The Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers with high hopes of bouncing back. Instead, they were left staring down a 30-24 loss that felt worse than the score showed, dropping them to 3-4. In a season full of disappointments, quarterback Dak Prescott’s lack of mobility has emerged as an unexpected yet pressing concern.
In a game where Dallas was out of sync and unable to seize key moments, Prescott’s struggles weren’t just about passing. Despite his 243 passing yards and completing 25 of 38 attempts, Prescott’s mobility—or lack thereof—stood out. Once known for his ability to escape pressure, Prescott now seems grounded, rarely leaving the pocket. He was visibly outpaced on critical downs, including a moment when he lost a foot race to Nick Bosa, forcing him to throw the ball away on a key third down. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth didn’t hold back, noting, “I tell you Dak just doesn’t move like he used to.’’
While Prescott threw two interceptions on Sunday, bumping his season total to eight, his biggest problem may be his legs, or the absence of their former agility. Prescott once ran for over 200 yards last season, giving Dallas the flexibility it needed in tight spots. On Sunday, however, he logged a single rush for negative yardage, and his indecision to run cost the Cowboys on several occasions.
The problem runs deeper than just Prescott’s mobility. Dallas’ offense has been ineffective on the ground all season, ranking at the bottom of the league in rushing. On Sunday, their rushing game was so ineffective that 49ers backup quarterback Brock Purdy outperformed Dallas with 56 rushing yards. Meanwhile, the Cowboys struggled to contain San Francisco’s rookie rusher Isaac Guerendo, who led all rushers with 85 yards. The Cowboys’ lack of offensive balance was painfully clear, with CeeDee Lamb accounting for nearly half of the team’s 292 total yards.
Sunday’s loss also highlighted an unfortunate mismanagement of resources. At 31, Prescott recently signed a massive contract making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players. But that investment looks increasingly out of sync with Dallas’ on-field results. Meanwhile, the decision to forgo a strong running back acquisition in the offseason is further coming back to haunt them. The Cowboys’ only trick was a recycled fake reverse play on kickoffs, resulting in an illegal forward pass penalty.
Dallas had a brief shot at a comeback in the game’s final minutes, with the score just six points apart. Yet, with the game on the line, Prescott fired four straight incompletions, sealing their fate and summing up a season that has Dallas fans questioning whether the team can turn things around. With mounting issues on offense and special teams, the Cowboys face an uphill battle. If Prescott can’t rediscover some of his mobility, this season might stretch into a long, hard journey for Dallas.
