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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 03: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
It was not a particularly good day for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on Sunday, facing off against the Falcons in Week 9 of the NFL season. He injured his hamstring in the third quarter of the 27-21 loss to Atlanta, and sat out for the fourth quarter, an injury that owner Jerry Jones termed, “concerning.”
Prescott was sacked three times, and though he was 18-for-24 passing on the day, he racked up only 133 yards, an average of 5.5 yards per completion. Generally speaking, Prescott is a reliable leader even in tough times, and can usually be counted on to say the right things in postgame media conferences.
In Atlanta, though, he was caught by TV cameras doling out an unvarnished opinion opinion on the state of his team. With 3:56 to go in the game and Dallas down two touchdowns, Prescott can be seen saying to a teammate, “We (expletive) suck.”
Cowboys Falling From Playoff Picture
It’s hard to argue Prescott’s point. The loss to Atlanta drops the Cowboys to 3-5 overall, and their season point differential is minus-54. Of the three wins the Cowboys have, only one came against a decent team, the Week 5 victory in Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the NFC is a deep and talented conference these days, which will make it tough for Dallas to rally for a playoff spot. In the NFC East, the Eagles have rallied to win four in a row and the Commanders are winners of three straight. Dallas is three games in the loss column behind both teams, leaving almost no chance to win the division.
It’s almost as bleak when it comes to landing a spot in the NFC wild card round. The Cowboys are behind 12 teams in the conference, which means that, after the four division winners are settled, Dallas would still have to leapfrog five teams to reach the postseason. They’ve not show much reason to think that can happen.
The schedule won’t help, either. The Cowboys next run the gauntlet of the Eagles, Texans and Commanders, three teams that have combined for a 19-7 record this season. Seems that 3-8 is a real possibility.
And they may have to do it without Prescott, who offered a grim take on his injury, after the game.
“I felt something pull,” he said. “I felt something I’ve never felt.”
