Dak Prescott is 'frustrated' by the Cowboys' loss to the 49ers, describes his mindset

SANTA CLARA, California. – Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys had things well under control in their recent attempt to defeat Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, until they didn't. The former had a 10-6 lead at halftime at Levi's Stadium, but the tide turned in the third quarter – compounded by Prescott's second interception of the night.

It was the third straight contest in which the All-Pro quarterback has thrown at least two INTs, the first time in his career that he has posted such a stretch and the first time the Cowboys have experienced it since Troy Aikman made it in 1992; The 49ers converted it into a touchdown on a short field and extended their newfound lead to 20-10.

When asked about the wiretapping, Prescott was both responsible and annoyed with himself.

“(I don’t have to) turn the ball over, period,” he said. “I don’t have to be perfect, but I sure as hell can’t lose the ball. I just have to eat that (first litter) and take the bag. And the second one was just as stupid an interceptor as me.” I had.

“I was trying to make a play and had too much confidence in that moment. I probably should have just thrown it away. I wish I had put a little more pressure on CeeDee, or just gone out of bounds. This.” One hurt because they were able to score a touchdown early in the third quarter. If you then look at the final result, it was a touchdown that made the difference.

These turnovers, combined with the fact that the Cowboys arguably missed at least two opportunities to intercept Brock Purdy, created another situation where Dallas lost the battle in this category.

It's something that has plagued them in both directions this season.

“Once again we fell behind in the turnover battle,” Prescott said. “That’s on me and I can’t have that and win games. I have to clean this up, period.”

Despite the mistakes and adversity on both sides of the ball in the third quarter, Prescott and the Cowboys were still in position to potentially win the game – after both sides of the ball came to life in the fourth quarter with stopped drives against Purdy for a critical sack by linebacker DeMarvion Overshown with less than five minutes to play, and the connection between Prescott and Lamb suddenly turned into a solar flare that the 49ers had no answer to.

Lamb finished the game with 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns, accounting for 60 percent of Prescott's total yards and 100 percent of San Francisco's quarterback touchdowns.

It all led to the ball being in Prescott's hands with a 30-24 deficit and a chance for a comeback that would erase every mistake the team made in the final 56 minutes of football.

But a long-range shot from KaVontae Turpin that fell incomplete dashed their hopes and the 49ers ate up the rest of the time to seal the deal and close the coffin in Week 8.

“I’m personally frustrated,” Prescott said. “I’m frustrated with myself and my game. I know the rest of the guys are at 3-4 (too), but I can tell you no one is shaken or giving up. The frustration is very great, but it's a long season.

“There is still a lot ahead of us. But we're frustrated, and that's the best way to put it. It's made them more than us.

“It's been a few years, a few times, that shit is frustrating. I have to make the plays, period.”

The midterms don't get any easier for Dallas as they prepare to travel to Atlanta to take on the red-hot Falcons before returning home to host the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Houston Texans – still at AT&T Stadium in 2024 not having to claim a victory – before heading back out to fight the suddenly dominant Washington Commanders.

“Take it one at a time, plain and simple,” Prescott said. “I’ve been here before, in 2018, and (those who were here then) know what’s important in this league. You can get hot. You can get started. That’s all you want to do, and that’s my point.”

“It's frustrating, but no one gives up and no one is shaken the way we are. We just need to focus and get back on the road and we have another good team ahead of us. We have to make sure.” We come out with a win, get the equalizer (on the balance sheet), and then we worry about it – after this next away game.

“… We lost four, but we can get hot and that’s the plan.”

The sooner they implement it, the better their chances of avoiding a playoff absence for the first time since 2020, McCarthy's first season with the club.

Two years earlier, in the aforementioned 2018 season, Prescott and the Cowboys got off to a 3-5 start before winning seven of their last nine games, including a five-game winning streak from November to early December.

This time they would prefer to avoid the 3-5 part, but welcome the hot phase that follows.

What happens in Atlanta will tell the story.