Another missed chance by Cowboys, Dak Prescott versus 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dak Prescott had everything he wanted: the ball and a chance.

With 3:05 to play Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys trailed 30-24 to the San Francisco 49ers, and Prescott took the field 75 yards away from potentially winning the game with a touchdown drive.

“Hell yeah there’s belief,” Prescott said. “I mean that’s all I can ask for. All this team can ask for is an opportunity, ball in our hand, down 6 to go win the game.”

Three weeks ago against 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 touchdown pass.

But their chance on Sunday ended as they always seem to against the 49ers: with a loss.

In the 2021 wild-card round of the playoffs, the Cowboys were down 6 with 32 seconds to play. Prescott got the Cowboys to the San Francisco 24 with a 17-yard run, but a series of events led to the clock running out before he could spike the ball for one final play.

In the 2022 divisional round of the playoffs, he had two chances in the fourth quarter to tie or take the lead, down 19-12, although one was much more realistic than the second. With 3:04 to play, Prescott took over at the Dallas 18, and the Cowboys went three-and-out. Then they got the ball back 94 yards from the end zone with 45 seconds remaining but could get only to the Dallas 32.

Sunday seemed like a perfect way for Prescott to end his 49ers jinx and write his own story. On the Cowboys’ previous fourth-quarter drives, Prescott had completed 9 of 11 passes for 137 yards with touchdown throws of 7 and 20 yards to CeeDee Lamb.

On this drive, four Prescott passes fell incomplete and the Cowboys left Levi’s Stadium with another loss, falling to 3-4 on a season that is close to unraveling.

“It’s been a couple years, a couple times,” Prescott said. “It’s frustrating. I’ve got to make the plays, period.”

On first down, Prescott looked to Lamb, although three defenders were in the receiver’s vicinity. Linebacker Fred Warner dropped what should have been a game-clinching interception.

“Got to just put the ball higher or scramble to create something with my legs, being it’s first down,” Prescott said.

On second down, he was forced to throw under duress for an incompletion.

“They did a good job, took [tight end Jake Ferguson] away underneath, kind of bracketed this corner route, forced me out of the pocket,” Prescott said.

On third down, he launched a perfectly placed deep ball down the sideline to receiver KaVontae Turpin, hitting him in the hands only for it to fall to the ground.

“Liked the matchup, took a shot, and didn’t convert it,” Prescott said.

On fourth down, he was pressured and scrambled to his right, throwing up a heave to Jalen Brooks, who was covered by two defenders. The Cowboys wanted a pass interference penalty. No flag was thrown.

“I had to get out of the pocket and kind of put something up for hopes,” Prescott said. “Hope that there was contact in the end. Didn’t go that way. Two guys on one. They made the plays when they needed to, and we didn’t.”

While the final drive stands out, the chance to beat the Niners took a dive during four consecutive series across the second, third and fourth quarters, not including a kneel-down to end the first half. After taking a 10-3 lead, the Cowboys ran 12 plays and gained 22 yards.

The 7-point lead turned into a 27-10 deficit before the Cowboys got their initial first down of the second half with 11 minutes remaining in the game.

“You have ebbs and flows in the game, but we definitely stayed in that valley way too long,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “We didn’t give our defense any relief either.”

That the Cowboys’ defense would struggle is not a surprise, given how the season has played out and the absences of their three best pass rushers (Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland) due to injuries. San Francisco ran 36 times for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Brock Purdy was 18-of-26 for 260 yards, no interceptions and a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle, who had six catches for 128 yards.

Prescott, meanwhile, became the first Cowboys’ quarterback with two interceptions in three straight games since Troy Aikman in 1992. Prescott said his second interception by cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was one of the most “boneheaded” interceptions he’s ever had.

On the season, Prescott has eight interceptions. He had nine in 17 games last season.

In his past four games against the Niners, Prescott has had the worst touchdown-to-interception ratio (5:8), worst yards per attempt (6.0) and worst completion percentage (60%) of any opponent he has faced multiple times in the past five seasons, according to ESPN Research.

Most importantly, he is 0-4 in those starts.

“I don’t have to be perfect, but I sure can’t be having the turnovers,” Prescott said, adding, “Once again, we put ourselves behind in the turnover battle, and that’s on me. Can’t have that if you’re planning to win games. I’ve got to clean that up, period.”