Head Coach Brian Daboll

Daboll: Tough game. Give Dallas credit. Tough game.

On the decision to go for it on 4th and 1. It looked like a catchable ball for Saquon Barkley.

Daboll: Yeah, they got the ball in the second half. [We] went down, took a lot of clock off. I thought it was a good chance to go ahead and get the first down, but we didn't get it.

On if he things he thinks Barkley should have caught it.

Daboll: Guys, we didn't convert it.

On if, at this point, he sees the season at a crossroads.

Daboll: No, I see it as getting ready to play Washington.

You seem more upset about this loss than past losses. What about this loss is hitting you hard?

Daboll: Every loss hurts.

You seem a little more frustrated today, though.

Daboll: I think we missed some opportunities. We've got to do a better job. It starts with me.

On what he saw on the first touchdown that was negated because of the ineligible man downfield.

Daboll: You've got to ask the officials.

On if he saw anything on short passes by Daniel Jones that seemed to be off.

Daboll: No.

On what was going on with some of his guys cramping in the second half.

Daboll: We were cramping. I don't know.

On why they couldn't get Saquon going, despite being in the game, and how much of a strain it puts on everything else.

Daboll: Yeah, we didn't get a whole lot going. I don't know, we averaged three-and-a-half yards or something like that? I thought Mike had a good plan coming out the way he did, getting Daniel on the move a little bit and trying to loosen him up, but never really got anything going, not getting any explosives. Gary (Brightwell) had a couple toward the end but we've certainly got to clean that up.

Was Daniel keeping the ball on boots and plays like that not a part of what was going on tonight, because he didn't do it?

Daboll: He had pass options, so he ended up throwing. No, he ran zone reads, boots. We just didn't do enough.

On the secondary playing well in the first half but not the second half.

Daboll: Yeah, they made some plays. That team's got a lot of good receivers and they made some good plays, and I think that we were trying to mix it up and double certain guys. Give them credit, they made some good plays. Our guys competed, I though. They just made some plays.

On how much they missed Adoree' Jackson with the CeeDee Lamb matchup.

Daboll: Well, certainly he's a good player, so I think you miss all of your good players that aren't out there. But I thought that guys competed that were in there. It was a tough game. We started out, I thought it was a good first half and we just didn't get much going in the second half. And then they had the long drive, we didn't convert on fourth down, they ended up getting some more. The guys competed, we just didn't do enough.

On how tough of a week it was for Andrew Thomas.

Daboll: He wasn't feeling good. I'd say he was fighting through it today, too. Give those guys a lot of credit that pushed through things, and I certainly do.

On his confidence level regarding getting things back on track.

Daboll: Yeah, just come back, do the same stuff we always to each week. Get ready to play a game. Take some rest. It's been a tough 12 days. Obviously, we haven't gotten the results we were looking for but I think we've got to just get a little bit of rest, mental recovery, physical recovery. Come back on Monday and get ready to play another division game. They don't get any easier. Each week is tough, and we'll stick with our practice, our preparation, all the things we need to do to try to go ahead and give us an opportunity to win a game. But, again, it's the ebbs and flows of a season.

On if there are things Saquon can do better or are the opportunities not there in front of him.

Daboll: I'd say, with the run game, everybody needs to do better. It's not always going to be clean. There's going to be some ones, some twos. We've been missing some bigger plays that usually help in the run game. We just haven't popped through there. The blocking, running, the design. We've got to do a better job all the way around I'd say with the run game. Coaching it, executing it. We've got a lot to improve, obviously. That's certainly one of them.

On why they threw a lot early and on if he expected to get the run game going afterward.

Daboll: Yeah, we tried to move it a little bit and be productive for him on first downs. Change the loss point. Their defensive line is hard to block, so some of those were almost like runs, if you will. Just perimeter runs, you know, the first play to Cager and sliders and things like that. As we were going in the first half, even in the third quarter, they weren't getting a whole lot from it. Mike was just sticking it in there and trying to mix it in. We were like three of 11 on third down, and the longers – I'd say six-plus against this team is a very challenging down. Obviously, we didn't do enough.

On if he things the first half of the season took a physical toll on Saquon.

Daboll: No. No, Saquon's out there running hard, trying to do everything he can do. We've got to do a better job collectively.

On how he built his game plan after being unsure which guys were going to be ready early in the week.

Daboll: We put the best game plan we could together. There was definitely a possibility, like I said, we were going to go all the way up until the end, but there was a possibility that there were going to be guys that were missing. So I'd say those guys did a good job throughout the week. And on short weeks you don't do a ton of stuff. You just don't have much time to practice it, so I just think that's the nature of it on a short week.

On if he was looking for a shorter completion to set up four-down territory on the third-and-nine play at the start of the fourth quarter.

Daboll: I would say there were a few times in there where we definitely knew we were in four-down territory, so there's an element of having something short. If we need it, we'll go for it on fourth down. Try to make it, instead of fourth-and-nine, a fourth-and-four, fourth-and-three, with the opportunity to still get it. I'd say that happened a few times towards the end of the game.

