Cowboys pass-rusher calls out team for playing ‘little league football’

The Dallas Cowboys’ 28-25 Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated. While the Cowboys outscored the Ravens 19-0 in the fourth quarter, the 28-6 hole they initially fell into highlighted numerous red flags for this team and dropped them to 1-2 on the season.

After the Cowboys were unable to mount a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback, the players didn’t mince words while addressing the media. Specifically, veteran pass-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence called out the team’s effort, saying they played “little league football,” as The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf revealed.

“We’ve got the guys to do it, so that ain’t the problem. It’s just all about f—ing doing it. We’ll get it done,” Lawrence said. “Once we get out of playing little league football and get back to playing pro football, we’ll be alright.”

It’s about as blunt as a player could be after a second consecutive home loss, especially considering that the Cowboys were unbeaten at home in the regular season last year.

The passing game picked up late for Dallas, with Dak Prescott throwing for 379 yards and two touchdowns to fuel the near-comeback. However, the primary issue was the Cowboys’ lack of production in the run game, along with Baltimore’s hot start, as the Ravens jumped out to a 14-3 first-quarter lead. Rico Dowdle led the Cowboys in rushing with just 32 yards on eight carries, while Ezekiel Elliott had six yards on three attempts and Deuce Vaughn five yards on two rushes.

The Cowboys find themselves facing a critical stretch ahead, but their lack of offseason activity and decisions not to address areas of need have become glaring issues through three games.