Mike McCarthy sends 5-word message to Eagles after Cowboys loss

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The Cowboys are not lacking in confidence after the loss to the Eagles.

The Dallas Cowboys may have lost their Week 9 showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, but they remain as confident as ever.

The Cowboys narrowly missed their goal of beating the Eagles and lost 28-23 to Philadelphia. But they did so in a way that should inspire confidence, considering they drove 79 yards downfield with less than a minute left and were just four yards away from the game-winning touchdown.

During the post-game press conference Head coach Mike McCarthy sent a strong message to his team after a heavy defeat.

“We know who we are,” McCarthy said on Sunday, November 5th. “We had to play again tonight. … I love the way our team plays.”

Cowboys missed several chances to win the game

The Cowboys had several crucial plays in the fourth quarter that didn’t go their way. These plays ultimately decided the outcome in a one-possession game.

While trailing 28-17 with just over 10 minutes left on fourth down in the fourth quarter, Dak Prescott completed a pass to tight end Luke Schoonmaker that was initially ruled a touchdown. However, upon closer inspection, the play was overturned because Schoonmaker was close to the goal line.

On the Cowboys’ ensuing drive, which reduced the score to 28-23, Dallas went for the two-point conversion on the next play. Prescott ran to the right end near the sideline for the two-pointer. After initially being found successful, the game was reviewed and overturned.

On their final drive, Prescott drove Dallas from their own 14-yard line to the Eagles’ 11-yard line within 19 seconds with 27 seconds remaining on the clock. However, on the ensuing play, Prescott suffered a sack, resulting in an 11-yard loss. After an incomplete pass with five seconds left, Dallas assessed a delay of game penalty before the final play in which CeeDee Lamb was tackled – before fumbling – at the Eagles’ 4-yard line.

In other words, McCarthy’s assessment that the Cowboys only needed one more play was actually correct. The problem is that Dallas missed three different opportunities to seal the game – but still didn’t get it done.

“Micah Parsons sends strong message after Cowboys loss”

Despite the loss, not only McCarthy remains confident, but so does the rest of the team. Linebacker Micah Parsons had his own strong message for the Cowboys after the game.

Over Jon Machota of The Athletic:

“Sunday’s loss to the Eagles doesn’t change how Micah Parsons feels about what the Dallas Cowboys can accomplish: ‘It’s all about runs.’ We just have to click at the right moment and go.’”

The Cowboys are two and a half games behind the Eagles in the NFC East, but still have a game against Dallas on their schedule in Week 14. Parsons is clearly looking forward to the rematch.

“I won’t even spit fuel on the fire.” Parsons said. “We’ll see her again in four weeks.”

Prescott – who rushed for a season-high 374 yards without interruptions – also emphasized how close Dallas was to victory.

“It sucks right now, but there’s a lot of good we can take away (from this game) … We’re doing things the right way,” Prescott said after the game. “It’s just an inch here, an inch there. We have to find a way to make it happen.”

DJ Siddiqi covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before joining Heavy, he covered the NFL and NBA for Forbes, ClutchPoints, CBS Sports, 24/7 Sports and Bleacher Report. More about DJ Siddiqi