On why he went for the fourth down play on the Saquon drop, as opposed to punting.

Daboll: I thought we needed to change a little bit of momentum after the second half was going. They went down and scored. I thought Mike had a good play ready to go. We had an opportunity on it. I thought it was the right thing to do.

On if any of the injuries with the guys that are out long term.

Daboll: I'd say probably not.

Quarterback Daniel Jones

On why the second half was different:

Daniel Jones: "I think there's probably a lot of reasons. I think we weren't good enough on third downs. Obviously, that was a huge part of it. We've got to convert more of those. I think we were 2-for-10 on the game so we've got to get better there. We've got to be able to convert third downs to sustain drives."

On the 4th down play:

Daniel Jones: "It was just a bad throw. I've got to get it out in front of him. Bad throw. Can't miss that."

On the offensive imbalance:

Daniel Jones: "I think it was just kind of how it worked out and how the game played itself out. We saw some opportunities in the pass game, some opportunities to move the pocket and find guys. That's what we did. We've got to find a couple more plays in there."

On running game struggles:

Daniel Jones: "I think we've got to watch the tape and see exactly what they did defensively and what their plan was going in. I think we'll have a better idea. You've got to give credit to them. They are a good front. They're a good defense. They did a good job."

On the offensive line play:

Daniel Jones: "I thought they played well. I thought the guys that stepped in did a really good job. I think they played well against a good front."

On the touchdown being called back:

Daniel Jones: "I haven't seen it yet. I'll see it in film. But obviously, a tough call for us."

On going for it on 4th down:

Daniel Jones: "You want to be in those situations. You want to have the opportunity to convert those and make the play. We've got to do a better job executing that and I've got to do a better job."

On the frustration of the loss:

Daniel Jones: "It's a tough loss. It's a divisional game and a game where we didn't play our best. That's always disappointing. Like I said, you've got to give credit to Dallas. They are a good team. But we didn't do what we needed to do to win the game. That was the difference and it's frustrating for all of us."

On still being in the playoff picture:

Daniel Jones: "We've got a really good opportunity going forward. We know that we have some big games down the stretch, and we put ourselves in a good position. We've got to heal up and take advantage of this long week and get back and learn what we've got to learn off this film. We're still confident. We're 7-4. We've got a lot still to accomplish."

On if Dallas played unexpectedly:

Daniel Jones: "Not particularly. I think generally they do what they do. They trust their system. It's a good system. They've got good players. They played well today."

On if Dallas took away his running option:

Daniel Jones: "I think in a couple situations how they were playing those zone read situations. I'll go back and look at the film and see if there was an opportunity to get up field."

Running Back Saquon Barkley

On the fourth-down pass he wasn't able to secure:

Saquon Barkley: "I tried to get down and secure the catch and I didn't make the play. … Looking back on it, they went down and score. He trusted us to go for it on fourth down and one, and for us to make the play, and I didn't make the play there for us."

On why the running game isn't performing like it was earlier in the season:

Saquon Barkley: "I have to do a better job. I have to go back, watch film and see what I can do better, and I can give you a better answer. But off the first thought process, if the running game is not working, it starts with the running back. I have to get better there too."

On the extended break before the next game:

Saquon Barkley: "Anytime we can get a little bit of time off, spend some time with family, get away from the game, it is always helpful. Use that time, let your body recover, let your mind recover. Come back and get ready for the stretch."

On the feeling at halftime:

Saquon Barkley: "We were up 13-7. We said it was 0-0, we have to come out swinging. We have to respond. We didn't do that."

On whether he sensed that Coach Daboll was angry after the game:

Saquon Barkley: "He's a competitor. He's a head coach. Just like all of us, we hate losing."

On whether this loss feels different than the others, maybe because it was the Cowboys:

Saquon Barkley: "No, every time we lose, it sucks. You get that nasty feeling in your stomach. That pain in your stomach. Especially when there are a lot of things you can go back and if you change it, you change the outcome of the game. You have to give hats off to them, they were the better team today. We have to take this time to get ready for Washington."

On whether he things the game changed or took a turn after his fourth and one:

Saquon Barkley: "I know outside looking in, you can point to one play and you're like, that can be the play. I try to stay away from that mindset. As you are playing, you don't want to drop it obviously. It sticks in your head a little longer. But we still had an opportunity to go down and make more plays. And there were so many more plays throughout the game that we didn't capitalize on, too. I'm sorry I didn't capitalize on that. But I will continue to do better in other situations for the team."

Safety Julian Love

On today's game:

Julian Love: "I think we played pretty sharp the first half. We executed well. The second half, I think we just didn't play complementary football. All three phases have got to be better. Penalties killed us. That's something we have to clean up. I thought we played hard, and we played physical. That's the story of it."

On facing CeeDee Lamb:

Julian Love: "He's a good player obviously. He was able to draw some pretty crucial penalties today. I still think we had a good game plan going into it. Now, it's just about executing the little details of it. It was complementary football for them. They have a good run game and a good passing game. Today, he was the main part of their passing game."

