SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dak Prescott had every part he wished: the ball and an opportunity.
With 3:05 to play Sunday evening, the Dallas Cowboys trailed 30-24 to the San Francisco 49ers, and Prescott took the sphere 75 yards away from doubtlessly successful the sport with a landing drive.
“Hell yeah there’s perception,” Prescott mentioned. “I imply that is all I can ask for. All this group can ask for is a chance, ball in our hand, down 6 to go win the sport.”
Three weeks in the past towards the Pittsburgh Steelers, Prescott delivered. Trailing 17-13 with 4:56 left, he took the Cowboys on a 15-play, 70-yard drive. On fourth down with 20 seconds remaining, he hit receiver Jalen Tolbert for a 4-yard landing go.
However their likelihood on Sunday ended as they at all times appear to towards the 49ers: with a loss.
Within the 2021 wild-card spherical of the playoffs, the Cowboys have been down 6 with 32 seconds to play. Prescott bought the Cowboys to the San Francisco 24 with a 17-yard run, however a sequence of occasions led to the clock operating out earlier than he may spike the ball for one remaining play.
Within the 2022 divisional spherical of the playoffs, he had two possibilities within the fourth quarter to tie or take the lead, down 19-12, though one was far more lifelike than the second. With 3:04 to play, Prescott took over on the Dallas 18, and the Cowboys went three-and-out. Then they bought the ball again 94 yards from the top zone with 45 seconds remaining however may get solely to the Dallas 32.
Sunday appeared like an ideal approach for Prescott to finish his 49ers jinx and write his personal story. On the Cowboys’ earlier fourth-quarter drives, Prescott had accomplished 9 of 11 passes for 137 yards with landing throws of seven and 20 yards to CeeDee Lamb.
On this drive, 4 Prescott passes fell incomplete and the Cowboys left Levi’s Stadium with one other loss, falling to 3-4 on a season that’s near unraveling.
“It has been a pair years, a pair occasions,” Prescott mentioned. “It is irritating. I’ve bought to make the performs, interval.”
On first down, Prescott regarded to Lamb, though three defenders have been within the receiver’s neighborhood. Linebacker Fred Warner dropped what ought to have been a game-clinching interception.
“Acquired to only put the ball larger or scramble to create one thing with my legs, being it is first down,” Prescott mentioned.
On second down, he was pressured to throw below duress for an incompletion.
“They did an excellent job, took [tight end Jake Ferguson] away beneath, type of bracketed this nook route, pressured me out of the pocket,” Prescott mentioned.
On third down, he launched a superbly positioned deep ball down the sideline to receiver KaVontae Turpin, hitting him within the fingers just for it to fall to the bottom.
“Appreciated the matchup, took a shot, and did not convert it,” Prescott mentioned.
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On fourth down, he was pressured and scrambled to his proper, throwing up a heave to Jalen Brooks, who was lined by two defenders. The Cowboys wished a go interference penalty. No flag was thrown.
“I needed to get out of the pocket and type of put one thing up for hopes,” Prescott mentioned. “Hope that there was contact in the long run. Did not go that approach. Two guys on one. They made the performs once they wanted to, and we did not.”
Whereas the ultimate drive stands out, the possibility to beat the Niners took a dive throughout 4 consecutive sequence throughout the second, third and fourth quarters, not together with a kneel-down to finish the primary half. After taking a 10-3 lead, the Cowboys ran 12 performs and gained 22 yards.
The 7-point lead was a 27-10 deficit earlier than the Cowboys bought their preliminary first down of the second half with 11 minutes remaining within the sport.
“You may have ebbs and flows within the sport, however we undoubtedly stayed in that valley approach too lengthy,” coach Mike McCarthy mentioned. “We did not give our protection any aid both.”
That the Cowboys’ protection would battle just isn’t a shock, given how the season has performed out and the absences of their three greatest go rushers (Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland) attributable to accidents. San Francisco ran 36 occasions for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Brock Purdy was 18-of-26 for 260 yards, no interceptions and a 2-yard landing go to tight finish George Kittle, who had six catches for 128 yards.
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Prescott, in the meantime, grew to become the primary Cowboys’ quarterback with two interceptions in three straight video games since Troy Aikman in 1992. Prescott mentioned his second interception by cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was one of the “boneheaded” interceptions he is ever had.
On the season, Prescott has eight interceptions. He had 9 in 17 video games final season.
In his previous 4 video games towards the Niners, Prescott has had the worst touchdown-to-interception ratio (5:8), worst yards per try (6.0) and worst completion proportion (60%) of any opponent he has confronted a number of occasions previously 5 seasons, in line with ESPN Analysis.
Most significantly, he’s 0-4 in these begins.
“I haven’t got to be excellent, however I certain cannot be having the turnovers,” Prescott mentioned, including, “As soon as once more, we put ourselves behind within the turnover battle, and that is on me. Cannot have that if you happen to’re planning to win video games. I’ve bought to wash that up, interval.”
