What we learned in the Dallas Cowboys’ crucial 22-20 loss vs. the Miami Dolphins

The Dallas Cowboys showed heart and resiliency on Christmas Eve.

But they still couldn’t get out of their own way on the road in a 22-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The Cowboys (10-5) have now lost back-to-back games for first time since 2021.

And they lost for the fifth time on the road this season.

While they had a much better showing that last week’s 31-10 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, it renews some of the same questions about the Cowboys heading to the playoffs, where theirinability to beat winning teams reduces their odds of reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1995 season.

And the narrative had a chance to be so much different when quarterback Dak Prescott engineered a 17-play, 69-yard drive to give the Cowboys a 20-19 lead.

But a Cowboys defense that had bent but not broken all game, couldn’t stop the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from matching Prescott’s drive with one of their own.

Kicker Jason Saunders kicked a 29-yard field goal, his fourth of the game, as the clock expired to send the Dolphins to victory.

The Cowboys are back home at the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium on Saturday when the take on the Detroit Lions (11-4), who on Sunday clinched their first divisional title for the first time in 30 years.

The Cowboys are 7-0 at home and need the win to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles and stay in contention for first place in the NFC East.

The Cowboys 3-5 on the road and end the season at the Washington Commanders.

What we learned in the Dallas Cowboys 22-20 loss vs. the Miami Dolphins:

Prescott and the offense struggles

Prescott and the Cowboys offense appeared to get it’s mojo back in the first quarter against the Dolphins after that no-show against the Bills.

The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field. But they failed to get the ball in the end zone when receiver Brandin Cooks was pushed out of bounds at the 2-yard line and running back Tony Pollard was ruled down inches from the end zone.

On next play, fullback Hunter Luepke fumbled the snap from Prescott and the Cowboys came up empty as the Dolphins recovered the loose ball.

Not too flustered, the Cowboys made it count the second time they had the ball when Prescott found receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 49-yard catch-and-run touchdown to make the score 7-3.

But after Lamb’s touchdown, the Cowboys offense went quiet, gaining 9 yards on 12 plays and failing to register a first down.

The Cowboys broke that drought with a 45-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert in their second drive third quarter.

But an illegal motion penalty nullified a first down run by Prescott and the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal.

Down 19-13 with 11:06 left in the game, Prescott engineered his biggest drive the season.

He marched the Cowboys 69 yards on 17 plays, converting crucial third- and fourth-down tries, to put the Cowboys in the lead with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks.

It was aided by pass interference penalty against the Dolphins on fourth down.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys never got the ball back.

Prescott threw 32 passes, completing 20 for 253 yards and one touchdown.

Run game, offensive line struggle without Tyron Smith

The Cowboys played the game without left tackle Tyron Smith, who was sidelined with a back injury.

It was Smith’s fourth missed game of the season. Chuma Edoga started in his place.

The line struggled protecting Prescott, who was sacked three times in first half, and blocking in the run game.

Outside of scrambles from Prescott and positive runs from receivers Cooks and Lamb, the Cowboys got virtually nothing from Tony Pollard (12 carries for 38 yards) and Rico Dowdle (two carries for 4 yards.)

Overall the Cowboys had 97 rushing yards.

Cowboys defense holds up but not enough

If the Cowboys would have been told before the game that the defense was going to hold the Dolphins explosive offense to three field goals and just one touchdown for the better part of three quarters they would have been happy.

Miami speedster Tyreek Hill made some plays down the field but none were backbreakers. Jaylen Waddle also had a 50-yard catch.

That said, the defense still did enough to keep the Cowboys in game.

And the Cowboys run defense, which gave 266 yards to the Bills on 49 carries, proved to be stronger this week.

The Dolphins, the NFL’s fourth-best rushing team, ran for 91 in the game.

And it was the Cowboys defense that came through in the fourth quarter with a crucial sack on Tagovailoa on third- and-9 to give the ball back to the offense, down 19-13.

However, after the Cowboys took the lead 20-19 with 3:27 left, the defense was asked to come up big once again and couldn’t.

Tagovailoa, who led the Dolphins downfield for the game-winning field, finished 24-37 for 293 yards and one touchdown.

CeeDee Lamb sets career high, closes in Irvin record

Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb set career highs in catches in and yards against the Dolphins.

He opened the game on fire with four catches for 93 yards and a 49-yard catch and run for a touchdown.

He became the third receiver in Cowboys history to score a touchdown in seven straight games. The last to do was Dez Bryant in 2012.

Lamb didn’t have another catch until the fourth quarter. That’s when he came up big with receptions on third-and-7 and fourth-and-2 to spark the drive that gave the Cowboys a brief lead.