On missing players:

Julian Love: "Adoree (Jackson) and (Fabian) Moreau have been playing at a really high level this year. So, we knew there was going to be a drop off. But I thought the guys that were in there really played their asses off. (Cor'Dale) Flott and Rodarius Williams and guys who had to step up because they hadn't been playing, they did a good job I think today."

On his message today:

Julian Love: "My message to our DB before the game was that everyone has a job today. Whether you're playing, whether you're on the sideline…everyone had to have a role today. They had great energy, great coaching on the sideline during the bulk of the game. We needed that because that's a ton of experience that wasn't out there with us today."

On the first half success:

Julian Love: "Two takeaways and the offense driving the ball well. I think we played really well. Mine was an interception in the red zone. Plays like that are huge. We played clean. Then in the second half, I think we had some opportunities especially on third down but then penalties gave them another shot at it. That's so tough. They got some free first downs off of penalties.

On what was different in the second half:

Julian Love: "Field position and penalties. I'm not sure what the number was. That's tough to overcome especially those down the field penalties when we had stops. So, that's what we have to clean up for sure. Then, just playing complementary football. That's the name of the game. We need to get good field position and we didn't do that like we did in the first half."

On the challenge of needing guys to step up:

Julian Love: "It's tough, but it's a great opportunity to help guys grow. Guys were thrust in the spotlight – Thanksgiving Day game and all that pressure. The young guys they did their thing today I thought. So, now it just builds. We have confident guys in the secondary. My level of play has to raise just like everyone's level of play has to raise especially as we go down the stretch. Because everything we want is in front of us. So, that's the message."

Cornerback Darnay Holmes

On his matchup with CeeDee Lamb:

Darnay Holmes: "Since college, it's always been a great competitive battle for me and him. He's a great player. I'm a great player. At the end of the day, that's the way it goes. Each and every year, I am always excited for that battle. I'm never going to turn down, keep my head up. That's just what it is."

On what he could have done better, for example, on the pass interference call:

Darnay Holmes: "I'm just going to watch the film and see what it was. At the end of the day, the refs call what they call. You have to just deal with it."

On the season being at a crossroads:

Darnay Holmes: "At the end of the day, we are even-keeled. We have to go back to the lab, figure out the things that didn't work, and lean upon the things that do work."

On how hard it is not to get frustrated when he has good coverage, but the pass is completed anyway:

Darnay Holmes: "At the end of the day, they are professionals, too. You have to take that mindset of, certain things you can't get mad about. Certain things can't waiver your confidence or your belief in yourself. That's just what it was today."

On the pass interference call:

Darnay Holmes: "At the end of the day, I know what's right. The ref called what he called and probably the optics of things, that's what he saw. But at the end of the day, he gets paid to call calls and that's just what it was."

Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas

On whether he would describe the mood in the locker room as angry for letting the game slip away:

Andrew Thomas: "We are definitely frustrated. Every time we go into a game we have the mentality to win, regardless of the circumstances. We had the chance today, we just didn't do enough to pull it off."

On why the running game has taken a step back this week:

Andrew Thomas: "We just have to do a better job with technique because we run the ball so well sometimes -- we get a lot more run-starts and pressures and twists – we need to do a better job communicating and picking it up."

On holding Micah Parsons in check until the end:

Andrew Thomas: "No, all throughout the game I felt like I didn't play to the level I wanted to play at. We have a few days off, so we have to get right and come back ready for Washington."

On the dealing short week and injuries:

Andrew Thomas: "That's the NFL. Every team has to deal with injuries. Every team has a Thursday game. So you can't make excuses. You just have to deal with it and go out there and play."

Outside Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux

On whether penalties made it hard to get into a rhythm:

Kayvon Thibodeaux: "I think there were a few penalties that we want back. But you can't really be mad at the calls that are made. You just have to keep playing."

On being in the backfield a lot and going against Tyler Smith:

Kayvon Thibodeaux: "I feel like as a D-Line we played pretty well today. We were able to get back there. But it's a team sport, so it doesn't really even matter."

On whether he shared the anger Coach Daboll flashed in the coach's press conference following the game:

Kayvon Thibodeaux: "You can't have emotions in this sport. Emotions will eat you alive. So for us, we just try to continue to stay poised, stay monotonous and kind of just keep growing. Keep getting better. And just realizing things happen and all you can do is rebound. You can't do nothing with that game. You just have to flush it and keep going."

On his teammates suffering from cramps at the end of the game:

Kayvon Thibodeaux: "Definitely, it was a different atmosphere, and we had a lot of guys who hadn't really played that many snaps. A lot of guys stepped up, and we are just going to have to keep going. As the season gets on, people start to wear down so you just have to keep digging deep and continuing to make plays."

On having nine days to prepare for the next game:

Kayvon Thibodeaux: "For me, you put the ball down on any day and we will go play. This will definitely be good for us to get healthy, but we are going to be ready when the time comes."