NFL Twitter Reacts to Cowboys’ Bizarre Last Play vs. 49ers (Video)
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys left their fans with a final play to remember Sunday night as their season came to an end in the divisional round in a 19–12 road loss to the 49ers.
Down seven with five seconds left in the game, the Dallas offense took the field on their own 24-yard line looking to drum up some magic to erase the deficit. Instead, the end result turned out to be a play that quickly went from looking like a possible stroke of offensive wizardry to an embarrassing low note worthy of a replay for all the wrong reasons.
Prescott lined up in a shotgun formation ready to receive the snap from running back Ezekiel Elliott, who lined up as the center … yes, you read that correctly. Elliott was the only “offensive lineman” near Prescott, who was flanked by rookie back Malik Davis on the play while the rest of the actual O-line lined up out wide next to the receivers.
From there, Elliott proceeded to get run over by Niners linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as Prescott fired a pass to receiver KaVontae Turpin, who who was then laid out by cornerback Jimmie Ward before he could attempt a lateral as time expired. Yikes.
THIS DEFENSE IS DIFFERENT.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 23, 2023
📺 #DALvsSF on @NFLonFOX
📱 NFL+ https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/2bbjytNOQG
While the play clearly didn’t work out in Dallas’s favor, the poor execution likely was far worse than anyone on the team would’ve ever imagined. But, on the plus side for the Cowboys and their fans, the finish was, at the very least, much less controversial than last year’s postseason exit.
The bizarre game-ending sequence ignited a wave of reaction on Twitter as the NFL world weighed in on the questionable play call by Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Needless to say, Dallas may want to consider throwing that play out of the book for good over the offseason after it became the last image of its 2022 playoff run.
That being the Cowboys last play is the most Cowboys play ever
— trey wingo (@wingoz) January 23, 2023
“Alright Zeke, so first you’re going to line up at center, then snap it to Dak and then get absolutely leveled.” pic.twitter.com/1cvyXGql5U
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 23, 2023
That last play by the Cowboys was probably one that looked really cool in practice but had absolutely no shot of working in an actual game.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) January 23, 2023
The Cowboys last play pic.twitter.com/g19wUT0N3U
— Marcas Grant (@MarcasG) January 23, 2023
THEM: i bet you there’s no way at all y’all can find a dumber final play than the last time y’all played the 49ers in the playoffs
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) January 23, 2023
THE COWBOYS: pic.twitter.com/Nc6wKQJKpM
We the panthers interviewed Kellen Moore for the HC job! Based on the last play for the cowboys, Ain't no way in hell Moore is coaching us with that trash last play!!!!
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89) January 23, 2023
POOR Zek Elliott getting knocked on his BACK because he was playing CENTER😂…I’m still laughing at this LAST PLAY @dallascowboys…I need an EXPLANATION
— Harry Douglas (@HDouglas83) January 23, 2023
I’m still trying to understand that last cowboys play…
— Jermon Bushrod (@j_bushrod7475) January 23, 2023
Put Zeke at Center so he can live out his Oline fantasy?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 23, 2023
That was the funniest play of all time
— chris long (@JOEL9ONE) January 23, 2023