Mike McCarthy’s decision-making came under fire during the fourth quarter of the Dallas Cowboys’ narrow 20-19 win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday.
With the Cowboys at Detroit’s 33-yard line and just under two minutes remaining in the game while holding onto a 17-13 lead, Dallas attempted three consecutive passes instead of running the ball. One throw fell incomplete, allowing the Lions to save a timeout to use on the ensuing drive.
Detroit marched down the field and scored a touchdown with only 23 seconds remaining, although head coach Dan Campbell decided to attempt a two-point conversion for the win instead of kicking an extra point for the tie. Despite picking up a penalty on the Lions’ first try which backed the team up, Campbell went for two again which resulted in a pass from Jared Goff falling incomplete.
NFL fans were perplexed by McCarthy’s clock management, giving Detroit enough time to nearly steal a victory.
Dak Prescott threw for 345 yards, his third-highest total of the season. He also completed just over 68 percent of his passes, recording two touchdowns and one interception. With the Cowboys trailing by three points early in the fourth quarter, Prescott led a 75-yard scoring drive to give Dallas a 17-13 lead.
The Cowboys moved to a perfect 8-0 at home this season, with an overall record of 11-5. Although they’ve already clinched a playoff berth, they stayed alive in the NFC East race with Saturday night’s victory.
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