Dak Prescott made his feelings on the Dallas Cowboys’ clash against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday extremely clear.

After going 12-5 in the three previous seasons, the Cowboys have been stuttering along in a miserable beginning to the season as they face being potentially condemned to their fifth defeat of the campaign already, holding a 3-4 record heading into the game in Atlanta.

Injuries have played their part in Dallas’ form with cornerback Daron Bland yet to appear this season, defensive ends Micah Parsons out for several weeks, and DeMarcus Lawrence also absent while CB Caelen Carson, DE Marshawn Kneeland, and WR Brandin Cooks also missing extended periods of the season.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones addressed his team’s poor start to the season as he openly discussed his team’s shortcomings during a radio appearance on ‘105.3 The Fan’ in Dallas. “Well, I think we’re having a rougher go than I anticipated,” Jones said.

“Let’s put it like that… But having me in the loop has to be there. It is rougher and I did not anticipate the challenges that we’re having with this team, but I am reminded of teams that I’ve seen that have had a lot of success and put themselves in position to take a shot and they were 3–4.

“When I look at the whys that we’re here, I really have a tough time getting past just sheer youth, sheer inexperience on the offensive line. And I have a tough time getting past that turnover [ratio]. … It really is a plus that we’ve won three games.”

Jerry Jones

Jerry Jones gave an uncompromising reaction to the Cowboys season ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

The importance of a victory against Atlanta is not lost on Prescott, who acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion to ESPN, labeling the game a “must-win” for the team. The Cowboys are currently 3rd in the National Football Conference East.

Jones had previously openly criticized the Cowboys team after they were demolished 47-9 by the Detroit Lions last month. “I think that any time you get beat, you create question marks. When you get beat like this, you create more question marks.” He added that the manner of the defeat was “Very concerning, very humbling. This was a shocker.”

Meanwhile, Prescott said of the defeat: “It takes everybody looking in the mirror and saying, ‘How can I improve myself? How can we get better and help this team?’ And from as I said, it starts with practice.”

The Cowboys are on a run of back-to-back defeats heading into the Falcons matchup. They face division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday in a crucial game in the division.