The Dallas Cowboys erased an 11-point deficit and tied the game with seven seconds left. But the dramatic finish in Brazil left head coach Brian Schottenheimer with a message for his locker room. 

Speaking during the official postgame press conference after the Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens game, Brian Schottenheimer said the team will stay together despite the three-point loss in Brazil and pointed to the players in the locker room.

"If we can hold the team to 10, let's hold the team to 10. But, uh, this team's going to stick together, and that's because of the men in this room. All right. We got to run. We'll have a player,” Brian Schottenheimer said. 

The Cowboys had already overcome a 24-13 deficit and regained the lead in the fourth quarter, putting themselves in position to finish the game.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott then guided a late drive into the Ravens’ red zone, but the Cowboys could not turn first-and-goal from the 2-yard line into a touchdown, as per the NFL on FOX YouTube video.

Running back Javonte Williams also backed the coaching staff after the Cowboys failed to finish the late goal-line opportunity. Williams, who had 98 rushing yards and a touchdown, said the team needed to move on from the missed chance and focus on the next game.

“I support the coaches and their decisions and the play calls that they made,” Williams said.

After the late loss and missed goal-line chance, Schottenheimer’s response was not to point fingers but to back the players who were in the locker room with him, reinforcing his message that the Cowboys are going to stay together. 

Beyond his message to the players, Schottenheimer also addressed the late decision that gave Baltimore one final chance to win the game. 

Schottenheimer addresses the Dallas Cowboys’ late kickoff call

Speaking during the same postgame press conference, Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer explained why the team chose to kick deep after Brandon Aubrey tied the game with seven seconds left. 

“Again, it happens occasionally. It can’t happen twice in a game. We don’t expect that from Brandon. We know how talented Brandon is but like I said...played well tonight,” Schottenheimer said.

Schottenheimer said two earlier Aubrey kickoffs had gone out of bounds for penalties, which influenced the decision to avoid another shorter kick. 

The deeper kick resulted in a touchback, giving Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson the chance to make one play from the 35-yard line, and he connected with wide receiver Zay Flowers for 27 yards to set up the winning field goal. 

The late kickoff decision became another part of the Cowboys’ missed chances in Rio, with Schottenheimer accepting the result while stressing that no coach or player can have a perfect game.

Written by

Divyanshi Raj