ARLINGTON - The Dallas Cowboys' 2017 season ended in a federal courthouse in New York three weeks ago. Any hope this team could survive without suspended running back Ezekiel Elliott vanished in the wake of a 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thanksgiving Day. A season that once seemed so promising now becomes about trying to preserve what dignity might be left.

The Cowboys have found out the hard way quarterback Dak Prescott isn't yet capable of carrying an offense on his own. His one shining moment Thursday -- a 34-yard touchdown scamper - was negated by a Tyron Smith holding penalty. The Cowboys actually had another opponent with a injured kicker that put the Chargers in an awkward spot, but it didn't end up mattering. The Cowboys trailed 3-0 at halftime, but it felt like a three-touchdown deficit with this inept offense. The Cowboys set the team record by going 10 quarters without a touchdown before finding the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

Maybe owner Jerry Jones will take a break from his battle with Roger Goodell to realize that his coaching staff has failed him on many levels. Jason Garrett loves to talk about his team having a lack of possessions after losses, but a big part of that is the offense not being able to sustain anything. Prescott is a complete mess at this point. He has no chemistry with the Cowboys' alleged elite wide receiver, Dez Bryant, and he's basically relegated to tossing short passes to Jason Witten that have little chance of going anywhere. I assume Garrett will be extended a courtesy pass this season because of Elliott's suspension, but that shouldn't be the case. Teams like the Vikings and Eagles have found ways to flourish despite losing key starters. The Cowboys fold every time Elliott or linebacker Sean Lee is out of the lineup.

I do think there's a scenario where Garrett gets himself fired, though. If the Cowboys continue to sputter on offense and find themselves with a 5-9 record when Elliott returns, Garrett could be firmly on the hot seat. This would be the second season in the past three where missing one key player completely derailed the team. Two years ago, the team wasn't able to function without Tony Romo. The offense has looked so awful the past three games that it has suddenly cast doubt on Prescott as the leader of that unit.

Elliott certainly deserves his portion of blame for putting the Cowboys in this spot, but the lack of resiliency from the players and this coaching staff is stunning. Jones has said he believes there's enough talent on offense to overcome Elliott's absence, but he's probably dreaming at this point. It does appear there's a complete lack of imagination among the coaching staff. And even though Scott Linehan calls the plays, offense remains Garrett's department. I guess he could make Linehan the fall guy if things truly turn south, but Jones would have to think long and hard about how uncompetitive this team has looked. The Cowboys have now been outscored 92-22 over their past three games. Last year's 13-3 campaign was built around a ball-control offense. On Sunday, the Cowboys gained 79 yards on the ground and were outgained 515-247 overall. Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said on the CBS broadcast that it was more about a lack of big plays in the passing game than in the run game. But right now we just know that nothing is working.

There's a chance the Cowboys would be in much better shape with Elliott, but that shouldn't be an excuse Garrett gets to use. He has a team that falls to pieces when Smith or Elliott is out of the lineup. Smith was back in the starting lineup, but his presence didn't have a galvanizing effect on the offense.

"Offensively, the performance wasn't up to par," Garrett said. "In each of the [three] games, we were in the games at halftime. That is the recurring theme."

That's a problem that Garrett seems to take solace in being competitive in the first half. That's not really something for a team to rally around. The Cowboys were down 3-0 at the half Thursdaybecause the Chargers didn't have a kicking option for much of the half. Rivers was still able to torch the defense. He finished 27 of 33 for 434 yards and three touchdowns.

This is one of the worst stretches we've seen from the Cowboys in years, and it's time for Garrett to be held accountable. The Zeke excuse can only get him so far. If this team can't even compete over the next three weeks without Elliott, it will be time to take a long look at Garrett's future.