'Elite': Is Dak Prescott a 'Difference-Maker' Who Can Help Cowboys Win in Playoffs?

Dallas quarterback didn't make enough plays against San Francisco 49ers

Dak Prescott's last pass of the season was a 9-yard completion to tight end Dalton Schultz. The following two plays will ultimately be discussed throughout the offseason. 

The Dallas Cowboys on Sunday had one last shot against San Francisco on Wild Card weekend after a false start by 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams turned a fourth down quarterback sneak into a fourth-and-6. 

The Niners punted. The Cowboys needed a touchdown to win, and had to go 80 yards in only 32 seconds. Prescott completed three passes before tucking the ball and running for a gain of 17. With the clock rolling, the Cowboys' quarterback handed the ball to his center instead of the referee. The clock kept ticking, eventually striking zero and giving the 49ers a 23-17 win. 

“Not good enough,'' Prescott said. "I take accountability for this loss. I’ve got to be better.

"We definitely underachieved. And it sucks.”

In the Cowboys' first playoff game since 2019, they could have forced a rematch from the 2021 opener against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend.

Maybe a different play call would have given Dallas one last shot at the end zone. Maybe a different decision from Prescott would have left time on the clock for that shot. 

The real question, though, is did Prescott do enough? Did he live up to his new $40 million APY salary? And ultimately, to use a maybe-trite word, is he "elite''?

"We're extraordinarily disappointed," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said postgame. "Very disappointed. Disappointed for our fans. …This is quite a letdown.” 

The game didn't need to come down to a final drive. Prescott had moments where drives ended in punts, but should have ended in points. 

From the get-go, Dallas struggled. Prescott missed CeeDee Lamb on a rollout pass on the first play. He was sacked for a loss of 11 by defensive end Nick Bosa, leading to a three-and-out. The Niners capitalized with a field goal by Robbie Gould to make it 10-0.

Prescott missed a wide-open Amari Cooper that would have gone for a gain of more than 20 yards later in the first quarter.

Prescott was also inconsistent with his throws most of the afternoon. Several could have kept drives alive if they were on target. Others were overthrown and out of reach of receivers. 

A fourth-and-11 throw in the fourth quarter could have made a difference, but Prescott was under pressure from an all-out blitz.  He heaved a pass downfield for Cedrick Wilson that was nearly caught.

Instead, Wilson couldn't make the play and San Francisco got the ball back with 1:49 left. Overall, Prescott's 254 passing yards and touchdown were serviceable. Taking five sacks and throwing a costly interception in the third quarter weren't. 

“There’s been some good quarterbacks that haven’t advanced in the playoffs," Jones said of Prescott. "I’m just sick we’re one of them. Really sick.”

Since Prescott became the starter, Dallas is 1-3 in the postseason. After being placed on the franchise tag twice, Jones committed $160 million over four years to the 28-year-old former fourth-round pick. 

Quarterbacks paid top dollar are expected to be difference-makers. Maybe Prescott will be in 2022. Maybe next year it all comes to together for Dallas. 

Mistakes are made in the league. Prescott's late-game mishap will be the subject of conversation for the armchair GMs and Monday morning talk shows, but the errors early ultimately cost Dallas late. 

Perhaps even more than Prescott's final play.