first quarter touchdown to give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead over the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.
But, that's as good as it got for the home fans at AT&T Stadium.
Dak Prescott turned the ball over twice as Dallas lost to the Titans 28 to 14, dropping the Cowboys record to 3-5.
It's the first time Dallas has lost at home this season, leaving Jerry Jones bewildered after the game.
"Really disappointing, we certainly didn't see this coming.....it's a step back for us." the Cowboys owner admitted after Dallas lost despite having 15 days to prepare.
As far as his assessment of Coach Jason Garrett, Jones said "The coaching issue here is the other coaches did a heck of a job, give them their due. Give Tennessee their due."
When asked if his confidence in Jason Garrett has been impacted by the back to back losses, Jones responded "I don't get into plays, or games impacting confidence on any coach or player, from my stand point."
So, does Jones feel like the season is slipping away? "Well, I think after 8 games, when you've won 3, that's cause for concern."
What's more concerning is the Cowboys upcoming schedule. Dallas plays 3 more games in the next 17 days. Next up, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday.
T.O. FLASHBACK
There was something else familiar about Byard's celebration: a Dallas defender trying to do something about it.
George Teague famously knocked Owens off the star back then, and Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones made a similar move on Byard and the group that joined the celebration. Owens seemed to get a kick out of the whole thing on Twitter.
WITTEN TRIBUTE
The Cowboys paid tribute to Witten with a pregame video on the giant board hanging over the field. The franchise leader in games, catches and yards receiving wiped his eyes when a small inset of him was shown during the video, but seemed to have gained his composure when he was shown on the full screen. Witten waved, smiled and tapped his chest around his heart several times as the crowd roared.
COLLEGE REUNION
Elliott and Mariota were inside AT&T Stadium together for the first time since Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns to lead Ohio State to a 42-20 win over Mariota and Oregon for the 2014 national championship.
INJURIES
Dallas LB Sean Lee pulled up with a hamstring injury while trying to cover Smith on a 26-yard completion to the Titans tight end. Lee went the locker room not long after coming off the field. ... Titans RT Jack Conklin was being evaluated for a concussion. ... Titans WR Tajae Sharpe, who appeared to get injured during warmups but played, limped off the field after a catch in the third quarter but returned on the next series.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
