QB Dak Prescott, Cowboys Fall in First Round of NFL Playoffs
Quarterback Dak Prescott and his Dallas Cowboys saw their season come to an end much earlier than expected this weekend.
Dallas fell to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 23-17 in the Sunday afternoon NFL Wild Card matchup. The Cowboys were the higher seed, had home-field advantage and were favored by many to win the game. Despite all of this, they simply couldn't overcome a terrible first-half performance and crucial errors late in the game. The 49ers went up 23-7 midway through the third quarter, and although Dallas came storming back in the final quarter, it was too late.
Who will fans point fingers to? Prescott certainly didn't have his best game. The former Mississippi State quarterback was 23-of-43 passing for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also tacked on a five-yard touchdown run with 8:02 left in the game to cut his team's deficit to six. However, his performance wasn't remarkable by any means, and his lone interception led directly to a touchdown by San Francisco.
Sure, there were plenty of other problems to blame. The defense started the game giving up huge plays and looking sloppy overall. The team as a whole also seemed to have no discipline, as they picked up 14 penalties for 89 yards.
Of course, let's not forget the final play of the game. With only 14 seconds left in the game, the Cowboys had a shot of pulling off a miracle comeback. Prescott ran 17 yards on a designed play to the San Francisco 24-yard line. However, head coach Mike McCarthy seemed to overestimate how fast his team could move down the field, and the clock ticked away before the ball could be spiked.
Now, Prescott and his teammates have to pick up the pieces. A season that seemed so promising at the beginning of the year came to an end in the most devastating fashion. Hopefully, they will come back stronger next year, but let's face it: Prescott has some improvements to make heading into his seventh season in the NFL.
