Cowboys QB Dak Prescott says fourth-down failure let ‘air out of the bubble’
The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-17 on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Here’s everything he said to the media after the game:
On the team responding today knowing that it had been eliminated from the playoffs
“Unfortunately we lost, but the effort, the focus, the mentality, all that was there. They executed the game playing better, played a better full game than us. I mean, at the end of the day, we didn’t play complementary football. The first half, we were rolling, and we didn’t get the stops on defense. Second half, we got the stops on defense, and we weren’t doing much. The lack of that is where you’re going to get the result like that against a good team who’s great at controlling the ball. They did that tonight. I mean, I know there’s plenty of times where I’m on the sideline getting antsy and fidgety because they do a great job of controlling the clock and just marching their way downfield. We didn’t make the stops when we needed to, and ultimately, we didn’t score enough points.
On his thought process on the fourth-and-1 handoff
“Just do my job. It was just a dive play, not much more for me to do. [I] handed it off, and we unfortunately didn’t get it. [It was] a play that we’ve had success in the past. Seems like they were just more ready for it than our execution, and they stopped us and that was the end of it for the offense.”
On what happened to the team’s continuity with the passing game in the second half
“I’ve got to go back and watch the film, honestly. I think as much as anything, it’s that fourth down. If we get that fourth down, we’re still rolling. We go score a touchdown there, it’s a one-score game or a three-point game. You’re just looking for a stop for us to go down, take the lead and tie it up. When you’re playing a team like that, who’s really good at controlling the clock, we only had three drives in the first half. And I told the guys in the second half, we’re probably only going to get three, maybe four. I think we got four. When you’re playing a team like that, you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities. You have to execute on every possession. And we didn’t do that in the second half. So, when we didn’t get that fourth down, that was kind of the air out of the bubble right there.”
On keeping the intensity up while playing knowing the team has been eliminated from the playoffs
“Honestly, I guess it’s different when you do this. I’m not firing any shots, but I’ve said it over and over; this is our job. We’re blessed. You know how hard we’ve worked and the sacrifices we’ve got to even get to this league, 10 years in for myself, to be healthy. I said it to the team, I think it was Friday or Saturday when we were breaking down. This game has given us so much, how could you cheat it? So to answer, I don’t know anything else. I’m not going to cheat this game. I’m going to give this game everything that I have, and that’s just how my mind works. It’s not a, ‘Oh, I’ve got to flip back in or flip back or I can turn it off or it’s not to play.’ Now, that’s how you get hurt. That’s how you go out there and embarrass yourself. That’s how you lose a job. So for me, it’s about preparing, staying true to the process and staying true to how I play this game or prepare to play this game. A lot of work has went into this. I think [defensive tackle] Osa [Odighizuwa] said it best when he just broke down the team after the game. We’ve got two weeks left, and nothing’s promised in life. Our football careers damn sure aren’t, so nothing in life is. Let’s enjoy these two weeks, cherish these moments, these practices, the time together with the men and the brothers that we love and we’ve got an opportunity to play with. This team won’t be the same next year. Let’s enjoy this and give it our best.”
On the optimism that year 11 will be different
“The work that I put into this. From last year to this year, I think you can go back to every year and there’s been improvement. When you control the things that you can control, and you do it with a great attitude, put God first, you’re not going to question yourself. You’re not going to question your ability to accomplish something. We’re going to keep working. I’m going to keep working. This team is going to keep working. The organization, obviously, is going to do things in the offseason, and hopefully everything is just building for us to have a better year than we did this year. And I know for myself and anybody that I’m leading or that’s following me, that’ll be the message.”
On Tyler Smith playing left tackle today
“Put him at center. He can do it all. We’re good at center, but honestly, I mean, he can play whatever he wants, and that’s credit to that guy. I mean, I go back to his rookie year when he was taking all the snaps [at] guard, Tyron [Smith], the left tackle, gets hurt the week of the game. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh gosh, they got to put this first-rounder out there who hadn’t taken snaps at tackle all offseason. Can he do it? Will he be good enough?’ And the guy goes and has a Pro Bowl year at left tackle. So then, the next year moving back to guard and All-Pro at guard. The moment they told me this early in the week that we’re going to go with Tyler at left tackle, I was great with it. There was no hesitation in my mind. There was no doubt of what he was going to be able to do and the way that he was going to play. I watched him obviously practice and just his intentionality and his approach. That’s a true football player, and we’re blessed to have him on our side. He can play wherever we need him to.”
On what kind of fire do you still see from owner Jerry Jones now after being with Dallas for 10 years
“Yeah, a lot of fire, maybe as much here recently as I’ve seen. And whether it’s him right against the clock and him knowing, which he’ll tell you that, or the deals and the things that we’ve done have been invigorating. You can tell he’s excited to help this team to make moves and do whatever he can and his power. For me, it’s about controlling what I can. Enjoy these last two weeks with these guys, and we’ll have those conversations or answer any questions I’m asked when we get there.”
