The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders brought their Halloween horror night to AT&T Stadium when no one was expecting it
The Cowboys' early kickoff meant the cheerleaders had to sacrifice their Halloween celebrations
Halloween night is usually reserved for parties, costumes and celebrations, but the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders had a very different schedule this year.
While fans across the country were dressing up in the squad's blue-and-white uniforms, the real cheerleaders were preparing for an early morning at AT&T Stadium.
That’s because Dallas had a noon local kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. That start time left little room for a late Halloween celebration.
Several cheerleaders offered a glimpse of their evening through Instagram Stories. Rather than going out and celebrating, they were ironing and steaming their uniforms, making sure every detail was ready for the Week 8 matchup.
Most members of the squad were expected to wake up around 3 or 4 a.m. Hair, makeup, costumes and the rest of their pregame routine all require time and attention. With so much to organize before kickoff, staying out late wasn't an option.
The familiar Halloween costume might have been popular elsewhere, but for the women who wear it professionally, the night was all about getting ready for work.
A Halloween horror show for the Cowboys
The early alarm and abandoned celebrations didn't lead to a cheerful Sunday for Dallas, either. The Cowboys looked set to claim a win against Arizona after building a 24-10 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Dak Prescott's five-yard touchdown run helped extend the lead, and the home team appeared to have the game under control.
Instead, Arizona fought back and eventually secured a 33-30 overtime victory. The collapse was especially startling given Dallas' history of protecting big fourth-quarter leads at home.
Before Sunday, the franchise had never lost a home game after leading by at least 14 points in the final quarter, with its record standing at 202-0-1 in those situations.
The result also made Dallas the first NFL team this season to lose after holding a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. The Cowboys' record fell to 3-5, adding pressure to a season in which their playoff hopes were already complicated by the NFC East standings.
Despite the disappointing result, owner and general manager Jerry Jones made it clear that head coach Brian Schottenheimer wasn't facing an immediate job threat.
"That's not in my mind at this time," Jones said when asked about a possible coaching change.
Schottenheimer said he still believed in his staff and players, while acknowledging how disappointing the defeat was.
"I only know how to do it one way, and that's the work. I'm a worker, I'm a problem solver. I think we got guys in there in that locker room that are problem solvers," Schottenheimer said.
"We have guys in there that want to be great. We got guys that believe in what we're doing as a football team in all three phases, and they're hurting. They're hurting right now, too. And so as a leader, I'm going to stand in front and hit them with the truth."
Prescott also pushed back against the idea of blaming one person, saying responsibility belonged to everyone involved, from the players on the field to the coaches and support staff.
