After Cowboys’ newest crushing playoff loss, Jerry Jones weighs futures of Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jerry Jones strolled down the Levi’s Stadium tunnel in his darkish overcoat, a hitch within the 80-year-old’s step and a sniffle in his voice.
But once more, the Dallas Cowboys had superior to the divisional spherical of the NFL playoffs. But once more, the staff proprietor and basic supervisor was leaving a stadium questioning if he’ll dwell to see his staff trip a deep postseason run once more.
Seven instances the Cowboys have superior to the divisional spherical since their final Tremendous Bowl title, 27 years in the past. Seven instances in that span, they’ve misplaced it. Sunday’s 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers was simply the newest instance.
“Sickening,” Jones advised a gaggle of media exterior the visiting locker room, the phrase “sick” recurring six extra instances in a 2-minute span of Jones’ remarks.
Gamers in his locker room have been sick, Jones stated, an assertion seemingly confirmed by their tears, towel-covered faces and distant stares.
“Lots of of hundreds of Cowboys followers,” Jones continued, have been sick — a sentiment Twitter mentions confirmed in spades.
Head coach Mike McCarthy was sick with disappointment. Cowboys security Jayron Kearse, too, sluggish to go away the sideline bench postgame as he struggled to course of a season abruptly snapped, what he felt was a winnable sport assuredly misplaced.
“It hurts,” quarterback Dak Prescott stated. “All I can take into consideration proper now could be this sport and the way disillusioned I’m at this level in my play. How disillusioned I’m for the fellows within the locker room who performed their asses off and we weren’t in a position to get it performed.
The clamor surrounding McCarthy and Prescott’s health for his or her respective jobs unsurprisingly grew louder, as Groundhog Day-like disappointment within the divisional spherical resurfaced.
Jones felt it. Till, for a couple of moments by the staff’s buses, he transcended it.
Dak Prescott: ‘I’ve acquired to be higher’
The sport’s ending was “eerie” in its similarity to final season’s playoff loss, Jones advised a handful of reporters as he strode towards the buses. This Cowboys exit got here on the highway within the divisional spherical; final 12 months’s unfolded at house on wild-card weekend.
However for 2 straight years now, the 49ers have eradicated the Cowboys from the playoffs. Every year, the Cowboys regained the ball within the last couple of minutes, down a landing and hoping to capitalize on an opportunity to attain.
They didn’t.
The sport was an old style “slugfest,” the 49ers notching the sport’s preliminary rating on a first-quarter area aim, the Cowboys reaching the tip zone to take their lone lead within the second quarter.
At third quarter’s shut, the pair of stingy pass-rush groups have been tied at 9 factors. Then the 49ers rose to the event, whereas the Cowboys faltered.
Jones knew that questions would swirl about his perception in McCarthy and Prescott.
Is his teaching workers maximizing a proficient roster’s potential, managing the sport sufficiently, delivering the required juice to propel this franchise to the playoff heights McCarthy was employed to succeed in? Or did one other familiarly timed exit change Jones’ thoughts about his third-year head coach six days after the staff proprietor stated he was “bought”?
“No, no, in no way,” Jones stated, endorsing McCarthy. “However that is very sickening.”
The questions have been apparent with Prescott as he threw two more first-half interceptions, the distinction in a sport by which the Cowboys felt their lone clear benefit was at quarterback vs. seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy.
However with 5:55 to play within the first quarter, Prescott dropped again and squared his physique for a throw. Then he reset his toes and regarded whether or not he had a chance. Receiver Michael Gallup stopped in his tracks, considering Prescott was able to scramble to increase the play and hopefully permit his downfield targets to loosen from opposing defenders. As an alternative, Prescott fired.
49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir jumped for the interception and returned it to the Cowboys’ 21.
“I broke on the route and I actually didn’t suppose he was going to throw it,” Lenoir stated. “I believed it was about to be the scramble drill, however then once I appeared again, the ball was coming and my hyena senses simply kicked in.”
The Cowboys protection stifled San Francisco’s progress, besides the brief area begin arrange a simple 26-yard area aim.
