The Dallas Cowboys' season was arguably on the line Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. While they have several winnable games on the remaining schedule, that obviously assumed that Dak Prescott would be quarterbacking the offense.
Well, the Cowboys' house of cards has come crumbling down. Not only did they drop to 3-5, but Prescott left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
Prescott walked into the locker room after the game with a noticeable limp in his stride and his description of the injury had Cowboys fans fearing the worst before Monday's MRI.
The verdict is in and it is actually worse than initially feared. Prescott is expected to miss multiple weeks, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Rapoport noted that this is not a short-term hamstring injury.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott suffered long-term hamstring injury, will miss multiple weeks
#Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury was worse than initially feared. He is expected to miss multiple weeks, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 4, 2024
In fact, this is not looking like a short-term injury. Cooper Rush is the team’s backup. pic.twitter.com/de1R3WSOxy
That's a very vague timeline from Rapoport, but it sounds like Prescott is dealing with a potentially long-term injury. At the very least, Prescott can be ruled out for the next two games and, barring a swift recovery, he should be considered a long shot to play in Week 12.
Prescott described the "pull" he felt in his hamstring as something he's never felt before. In fact, Prescott has never suffered a hamstring injury of any kind in his playing career. That includes his four years at Mississippi State.
Soft-tissue injuries are extremely pesky. While playing quarterback doesn't require as much as explosion, change in direction, or sprinting as other positions, it is impossible for a QB to deliver the football properly with a limp hammy.
That was evidenced in Sunday's game. Prescott felt his hammy tighten up on a scramble. The pull itself seemingly happened when he stepped into a throw a few plays later.
It's unclear how much time Prescott will miss, but a stint on injured reserve will be discussed after Prescott gets a second opinion this week, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Going on IR would knock Dak out a minimum of four games.
At the bare minimum, backup Cooper Rush is looking at an extended run under center. It will be interesting to see if Trey Lance is considered if the Cowboys fully drop out of contention. Lance has served as the team's emergency third-string QB all season.
With Dallas at 3-5 and with games upcoming against the playoff-bound Eagles, Texans and Commanders, it's about time to call this a lost season for the Cowboys.