EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Of all the plays Dak Prescott has made across his 10 NFL seasons, he has a rare ability to recall nearly every one of them.
One play from Sunday night's loss to the Giants is likely to stick with him for a long time.
With the Cowboys driving for a potential go-ahead score in a 7-7 game late in the first half, Prescott tried to avoid a sack and throw the ball away near the sideline. Instead, the pass fell short of its target, allowing Giants defender Jevon Holland to make a sliding interception while staying in bounds. The turnover gave New York possession near midfield.
"The interception before half ... that was crucial," Prescott said. "I'm trying to throw the ball away. (Holland) made a hell of a play. I've got to make sure it's out of bounds, though. I was surprised. One I'd want back, obviously."
The mistake proved costly. Rather than coming away with points, or even pinning the Giants deep with a punt, the Cowboys watched the momentum swing sharply in New York's favor. The Giants capitalized with a touchdown drive before halftime, then opened the second half with another scoring drive after receiving the kickoff.
By the time Dallas got the ball back with a legitimate chance to put points on the board, it faced a 14-point deficit.
"That was the game right there," Prescott said of the interception and subsequent momentum shift.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer shared a similar view, pointing to the impact of the Giants scoring on consecutive possessions spanning halftime.
"He was trying to throw it away, and he didn't get enough on it. And that happens, but it was a big momentum swing," Schottenheimer said. "They went down and scored, and they got the ball in the second half and they scored. That's unfortunately what they call a double dip, and they double dipped us."
The Cowboys' opportunities were limited from there. Dallas had just two possessions in the second half, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth. While the offense found the end zone on both drives, it wasn't enough to overcome the damage created by its first-half mistakes.
Prescott finished the night 22 of 34 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, posting an 84.9 quarterback rating.
