4 plays that shaped the Cowboys’ season-ending loss to 49ers

2. Dak Prescott interception before halftime

There’s nothing we can say to defend Dak after that performance. Folks will question whether he’s the right guy for the job, but most of the discourse will center on his inability to win the big game, and understandably so.

Was Prescott flawless against the Buccaneers? Without a doubt. It was the best performance of his career given what was on the line in terms of his career narrative, but he did nothing to accelerate it Sunday night … and beating an 8-9 team on Wild Card Weekend isn’t that big of an achievement, for what it’s worth.

In a vacuum, Prescott’s interception before halftime was as deflating as it was indefensible. The Cowboys were on the verge of scoring before the break, and Prescott needlessly tried fighting a pass into a tight window and got picked off.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1617324562596900864

A quarterback with Prescott’s experience has to know better. A turnover is the worst-case scenario in that situation: a tie game late in the first half when your team receives the second half kickoff. In a perfect world, Dak leads the offense to a touchdown or a field goal, and Dallas enters the break in front.

Thanks to the pick, the Cowboys squandered all of their momentum, and San Francisco took a 9-6 lead with a Robbie Gould field goal.