Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has put the final seconds of the team’s 34-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens under a harsh spotlight, saying there was no satisfactory explanation for the sequence of coaching and game-management errors that preceded Baltimore’s winning field goal.

Speaking on his radio show Tuesday, Jones made clear that the Cowboys were not treating the finish as an unfortunate bounce or a minor late-game miscue. His focus was on how Dallas handled the clock after fighting back to tie the game, only to leave Baltimore enough time to move into range for the decisive kick.

“There is no explanation you’re satisfied with. None,” Jones said. “We made mistakes during that time. There’s no question about it.”

Jones added that the priority now was evaluating how to prevent the same mistakes from being repeated.

Cowboys’ comeback unraveled in the final 23 seconds

Dallas entered the closing stretch trailing 31-28 and had first down at the Baltimore 2-yard line with 23 seconds remaining. Quarterback Dak Prescott first threw incomplete into the end zone.

A false-start penalty against tight end Luke Schoonmaker then pushed the Cowboys backward. Prescott followed with a scramble to the Baltimore 5, after which head coach Brian Schottenheimer used Dallas’ final timeout with 14 seconds on the clock.

Schottenheimer, who also calls the offensive plays, instructed Prescott to either hit receiver George Pickens on a quick out or throw the ball away because Dallas no longer had a timeout available. Prescott quickly chose the throwaway, and the play consumed only four seconds.  

Brandon Aubrey then converted the game-tying field goal, but seven seconds still remained.

That sliver of time became decisive.

Seven seconds were enough for Baltimore

On the next possession, Dallas left space in its defense near the area Baltimore needed to reach for a field-goal attempt. Lamar Jackson completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers, and the Ravens managed to call timeout with one second remaining.

Tyler Loop then made a 56-yard field goal to give Baltimore the 34-31 victory.

That sequence explains why Jones’ criticism centered not on one isolated call, but on the management of the entire closing stretch.

The Cowboys had recovered from a late deficit and put themselves in position to extend the game. Instead, the way the final offensive snaps and the following defensive possession unfolded gave Baltimore just enough time to answer.

Pressure shifts to Schottenheimer and defensive staff

Schottenheimer is in his second season as an NFL head coach after spending 25 years as an assistant. Defensive coordinator Christian Parker, 34, is in his first season in that role.

The late breakdown leaves both sides of the Cowboys’ coaching operation facing questions.

Offensively, Dallas used its final timeout before the tying field goal and then ran a four-second throwaway play. Defensively, the Cowboys allowed Baltimore to gain 27 yards almost immediately, creating the opportunity for the winning kick.

Jones did not suggest that the mistakes could be excused. His message was that they had to become a lesson.

“We will be better from this experience that we had with Baltimore and what happened to us at the end of the game,” he said.

Jones still sees room for Dallas to recover

Despite the painful finish, Jones also pointed to the Cowboys’ comeback as evidence that the team showed something worth building on.

Dallas moved to 1-2 with the defeat, but the NFC East remained tightly grouped. The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Chicago Bears, while the New York Giants and Eagles stood at 2-1 and the Washington Commanders, like Dallas, were 1-2.

Jones said the Cowboys remained “very much in the hunt,” while also noting the importance of health and player availability across the division.

Dallas’ next game is on the road against the Houston Texans, who are 0-3.

For the Cowboys, however, the larger issue will follow them beyond one result. Their comeback against Baltimore showed they could recover from a difficult position. The final seven seconds showed how quickly that work could be undone.

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