It’s hard to tell where Prescott-led Cowboys are headed after 40-40 tie against Parsons, Packers

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is indispensable. Micah Parsons wasn’t.

That’s as simply as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones could put it after a crazy 40-40 tie against the Green Bay Packers in Parsons’ highly anticipated return to Dallas a month after he was traded.

Jones paid his quarterback, the first $60 million man in the NFL. He wouldn’t do the same for one of the league’s best pass rushers, who did have a disputed sack of Prescott (it was for 0 yards) to help keep the Cowboys out of the end zone in overtime, when the teams traded field goals.

A defense now missing its best player has given up 37, 31 and 40 points in three games since an anemic first half was followed by a solid final two quarters in a 24-20 loss to defending champion Philadelphia in the NFL opener.

It’s just hard to see where the Cowboys (1-2-1), who visit the New York Jets on Sunday, go from here. It’s been a year since Jones decided who was the most important player to lead them where they want to go — and haven’t been in 30 years.

Hours before the 2024 opener, Prescott agreed to the $240 million, four-year extension that kicked in this season. Jones offered Parsons slightly more than $40 million a year this past offseason — he would have been the first defensive player to hit that number — but without his agent involved. The deal never got close to done.

“It’s very simple,” Jones said. “Dak was indispensable in my mind. And Micah wasn’t. It’s that easy. And that’s not personal at all.”

Plenty of critics think Jones was wrong, and has been about many personnel issues since the most recent time the Cowboys won a Super Bowl, the 1995 season. Dallas is the only team not to reach an NFC championship game since then.

Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as a head coach after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant began with the trade of Parsons exactly a week before that Eagles opener.

The Cowboys were a touchdown underdog at home against the Packers, and appeared on their way to a lopsided loss after a quarter before producing a second overtime thriller in two home games. Dallas beat the New York Giants 40-37 two weeks ago.

First-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, a year removed from getting fired as the head coach in Chicago, is facing criticism as the big plays pile up. Prescott has belief after the defense did show some improvement in handling assignments against the Packers.

“I mean, they’re playing good defense,” Prescott said after throwing for three touchdowns and running for a score. “It’s just the big plays here and there that put them behind and now their backs are against the wall and they’re in the red zone. I’ve got faith in Eberflus and the rest of those guys over there stopping big plays.”

What’s working

Prescott has found his form of 2023, when he was runner-up in MVP voting. He entered Monday leading the NFL in yards passing at 1,119. The connection with new receiver George Pickens was the best yet even without top option CeeDee Lamb, who figures to miss at least one more game with a high ankle sprain. Pickens had 134 yards, the second most of his career, and two touchdowns. He had one two-score game in his three seasons with Pittsburgh.

What needs help

Critical penalties sabotaged a defense that’s already having enough trouble getting off the field. Trevon Diggs had an interception nullified when the Packers rushed a snap and got a Dallas defender running off the field for a too-many-man flag. Sam Williams sacked Jordan Love on third down, but grabbed his facemask while doing it. Second-year linebacker Marist Liufau crushed running back Emanuel Wilson well after a pass had fallen incomplete.

Stock up

DE James Houston had the only sack for one of the league’s worst pass rushes. But it was a big one. He forced and recovered a fumble on the same play, and Dallas scored its second touchdown in the final 41 seconds of the first half on the next play.

Stock down

The Cowboys are last in the NFL in third down efficiency on defense, allowing a conversion rate of 58.2%. The Packers were 10 of 14 on third down.

Injuries

S Malik Hooker pulled up lame with a toe injury in the middle of a play against the Packers, and Schottenheimer said he could be out multiple weeks. … LT Tyler Guyton is in concussion protocol but could play this week. … It sounds as if Lamb and rookie RG Tyler Booker, who also is out with a high ankle sprain, could avoid injured reserve. That would mean the Cowboys think their absences could be fewer than four games. Both missed their first against the Packers.

Key number

10 — The Cowboys have played the entire 10-minute overtime in both home games. They ended the first one with Brandon Aubrey’s winning 46-yard field goal against the Giants. Green Bay ended the second OT with Brandon McManus’ tying 34-yarder.

Next steps

While the Cowboys are 11-4 against the NFC East rival Giants at 15-year-old MetLife Stadium, they’ve lost both meetings with the Jets there.

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