Mike Tomlin's brutal attack on the Cowboys has Jerry Jones even more worried: “Cut your eyelids off”

M ike Tomlin tore into the Dallas Cowboys ' mentality after watching them surrender a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against the Arizona Cardinals , accusing the team of lacking the desire to seize control when the pressure was at its highest. His pointed criticism comes as Jerry Jones faces growing questions over the direction of the franchise as Tomlin , the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, described seeing too many players shy away from decisive moments.

Rather than embracing the responsibility of making a winning play, his words followed Dallas ' 33-30 overtime defeat, in which Gardner Minshew threw three touchdowns in the fourth quarter after replacing Jacoby Brissett . “I saw a bunch of blinkers, and what I mean by that, I say if you're a blinker, cut your eyelids off,” Tomlin said. “What I mean is, you gotta relish the thick moments. You gotta want to make the play. “As an individual and as a unit within a team. And watching the end of that game, I didn't see individuals or particular units that wanted to grab the bull by the horns and win the game.” The Cowboys had looked set for victory before Arizona overturned the deficit, leaving Dallas with a 3-5 record after eight games – offering an embarrassing loss against the minnows of the NFC as scrutiny of head coach Brian Schottenheimer grows.

Jerry Jones defends Brian Schottenheimer after Cowboys collapse

Jones , however, was not prepared to place the defeat entirely at Schottenheimer 's door. Speaking after the game, the owner argued that the players had also failed their coach, while acknowledging that the performance had fallen short of what supporters deserved. Jones also recognized how badly Dallas had wasted its opportunity, saying the team had to do better after getting into a position to win. His defense of Schottenheimer suggests the coach will have the chance to address the problems rather than immediately face dismissal. “I will say that a lot of people let Brian Schottenheimer down today,” Jones said. “So, for whatever criticism we might have for Brian, we're all gonna get in line. That was a total, to use a cliché, that was a total team effort out there.” The defensive statistics make that task particularly urgent. Dallas has conceded at least 20 points in every game this season and entered Sunday's contest allowing 373.7 yards per game. The Cowboys have also ranked last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. Four of their five defeats have been decided by one possession, with the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals both finding crucial scores late. The offense has its own shortcomings, too, despite the occasional standout connection between Prescott and CeeDee Lamb . Jones can make changes if he decides Schottenheimer is not the answer, but his public comments indicate that responsibility currently rests across the entire team.