Cowboys Lose 14-Point Fourth Quarter Lead in Franchise-Record Collapse

The Dallas Cowboys surrendered a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, matching the largest collapse in franchise history before falling 33-30 to the Arizona Cardinals in overtime.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 14-point margin equaled the biggest blown fourth-quarter lead in team history. The loss dropped Dallas to a 3-5 record. The team enters Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, which are 2-6, having failed to win consecutive games since the start of the season.

Owner Jerry Jones and quarterback Dak Prescott rallied behind head coach Brian Schottenheimer following the defeat. Jones, who has hired nine head coaches in 37 years as owner and general manager, stated that the coaching staff was not the sole cause of the loss.

"I will say that a lot of people let Brian down today," Jones said. "And so for whatever criticism we want to have of Brian, we can all get in line."

Prescott, who is in his 11th season as a starter, defended the coaching staff against critics. He argued that placing the burden on a single individual ignores the collective nature of the sport.

"Don't put the blame on one person," Prescott said. "I think that's weak. I think that's cowardly. This game is about all 11 that touch the field and every person that has a part in it, coaches and support staff. It's never just one person's fault."

The Cardinals' victory was sealed by a late surge from backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Minshew threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. The final score was decided after Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland missed a point-after-touchdown attempt with six seconds remaining in regulation. Dallas then missed a field goal attempt in overtime.

Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who forced a fumble in the second quarter, expressed disbelief at the team's late-game performance. The defense had limited the Cardinals to two total takeaways, a season high for Dallas.

"We have to see what exactly went wrong, but it's just, it can't happen," Overshown said. "It just can't happen."

The loss continued a trend of inconsistent play for Schottenheimer's team. Dallas has held a winning record in only one of the last 25 weeks. The team's only winning streak of the era was a three-game run last November. The defense, which had played well in the previous week's win at Philadelphia, gave up long gains in the fourth quarter. Running back Tyler Allgeier rushed for a 63-yard touchdown and a 52-yard gain on consecutive plays.

Jones noted that he had previously fired a coach midseason, Wade Phillips, in 2010 when the team was 1-7. Jones said he does not see that situation repeating this time. "I made a change, and I don't want to mention it, because I'm not proud of it," Jones said. "But I made the change with Wade Phillips there in the middle of the season. And I don't see that here."

The Cowboys' offensive line allowed four sacks and averaged 2.4 yards per carry, both season worsts. Wide receiver George Pickens struggled to find rhythm, and the team will address injury concerns before the next game. Safeties Caleb Downs and P.J. Locke are in concussion protocol. Edge rusher Malachi Lawrence is dealing with an ankle injury that Schottenheimer described as more serious than those of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and tight end Jake Ferguson.