3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 9 Loss

The Dallas Cowboys' loss Sunday might not have been the biggest shocker of Week 9 thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars' 9-6 win over the Buffalo Bills. However, Dallas' defeat was nevertheless surprising, as the Cowboys had been rolling and had Dak Prescott back under center.

Credit the Denver Broncos, who held the Cowboys to 290 yards of offense and a pair of meaningless fourth-quarter touchdowns. Denver racked up 407 yards of its own offense and totaled 30 points—after producing 31 points in the past two games combined.

The Cowboys have been handed their second loss of the season. However, Sunday's game was a sobering reminder that Dallas cannot lose focus if it hopes to claim the NFC's lone first-round bye come the postseason.

Here are three key takeaways from Dallas' 30-16 loss in Week 9.

Dallas Cannot Afford Sloppy Football

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

It felt like everything that could have gone wrong for Dallas on Sunday did.

Prescott completed just 19 of his 39 pass attempts, the offense turned over the ball over and the Cowboys were just five-of-13 on third down—and 0-of-4 on fourth down.

Dallas was penalized five times for 38 yards, and quality defense was nowhere to be found. The Cowboys had a punt blocked in the third quarter, a mere five first downs in the first half and did not score until after the Broncos had a 30-0 cushion.

It was a mistake-filled effort all around, and one the Cowboys cannot repeat if they hope to be title contenders.

"We were outcoached. We were outplayed all the way through," head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters. "This is the first time I felt our energy didn't exceed our opponent's, and that was disappointing."

The Broncos are now 5-4 and could be a playoff threat in the AFC. However, Denver is not widely viewed as a title contender. If mistakes are going to cost Dallas so heavily against a good, not great team, the Cowboys cannot hope to successfully navigate the postseason.

Bad Run Defense Reemerges

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

After their most recent outing, we talked about how maybe the Cowboys doesn't need to live and die by the turnover. Dallas had at least two takeaways in each of its first six games and then none in the Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Unfortunately, Dallas won't win many games without multiple takeaways when its run defense is as poor as it was Sunday. The Broncos, who came in ranked 20th in rushing yards, racked up 190 rushing yards and 4.6 yards per carry. Rookie Javonte Williams amassed 111 yards and 6.5 yards per carry.

Bad run defense has rarely been a problem this season because teams haven't stuck with the run against the Cowboys. Coming into Sunday, opponents had rushed the second-fewest times per game against Dallas. The Cowboys ranked 14th in yards per carry allowed, though.

A year ago, opponents pounded the run against the Cowboys (second-most carries in the league), and Dallas ranked 31st in run defense and 30th in yards per carry allowed.

Sunday's loss might not mark the return of a putrid run defense, and it doesn't necessarily provide a blueprint for beating Dallas. However, the Cowboys must be prepared to see their run defense heavily tested moving forward.

This Loss Won't Ruin Dallas' Season

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

If there's a silver lining for Cowboys fans, it's that no one should be reaching for the panic button. It shouldn't be written off as a trap game or an aberration, either, but it can serve as a learning opportunity for Dallas.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are still 6-2—where some might have seen them after it was announced that Prescott wouldn't play in Week 8. Had Cooper Rush not got the win over Minnesota and Dallas rebounded with a victory Sunday, fans might feel better about the team's record.

The reality, though, is that the Cowboys still have control of the NFC East. No other team in the division has a winning record, and Dallas already owns head-to-head wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

Barring a collapse, the Cowboys should still be considered heavy favorites to win the division and host a playoff game. They will need to rebound in Week 10 against the 4-4 Atlanta Falcons but are still well-positioned in the NFC.

And it bears repeating that the Cowboys cannot play as they did at home against Denver and hope to advance in the postseason.