4 Cowboys most to blame for NFL Divisional Round loss to 49ers

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The Dallas Cowboys’ season ended with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers for the second straight year. It’s painful, huh? The final score of 19-12 was enough to send the Cowboys home, wondering again how things got so bad so quickly. Here, discuss well the Cowboys most responsible for their NFL Divisional Round loss to the Cowboys.

The Cowboys entered their game against the 49ers with high hopes. That was fueled by a very uplifting Wild Card Round win and strong performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, despite being competitive until the end, a few unlucky breaks resulted in a disappointing loss for the Cowboys. What made this more frustrating was that it was still the Niners who gave them a knockout blow.

For now, let’s look at the Cowboys most responsible for their NFL Divisional Round loss to the Cowboys.

Final. pic.twitter.com/yT0MmAlVyI

Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 23, 2023

4. Cowboys Defense

For at least three and a half quarters, Dallas’ defense was solid. 49ers rookie QB Brock Purdy seemed to finally come down to earth. Dallas pressured him, causing the running game to stall. However, the Cowboys defense wore out in the fourth quarter and allowed two touchdowns.

In addition, their defense missed two opportunities to intercept passes. Dallas CB Trevon Diggs missed an opportunity to intercept the ball. He also attempted to hit tight end George Kittle rather than chase him as Kittled blasted him before grabbing. He then completed a 30-meter run. In a contest where the offense was having trouble, Dallas’ defense just wasn’t strong enough to make up for it. It may sound painful to say, but we are spouting facts here.

3. Impaired racing game

The Cowboys suffered a significant first-half loss when Tony Pollard, a key player in their running game, was ejected from the field with a left ankle injury. He finished the game with 22 rushing yards on six carries and 11 receiving yards on two catches. His absence had a huge impact on the team’s attack, which then struggled in the second half of the game.

Without Pollard, the Cowboys looked uncomfortable, and their yards per play dropped from 5.8 to 5.1. It just significantly hampered their attacking pace for the rest of this contest. Starter Ezekiel Elliott took over, finishing with 26 yards on 10 carries. Meanwhile, rookie Malik Davis, who didn’t get his first offensive snaps until the fourth quarter, was available but not reliable enough for this game.

In total, the Cowboys ended up with a -37 differential in rushing yards against a superior 49ers offense.

2. Mike McCarthys Game Management

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had to make a tough call when kicker Brett Maher, who had recently struggled with accuracy, was sent in to kick an extra point after the Cowboys scored their first touchdown. . The kick was blocked and fired left, missing its target.

Additionally, McCarthy also made poor calls on two fourth down situations, one of which resulted in a fumble by the opposing team. However, from a win-probability standpoint, going there would have given the Cowboys a better chance of winning the game.

Also, in the third quarter, with 6:09 left, the Cowboys were faced with a fourth-and-five on the 49ers 40-yard line. Instead of going for it, which would have given them a much better chance of winning, McCarthy opted to pitch. Those overly conservative play calls and play management just played into the hands of the 49ers.

1. QB Dak Prescott

The Cowboys’ loss in the playoffs can largely be attributed to the performance of starting QB Dak Prescott. Despite his success in the previous game against the Buccaneers, Prescott failed to replicate that performance against the 49ers. To illustrate, he threw two interceptions that were converted into six runs by the Niners.

This was a persistent problem for Prescott throughout the season and ultimately led to the Cowboys’ season ending. It’s also worth noting that Prescott’s performance can be inconsistent. He can show flashes of genius in one game and poor decision-making in the next. On Sunday, the Cowboys got the latest release from Prescott. He just couldn’t step in, make the big plays and carry this attack on his shoulders.

Those aforementioned interceptions, in particular, really hurt. They happened when 49ers defenders jumped routes on passes intended for Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb. Despite Lambs’ strong performance, Prescotts’ turnovers played a big part in a really tough game for him. He finished the game with 23 completions on 37 attempts for 206 yards, a touchdown and those two INTs. His clean performance in the previous victory was spoiled in this game. The second choice was the most damaging. It happened when the Cowboys were rolling for a potential touchdown that could have broken the tie 6-6 with less than two minutes left in the first half.

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