‘Cowboys quit today.’ Former players, media call out Dallas players for lackluster loss
We may disagree over what is worst about the current state of the Dallas Cowboys, but there seems to be a growing collective sentiment that many of the players are not bought in.
It’s not clear if that has something to do with first-year coach Mike McCarthy, some of his first-year assistants, or a general disconnect that has developed after a 2-5 start, including Sunday’s 25-3 loss to Washington.
It wasn’t just the lopsided loss to a 1-5 team, but it was the way the team reacted (or didn’t) after quarterback Andy Dalton was knocked out of the game by an illegal hit. Jon Bostic was ejected after leading with his helmet on a sliding Dalton, and knocked Dalton’s helmet off in the process. Dalton was tested for a concussion and was alert and in “good spirits” before flying home with the team Sunday night. He’ll enter the NFL’s concussion protocol on Monday.
“The Cowboys quit today, and for you to sit there and watch your quarterback get knocked out, lay on the ground, and no one comes to his defense, I just don’t understand it,” said NFL veteran and NBC’s “Football Night in America” analyst Rodney Harrison.
“I look at the culture of this team and they’re soft. How could you allow your quarterback to get his head knocked off and no one comes to his defense? It speaks to the culture, it speaks to the selfishness of the Cowboys, and the Cowboys flat-out quit today.”
Harrison wasn’t the only one taking shots at the Cowboys’ futile effort. Even McCarthy was at a loss for words for why his team showed no fight after the hit on Dalton.
“We speak all the time about playing for one another and protecting one another,” McCarthy said. “So, definitely it was probably not the response that you would expect.”
The response on social media, however, was exactly what you’d expect after another lackluster loss by the Cowboys.
This story was originally published October 25, 2020 at 10:16 PM.
