The Dallas Cowboys suffered an agonizing 34-31 defeat against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, leaving fans frustrated over a botched goal-line sequence in Rio de Janeiro. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer took full responsibility for the final 28 seconds that forced Dallas to settle for a field goal instead of a game-winning touchdown.
Despite the late miscommunication, Schottenheimer made one thing clear: his faith in veteran quarterback Dak Prescott remains unshakable. Facing third-and-goal from the 7-yard line, Prescott threw an incomplete pass out of bounds toward wide receiver George Pickens. Kicker Brandon Aubrey tied the game with a 23-yard field goal, but Baltimore answered with a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Schottenheimer admitted after the loss that he over-coached his franchise passer on that critical play.
“I trust Dak. [The third down play at the end] has nothing to do with trust. It has to do with everything that was going on,” Schottenheimer said, via Nick Harris on X. “I trust Dak Prescott completely. It was the word that I chose, which I’m not going to give away, the words that we say have meaning. And when I said the word, it put him into a mindset that he doesn’t play with. He doesn’t play the game that way. That’s what I would change.”
When asked if Prescott trusts him back, Schottenheimer kept things light. “Man, I hope so. He’s thrown interceptions before, and I still trust him. So, if I make a mistake, I hope he trusts me, because I’ve made a lot of really good decisions, too.”
The blunder overshadowed a strong statistical day for Prescott, who completed 25 of 40 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Dallas outgained Baltimore 415 to 378 total yards, driven by running back Javonte Williams’ 98 rushing yards. Falling to 1-2, Dallas must clean up these situational mistakes before facing the Houston Texans in Week 4.