The Cowboys cost themselves a win with an odd set of decisions late in their 34-31 loss to the Ravens in Brazil.
Dallas and Baltimore were tied at 31 in a game that appeared to need overtime to decide a winner, but instead, the Ravens were the beneficiaries of some bad decision-making and came away victorious in Rio.
Down to just seven seconds left, Brandon Aubrey kicked the ball off, but instead of getting it in play to force the Ravens to run more time off the clock, he kicked it out of the end zone, allowing Baltimore a touchback.
Because of the NFL’s touchback rule, the ball was placed at Baltimore’s 35-yard line and the Ravens would get one more chance to make something happen with one timeout remaining. Lamar Jackson fired a dart to Zay Flowers in the Cowboys’ end of the field, and Baltimore managed to use their last timeout with one second on the clock.
Tyler Loop hit a 56-yard field goal for the win and the Cowboys were forced to head back to the United States after a heartbreaking defeat.
“Everybody nowadays with all the game management people throughout the league, you’re aware of the time constraints on these situations and what you’re able to do. The touchback rule is huge,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “The 35-yard line, so we felt the same way with their kicker. When they get the ball at the 35, they’re 15 yards from being in field goal range. We felt like one play that could take six seconds, kind of know the time that route takes and the yards that we needed. Great execution by our guys and came through.”
That wasn’t the only error by the Cowboys late in the game, with quarterback Dak Prescott overthrowing George Pickens in the end zone with 14 seconds left in the game and Dallas down 31-28.
Aubrey kicked the field goal to tie the game.
“He called a quick out. I probably overcoached Dak on that one,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said.
The Cowboys are now 1-2 on the season.
