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Bell’s Costly Errors Overshadow Barham’s Breakout In Rio Loss
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- Bell’s Costly Errors Overshadow Barham’s Breakout In Rio Loss
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Dallas Cowboys found yet another way to lose, this time falling 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro. It was a back-and-forth thriller that ended with the Cowboys at 1-2 to close out September. The team had the win within reach late in the game, but they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Ben Grimaldi of Cowboys Wire reported that Brian Schottenheimer's squad made too many mistakes to pull off the win.
Markquese Bell 's Penalties Cost the Game
While rookie Jaishawn Barham showed why he belongs, safety Markquese Bell was a major liability for the defense. Injuries forced Bell into more playing time, but he failed to handle the pressure. He was beaten when targeted by quarterback Lamar Jackson and drew two huge pass interference flags. The first penalty came when Bell lost track of an underthrown pass, resulting in a 49-yard infraction that set up a Derrick Henry touchdown. The second penalty was even worse. With the Cowboys holding a four-point lead late, Bell grabbed Zay Flowers to give Baltimore a fresh set of downs from the two-yard line. Three plays later, the Ravens scored to take the lead. The Landry Hat states that Bell is most responsible for this defeat.
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Barham Shines While Offense Stalls
On the bright side, rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham had a breakout performance against the run. He made two massive stops in the fourth quarter. Barham avoided a block to bring Henry down for a loss on a fourth-and-goal play, giving the Cowboys the ball back. Later, he stuffed Henry on a third-and-short run near midfield. Sports Illustrated observed that when Barham played, the defense surrendered over two fewer yards per play than when he sat. The stats show he was a true difference-maker. However, the offense could not finish the job. The final sequence was a disaster. Facing a first-and-goal at the two-yard line with 28 seconds remaining, Schottenheimer chose to throw the ball on first down. It was incomplete. A false start by Luke Schoonmaker pushed the team back five yards before Dak Prescott scrambled out of trouble.
The Cowboys cannot keep finding new ways to lose games they should win. Terence Steele also struggled with holding penalties that wiped out big gains, according to Yahoo Sports . The team has talent, but self-inflicted wounds are killing their season. They need to fix these mental errors before the next game or the season could slip away fast. The defense played well enough to win, but the penalties and the final drive failure sealed the fate of the team.
