Jerry and Stephen Jones' fingerprints are all over the Cowboys' recent stumbling block against the Ravens

ARLINGTON – Mike McCarthy has to deal with this loss. The defeat is on him.

But if you're looking for someone to blame, don't start with McCarthy.

Start at the top.

Jerry and Stephen Jones' fingerprints are all over the Cowboys' recent loss. Ownership's refusal to address a clear need for running backs in free agency or the draft, improve the run defense, and their willingness to let CeeDee Lamb miss the offseason program and training camp paid off in this 28-25 loss to Baltimore.

Let's start with Derrick Henry. That seems like a good place to start, as the Ravens' veteran running back steamrolled the Dallas defense with 151 rushing yards, 23 air yards, and scored three touchdowns.

When Jerry Jones saw Henry push the Cowboys' record below .500 for the first time in 36 games, he was asked if he regretted not signing the veteran in the offseason.

“I don't know why you can't buy a mansion if you live in another house,” Jerry Jones replied. “We couldn't afford it. We just can't fit it all in.”

“It’s that simple.”

It's that simple: Henry signed a two-year, $16 million contract in Baltimore with $9 million guaranteed. Ezekiel Elliott signed a one-year, $2 million contract in Dallas with $1.62 million guaranteed.

Henry ran 25 times as many yards as Elliott (six yards) on Sunday. How much is that worth?

To be clear, Henry was never an option, even though he has a home here and would have liked to finish his career with the Cowboys.

“Not really,” said Jerry Jones. “Not really.”

“Hats off to him, he had a great day today. I have all the respect in the world for him. That's what happens when you don't sign good players. They can come back and play a great game against you.

“The bottom line is that we couldn’t get Derrick Henry.”

Dallas let Tony Pollard go as a free agent, signed Elliott and gave up a draft pick for the position. The team of Rico Dowdle, Elliott and Deuce Vaughn combined for 13 carries for 43 yards in the loss.

In total, the Ravens ran for 274 yards. The Cowboys countered with 51 yards. Dallas had only 16 attempts on the ground compared to 51 passing attempts for Dak Prescott.

So much for balance.

“I think after the last two weeks, we're clearly in the crosshairs,” McCarthy said. “We need to stop this.”

“Our run defense and our run offense attempts are clearly not where we need to be.”

Now a little more about this run defense.

The Cowboys have allowed 464 yards and seven touchdowns in two losses at AT&T Stadium in eight days. New Orleans managed just 89 yards in Sunday's loss to Philadelphia after forcing 190 yards past the Dallas defense last week.

Mazi Smith was assigned the role of nose tackle by default, although he struggled as a rookie and missed the entire offseason program before training camp while recovering from shoulder surgery. Veteran Johnathan Hankins had been the team's best run stopper the previous two seasons.

Dallas let him go to Seattle as a free agent on a one-year, $2.05 million contract that guaranteed Hankins only $300,000. Experienced Linval Joseph was signed at the end of training camp and Carlos Watkins was signed from Washington's practice squad.

Lamb is a little more difficult. Although he and his agent were in no rush to make a deal, Jerry and Stephen Jones have said on several occasions that they weren't particularly bothered by him missing training camp because it kept him from getting injured.

Jerry Jones reiterated his statement after Sunday’s defeat.

“I'm just happy to have him out there healthy and not just fattened up from the training camp,” said the owner.

Well, a healthy Lamb caught four balls for 67 yards and had no touchdowns. He also had two drops and a penalty eight days after he and Prescott missed a touchdown against the Saints, a play Lamb said was his fault for not being at training camp.

Lamb had just one catch for 9 yards in the second half of Sunday's loss to Baltimore and left the field without speaking to the media. His body language on the field was the worst it's been since last season's loss to San Francisco, a performance that prompted a conversation between the receiver, Prescott and McCarthy.

“Reading body language, I'm not really into that,” Prescott said. “I just want to make sure he doesn't get depressed. Body language, good or bad, is irrelevant.”

“There are his thoughts.”

This defeat should be attributed to McCarthy, but there are many others who can be credited with part of what happened against Baltimore.

And it starts at the top.

Join David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as co-hosts of “Intentional Grounding” on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

Photos: Slow start seals Cowboys' comeback in second half in 28-25 loss to Ravens

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