JACKSONVILLE -- Remember when the Dallas Cowboys wouldn’t give up 20 points in a game? Remember when their pass rush generated fear against any offense? Remember how they fixed the run defense? Remember all that depth?

In the 40-34 overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, they allowed a season-high 34 points, recorded just one sack of Trevor Lawrence, gave up 192 yards on the ground and lost another starter, as Leighton Vander Esch’s status going forward from a neck injury isn’t exactly known.

For all of the discussion about Dak Prescott’s interceptions that helped change the momentum in the third quarter and ultimately led to the Cowboys’ second overtime loss of the season, the defense could not come up with the key play when it mattered most.

Safety Jayron Kearse’s forced fumble of Lawrence with 1:28 to go might have led some to think the Cowboys had sealed the win, but the offense could burn just 27 seconds off the clock. The defense then allowed Jacksonville to travel 41 yards on seven plays and convert two third-down opportunities before a game-tying field goal ended regulation at 34-34.

“They got momentum,” cornerback Trevon Diggs said. “They got rolling. And we couldn’t stop them.”

Lawrence threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns, including three to Zay Jones. Travis Etienne Jr. ran for 103 of the Jaguars’ 192 yards on 19 carries.

The Jaguars’ 503 yards were the most allowed by Dallas this season. The eight third-down conversions were the most allowed by Dallas this season. The 192 rushing yards marked the fourth time Dallas has allowed at least 152 yards on the ground in 2022. The Jaguars scored on five of their seven second-half possessions.

“We can’t point the blame,” Micah Parsons said. “It’s an everybody thing. It’s 11 people out there. Obviously, we’ve got to do something different and go get better from it. Everything can’t be perfect, but you strive for that type of execution. Giving up 34 points is not executing, so we’ve got to get better.”

It has to get better quickly with the Philadelphia Eagles visiting AT&T Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles are third in the league in yards per game and second in points. Jalen Hurts is a leading candidate for NFL MVP. Receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are capable of big plays. Running back Miles Sanders has more than 1,000 yards rushing. The Eagles’ offensive line is among the best in the NFL.

And the Cowboys are hurting defensively.

For a good portion of the season, many fans were riled up about the plays cornerback Anthony Brown allowed opposite Diggs and the plays they wanted Vander Esch, who entered Sunday as the team leader in tackles, to make.

How do they like Brown and Vander Esch now?

Brown’s replacement after tearing his Achilles in Week 13, Kelvin Joseph, was beaten for two touchdowns, including a 59-yard double-move from Zay Jones in the third quarter. After Marvin Jones Jr.’ 10-yard touchdown catch later in the quarter, the Cowboys went with Nahshon Wright over Joseph, who was their second-round pick last year.

The absence of defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who suffered a pectoral strain last week, probably played a big part in Jacksonville’s run success, as did losing Vander Esch in the first quarter. He was coming off a season-high 12 tackles last week against the Houston Texans.

Without Vander Esch, the Cowboys counted on linebackers Anthony Barr and Damone Clark in their nickel defense.

“I'm more concerned with the health of our team," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. "We have had a rough stretch here the last three games. We have lost a number of starters, but our guys are jumping in there. The things I pay close attention to is the communication and the interaction, and [Cowboys defensive coordinator] Dan [Quinn] was able to still have enough calls to stay competitive. We were in a bunch of situational calls in the fourth quarter and so forth, and you don't have your young guys in there on that, so that shows where they were in their development.

“Let's be honest, we've hit a little bit of an injury cycle here.”

And while the Cowboys secured a playoff spot despite the loss, the games don't stop. McCarthy has proudly pointed out that when he was head coach of the Green Bay Packers, they needed 77 players to win Super Bowl XLV.

“Hey, when your name gets called, you got to be ready for the opportunity,” DeMarcus Lawrence said. “But you know, it’s just all about us getting in there, making our adjustments and coming back more hungrier than we was before.”