The Cowboys’ subsequent giveaway got here within the last 90 seconds of the second quarter, Prescott aiming to finish a low go to extensive receiver CeeDee Lamb in visitors. As an alternative, the ball hit cornerback Jimmie Ward’s chest and bounced into the instinctive fingers of linebacker Fred Warner. The 49ers added a go-ahead area aim because the half wrapped to make it 9-6.
“Simply two throws that I can not have, you may’t have within the playoffs,” stated Prescott, who accomplished the sport 23-of-37 for 206 yards, a landing and two interceptions along with 22 speeding yards on 4 carries. “You may’t have them while you’re making an attempt to beat a staff like that. You may’t have it on the highway. There isn’t any excuses for that. These two are 100% on me.
“I’ve acquired to be higher. There isn’t any different method to sugarcoat it.”
Jones agreed that “turnovers have been going to make the distinction” and in the end “settled the rating” in a matchup between a pair of proficient groups that featured extra ability depth for the house staff and a extra skilled quarterback for the guests.
This wasn’t a brand new concern both, for Prescott, who collected a league-worst 15 regular-season picks in simply 12 video games. The tempo was uncharacteristic relative to the quarterback’s first six seasons, his interception price leaping from 1.7% via six years to three.8% in Yr 7.
Some giveaways resembled bizarre flukes with the balls, bounces that different quarterbacks would possibly see fall to the bottom seemingly touchdown in opponents’ fingers after a tip, the Cowboys felt. Prescott made no errors in a spectacular wild-card spherical by which he accounted for 5 complete touchdowns in opposition to the Tampa Bay Bucs.
However sooner or later, an interception is an interception. Debate who learn or misinterpret the protection or the choice route or the play name, however the result’s no totally different. The next decision-making wanted to replicate that. Prescott knew that and stated he’ll study the development intently this offseason. Jones insisted his confidence in his quarterback is “simply as sturdy as ever,” now and “for the longer term.”
Neither the interceptions, nor the sport’s two last and fruitless drives, modified that.
“I’ll line up there 5 instances with a like scenario and if we’ve acquired him at quarterback, I’ll take my probabilities,” Jones stated. “We’ll come out of right here with one thing good out of this. That’s an edge.
“Tonight didn’t change my thoughts in regards to the edge with him.”
Jerry Jones opens up on Cowboys’ playoff futility
In all, as fireworks illuminated the Santa Clara night time behind him and a not-certainly-sober San Francisco fan screamed “LET’S GOOOOO NIIIINERS” from a ramp overlooking Jones, the staff proprietor appeared conflicted.
He was annoyed, disillusioned, sickened by his staff’s most up-to-date efficiency.
But additionally: He was excited in regards to the Cowboys’ future, assured in his quarterback and head coach, and maybe even wistful in regards to the a long time by which followers see futility however Jones sees a ravishing journey.
Responding to a query from Yahoo Sports activities about his concern that point is waning on his probability to expertise postseason success with the Cowboys, Jones took a step again. His blue eyes sparkled, his vigor strengthening.
“I look out at my life at a whole lot of the lacking faces that aren’t doing something, they’re gone; or the lacking faces which are doing one thing,” he stated, “however they’re not within the NFL — I’m thrilled to have this face within the NFL.
“I’m blessed. And I’m disillusioned as I may be. However I’m under no circumstances taking an opportunity on complaining about getting the prospect to do that. I imply that.”
In a zero-sum sport by which 31 of 32 groups full every season with a loss and diploma of disappointment, Jones didn’t imply to attenuate the ache that he or his gamers or his coaches felt.
However he noticed the elements for a close to playoff run within the stifling protection that restricted the 49ers’ usually potent assault, within the offense that made a handful of performs even after explosive operating again Tony Pollard suffered a reported damaged leg and sprained ankle within the second quarter, and even within the particular groups which contributed a takeaway and two area targets regardless of kicker Brett Maher’s newest missed extra-point try (this one was blocked).
“So far as I’m involved, the sport simply wasn’t lengthy sufficient, while you take a look at it,” Jones stated, referring to the divisional spherical with context that maybe appeared additionally a propos for his advancing age. “I’m disillusioned. However [next year], I want to be proper again right here with the identical hand, the identical alternative, with Dak because the quarterback, and go get it.
“They have been the higher staff, however we acquired some good issues occurring. Consequently, tonight they received it. However in my thoughts, I’d reasonably are available right here with a Dak.”