Cowboys 20, Steelers 17
Q. These slow starts have been a recurring theme with this team. What do you think it is that is holding you guys back, and how frustrating is it that it is something that's popping up week after week?
JUSTIN FIELDS: It's definitely frustrating, but it's just ourselves, to be honest with you.
Q. What are the issues stemming that you see on third down as far as execution or opportunities? Is it kind of different things, or is there a central thing that you guys aren't pulling together in those moments?
JUSTIN FIELDS: Yeah, I mean, penalties make it hard. Especially when you are in third and manageable, third and short. We get those penalties and make it third and ten or third and long or whatever it is. Of course, that's going to make it harder.
Yeah, I mean, that's it. There was one-third down where O-line protected well. I got the snap, and the ball was wet. Cal was over the middle. That's on nobody but me at the end of the day.
Yeah, I think the recurring thing is just shooting ourselves in the foot... penalties, false starts, and stuff like that. It just comes down to execution, so yeah.
Q. Why was it difficult to get George more involved in the offense?
JUSTIN FIELDS: Why was it more difficult?
Q. To get him more involved.
JUSTIN FIELDS: Yeah, 7, Trevon, he has traveled with G.P. a little bit. He's a good corner, but G.P. is also a good receiver. He just didn't get as involved as he usually does today, so yeah.
Q. As an offense how frustrating is it when the defense forces three turnovers, gets three stops, and you don't get any points out of that? How much does that hurt a team?
JUSTIN FIELDS: Yeah, I mean, it certainly doesn't help when our defense gets take-aways and we don't capitalize off of those. I mean, it's pretty self-explanatory. You don't really have to explain at the end of the day.
It's just capitalizing and taking advantage of those opportunities when the defense does get us the ball back.
Q. One of the talking points coming into the week was you had a lot of tape of them with Parsons and Lawrence, they were subtracted due to injury. You talked about it during the week being ready for the double-A gap pressure they like to bring. How do you feel like you adjusted to what you might not have known about Dallas's defense coming into this one?
JUSTIN FIELDS: I think we saw it. I think we held up well. I don't think they did anything too crazy, to be honest with you, but I think we were prepared protection-wise for the double-A stuff for sure.
Q. You guys broke some tendencies and took some shots on first down this week. Do you feel like if you maybe hit one or two of those that the offense would have got going a little bit earlier?
JUSTIN FIELDS: Most definitely. The leak to Connor, probably six inches away from a big play. There were some more mixed in for sure, but of course, explosive plays also will always help the offense get going and definitely kind of get the offense in a rhythm for sure.
Q. The one with Darnell, was that supposed to be a back shoulder throw, or what was that?
JUSTIN FIELDS: I think I just threw it too hot to be honest. He's a big body. 28 was pretty tight in coverage, but he didn't have eyes back. So I probably could have put it lower. The worst thing that would have happened was a DPI or incomplete pass, which it was. So I just have to give him more of a chance on that. I told him that.
Q. Do you feel like this offense knows what its identity is or has its identity right now, or do you think that's still forming?
JUSTIN FIELDS: No, I think we have our identity.
Q. What is that identity?
JUSTIN FIELDS: What are the identity options in football? I've never heard of a team having an identity. I think we have an identity. I just don't know, you know, what it is. I've never heard necessarily an option for an identity.
I think we ran the ball well today. Like I said, I think we just missed shots and shot ourselves in the foot again. So I don't think we are one of those teams looking for identity. I think we know who we are.
We're a team that predicates on running the football and staying on schedule in first and second down and then executing on third down, but we just didn't get the job done.
So I don't know the words necessarily to label the identity, but those are some intangibles and characteristics of who we are as an offense.
Q. You get pulled out of the game. Was that -- did the official come to you, or how did that go?
JUSTIN FIELDS: I guess. I told the official I was fine, and then I guess somebody from upstairs told them to put me out and check me out. I felt like I didn't even get hit in the head, to be honest with you, but it was just following protocol at the end of the day.
Q. Was it frustrating to have those situations? You talked about shooting yourselves in the foot and those kind of things and slow starts and things like that. Is that just kind of frustrating as an offense?
JUSTIN FIELDS: Most definitely.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports