'I Wish I Had That Play Back!' McCarthy On 4th & 1

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Rams 13-12 on Sunday evening. With less than three minutes remaining in the game, the Rams drove the field and scored the winning touchdown with just :06 second remaining in the game.

While we could point to the pair of penalties committed by the Cowboys to keep that final drive alive, it was a play early in the game that really cost Dallas an opportunity to win this game. ...

All a sign that for the coaches, this is also preseasn.

On the Cowboys second drive of the game, quarterback Trey Lance led Dallas to the Rams 3-yard line. On 4th and 1, the Cowboys had multiple options. McCarthy called a fade to the corner of the end zone.

"I wish I had that play call back," McCarthy confessed to reporters postgame.

They could have tried their luck with the run game and allowed Rico Dowdle an opportunity to pick up the yard and move the chains, and potentially score a touchdown.

Option B, Dallas could have utilized Lance’s running ability to run a quarterback sneak, a rollout, RPO, or even a quarterback draw to pick up the one yard they needed to get a new set of downs.

Finally, they could have also just kicked a field goal and taken a 6-3 lead. ... A play that could have changed the trajectory of the game and been the difference from winning and losing.

Related: What's Fix for Red Zone Offense Problem?

Instead, coach McCarthy called a fade to the corner of the end zone, it fell incomplete and the Cowboys came away with zero points. On the day, the Dallas offense drove into the Rams red zone four times coming away with just 9 points.

The combination of play-calling and execution we not up to par in the first preseason game of the year, even though we know on the whole, these games don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

But ... These types of calls in the regular season would be met with torches and pitch forks. We just need to remember - again - that its preseason for everyone, even coaches.