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The Dallas Cowboys' loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a tough blow for the team and its fans. The team's performance left much to be desired, but quarterback Dak Prescott bears much of the blame for the loss, as analyst Cris Collinsworth recently pointed out.
The first half boded well for Dallas. Despite only managing a 10-6 lead at halftime, the Cowboys seemed to have the game under control at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Niners, however, scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter, leaving the score at 27-10 entering the last period and setting the stage for an unexpected meltdown for Prescott and America's Team.
After cutting the deficit to 30-24 with 3:32 on the clock, the Cowboys got the ball back with 3:05 left. It seemed like enough time to get into the end zone. However, Prescott blew up the drive by throwing four incomplete passes on consecutive downs, dooming his team.
Collinsworth's criticism
Analyzing the game during the NBC broadcast, Cris Collinsworth couldn't help but sharply criticize Prescott. "I'll tell you, Dak just doesn't move like he used to. He really doesn't," Collinsworth told play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico.
The analyst recalled that the Cowboys' signal-caller used to be a threat on the ground as well. "There have been times we've seen him, pre-injury, that he was able to take that ball and make some runs out of it," Collinsworth said. "That's not really a factor in his game anymore."
The criticism seems justified after Prescott had to hastily dispose of the ball on the second down of that fateful drive when 310-pound defensive lineman Maliek Collins chased him out of the pocket.
Prescott's declining stats
Before injuring his ankle in 2020, Prescott averaged 3.6 carries and 16.5 rushing yards per game. This year, the Cowboys quarterback has rushed just 1.4 times for 3.4 yards per game.
While the Cowboys' 3-4 record is the result of a general team crisis, the quarterbacks' successes and mistakes are under constant scrutiny. With the season practically halfway over, Dallas fans can only hope for a sudden awakening from their team that will put them back in the playoffs.