CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott did not want to hear it. Neither did coach Brian Schottenheimer, the offensive playcaller.
The Cowboys' offense doesn't need to be perfect for Dallas to win, they said. But it sure seems that way.
In their past three games, the Cowboys have scored 40, 37 and 27 points. However, they are 1-1-1 in those games after Sunday's 30-27 loss against the Carolina Panthers, as former Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 183 yards on 30 carries and added 56 yards on 4 catches.
Prescott has 11 total touchdowns and no interceptions during that stretch, making him the first quarterback since starts were first tracked in 1950 to have 11 or more TDs, 0 turnovers and a non-winning record over a three-start span. He has completed 72% of his passes and thrown for 817 yards. He has had a 100-yard receiver in each of those games, George Pickens twice (134 yards vs. the Green Bay Packers, 168 yards vs. the Panthers) and Ryan Flournoy (114 yards vs. the New York Jets).
Pickens has scored in each of the past five games, including a 34-yard catch against Carolina. Tight end Jake Ferguson has a touchdown in each of the past three games, including a 19-yard reception versus Carolina.
The Cowboys are doing this without their top playmaker, Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who has missed the past three weeks because of a high ankle sprain and could return Sunday against the Washington Commanders (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).
"I don't look at it that way," Schottenheimer said when asked if it is demoralizing to think the offense has to be perfect. "You're just playing the game. And our defense made some big stops in the fourth quarter. We weren't able to punch the ball in. And when they stop them, we got to capitalize."
Dak Prescott finds George Pickens over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown to give the Cowboys the lead.
"I don't ever go out there thinking, 'Let's punt the ball,' or after a first down we're good," Prescott said. "So, if we don't score, the last thing I'm doing is being frustrated with the defense. That's my problem. That's our problem. That's somebody on offense or something that we didn't do better. You guys know me, I'm a 'look in the mirror' type guy before I ever point a finger."
So, Prescott and Schottenheimer were left lamenting a pair of goal-to-go drives, in the first and fourth quarters, that ended in Brandon Aubrey field goals, and a three-and-out after the defense's only fourth-quarter stop.
In the first quarter, the Cowboys got to the Panthers' 5-yard line after a first-down run, but Prescott and Flournoy couldn't connect on a scramble play. In the fourth quarter, Prescott fumbled the snap on first-and-goal from the 8. On the next play, the communication between Prescott and Pickens wasn't great on an all-out blitz.
"Anytime we get in the red zone, knowing the players, the plays, what we're capable of and we don't score, yeah, the game's different," Prescott said.
Schottenheimer lamented a running game that had 31 yards on 19 carries. The 1.6 yards per carry matched the lowest average the Cowboys have had in a game in the past 12 seasons. They averaged 1.6 yards per carry in Week 16 last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but won the game 26-24.
"Penetration. There wasn't a lot of clean windows," Schottenheimer said of the run-game problem. "The run game's got to start like [Carolina] did. You get movement at the point of attack, and that's what opens up movements when the linebackers flow, and then you cut back off of that.
"We didn't get much movement. It's a big, powerful group. I think it was kind of pretty consistent throughout that they played with lower hats. They got more stalemates than they got movement."
Yet with 8:18 to play, the Cowboys started the drive at their 46 with a chance to win anyway. The next two pass plays -- a screen and a checkdown -- lost 12 yards. On third-and-22, running back Hunter Luepke had a 4-yard catch.
It was the last time the Cowboys got the ball, as the defense didn't get a stop. Cornerback Kaiir Elam was flagged for pass interference on third-and-7. Bryce Young had a 16-yard completion on third-and-1. On fourth-and-4 from the Dallas 40, Young hit Hunter Renfrow for a 7-yard gain.
Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 33-yard field goal as time expired for the win.
"I feel bad," safety Juanyeh Thomas said. "We've got the best offense in the league. Literally. They're going to score. We got to get a stop. That's on us. Not on them. That's on us."
But Schottenheimer wouldn't budge. There is no offense vs. defense issue internally.
"Absolutely not. We cheer for our defensive guys. Our defensive guys cheer for our offensive guys. Again, people want to talk about the culture and the connection piece. That's where it comes in. It comes in for moments like this," Schottenheimer said. "That locker room is hurting. I'm hurting. Why? Because we let an opportunity slip to win another championship opportunity, and it's frustrating as hell.
"But you don't point fingers. You look at the film. We're going to see it. It's going to jump off the film at us. The things that we didn't do well, we'll get them fixed. I don't worry about this team starting to point fingers in any way, shape or form."