On if the team will be experimental during the rest of the season
“Probably after action. Yeah, for me, like I said, I’m very routine, very process-oriented. So, I’m going to just keep doing what I know and the way that I know to approach the game to attack the game plans. When conversations like that come my way, and I’ll approach with them, I’ll handle them then. But I’m not sure if that’ll happen. Right now, to me, it’s about building. We got a hell of a group, a hell of an offense. And it’s about building on our side of the ball and whatever we can and just taking anything good, good momentum, good plays into the offseason.”
On wide receiver George Pickens’ bounce-back game
“George being George. Them giving us opportunities, one-on-one opportunities, the coverage. A week ago, they [Minnesota] did a good job. And honestly, in this game, I think that might’ve been some of it in the second half if they started rolling his way a little bit more. And I don’t know if we quite made the adjustments enough, but once again, I just go back, just really was that fourth down, that was the telltale there. But yeah, just the way the guy approaches the game, he had a hell of a week of practice, and when the coverage gives us opportunities, I’m attacked no matter if it’s George, CeeDee [Lamb] or whoever it is.
On offensive line performance despite frequent movement
“I give them a lot of credit. They’ve had a hell of a year, and that’s a group of a bunch of young guys who you just said were asked to do a bunch of different things, whether it was guys coming in, playing when they weren’t expected to playing, being Nate [Thomas], Brock [Hoffman], coming in for a few games. Now Tyler’s [Smith] going outside to left [tackle]. It hasn’t been a lot of continuity, right? However, whatever they’re asked to do, that group is winning there, and I credit [coaches] Connor Riley, Klayton Adams, and obviously each and every one of those men in that room of just their preparation, the professionalism and just handling whatever they’ve been asked to do at a high level. And I know it goes both ways. I tell them all the time, right, fight your ass off and I’m going to fight for you. We’re in this together when it comes to sacks and protecting the ball. They’ve done a hell of a job.”
On if it’s difficult without continuity
“Not necessarily. No. I think that that challenge of that has been fun and watch these guys answer the bell and produce and keep me upright. And even games that I’ve got hit a little bit more than the others, watching their demeanor, watching their mentality, watching them respond to that and get better. No.”
On not making playoffs despite his bounce-back season
“It’s football. It’s a team game. That’s what makes this game special. It’s what makes this game unique. It’s the ultimate team game. It’s not even just about me. It’s not even just about the offense at times, right? It’s not just about the defense. It’s a full unit. It’s a full team effort, and everybody has to play together and they have to play complementary. You’ve got to take advantage of your opportunities, the situations that the game gives you, the different matchups each week presents. It’s just unfortunate. It’s exciting knowing in year 10 I’m playing my best and to go back to [a reporter] to answer his point, I’m only going to get better in my mind about the way that I work and what I put into this game. It’s tough. It’s frustrating, but it’s what this business is about, and that’s what makes it special.”
On Tyler Smith claiming a loss of attention to detail, especially against playoff teams
“I don’t know if I feel the same just yet. Got to watch the film. When you present that question, I guess I think about the three-game winning streak playing against some good teams and when it got tougher, guys were actually producing more and making the plays in those games actually on the tougher side of the game rather than in the beginning. So it’s hard to say that exactly, but I know as a leader of this team, especially as the offense, it will be addressed at some point or another, whether it’s now or whether it’s at the end of it. But I think maybe youth has a good reasoning for that, if that is the case. And guys will understand as they get older, right? Sometimes the guys put a lot on themselves, and hell, I did it when I was young, right? You put more pressure on yourself than ever is called for rather than just going and executing and doing what you’ve done your whole life and what you’ve been coached to do. Some of that comes with great leadership. Fixing that comes with great leadership. And then the other part comes with just experience, understanding that you’ve made it harder on yourself in those moments. How can you fix that communication as well? That’ll be something I’m sure Schotty [head coach Brian Schottenheimer], myself and all of us, that’ll be talked about at the end of these two weeks more than tomorrow.”
On preferring the shorter period before Thursday’s game after today’s loss
“I’d rather the shorter period. Win, lose or draw. I’m a fan of Thursday games. I know I’m probably one of the only men in the league, but I’d just rather go out and play. Love practice, don’t get me wrong, it’s where you get better. You got to have it, but there’s just something about the game, that’s what we do it for. Being in it so long, I understand the process and taking care of my body for the next couple of days to be ready to play my best on Thursday. But yeah, in the situation particularly that we’re in, not playing for the playoffs or things like that, yeah, you just want to get back out there and redeem yourself.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2025 at 6:28 PM.
