Dallas Cowboys’ Andy Dalton reacts to 4th down call, more injuries, and losing a coach
Andy Dalton is now 1-3 as a starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys after his team lost to Washington 41-16 Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
Although Dallas trailed by four early in the fourth quarter, a failed fake punt and a pick six thrown by Dalton helped Washington build a comfortable final score.
Dalton threw for 215 yards on 25 of 35 passing. He had a 54-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper in the first half and nearly had a touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb just before halftime but the rookie had a rare drop. The Cowboys (3-8) dropped to last place in the NFC East with the loss.
Dalton discussed those plays, plus the despair that surrounded the team when strength coach Markus Paul died on Wednesday after collapsing at the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco Tuesday morning, during his post-game press conference. Here’s an edited portion of his comments.
Dalton on whether the loss puts the Cowboys in a bind to win the NFC East
Yeah. I think we were in this game. The score got out of hand at the end, but I felt like we were in a good place. In that first half, I felt like we played good, and we played hard. We had everything in front of us, but we weren’t able to get it done in the second half. That’s frustrating because we were in this game and felt good about it. I definitely felt like we were in a good place, but we can’t let the game end the way it did.
Dalton on the fourth down pass to CeeDee Lamb
It was a good play. We missed it by inches.
Dalton on the throw that was dropped by CeeDee Lamb in the end zone at the end of the first half
We went for it. It was one-on-one, and their guy made the play. It was close and a contested catch, but we weren’t able to make it.
Dalton on the injuries to offensive tackles Zack Martin and Cameron Erving
Fortunately, we’ve had guys that have played this year and been in there. You never want to lose anybody to injury, especially both tackles. It’s next man up. Like I said, fortunately we have some guys with some experience that have played in a lot of games this year. We just got to keep going.
Dalton on the previous two days after the death of strength coach Markus Paul
This has been a very different week; a week you never want to experience. You never want to experience a death within the organization, and Markus meant a lot to so many people. He made an impact on so many people. I think, for us, just having the chance to talk about and remember him … just talk about ways that he has helped mentor us. The way he lived his life. That’s what made him so special as a person. You feel for the team, you feel for his family and you feel for everybody involved. Our prayers are out for everybody, especially his family during this time.
Dalton on whether it has been a difficult to manage emotions
Yeah, I think everybody’s experiences are different. Everybody handles things a different way, so especially this week, you’ve got to find a way to push through. That’s something that was talked about. That’s exactly what Markus would’ve wanted us to do. I think when things like this happen, it’s bigger than the game of football. You realize what is most important in life. It’s loving God, loving your family and loving the people around you.
