ARLINGTON, Texas – You'll hear no complaints from Dak Prescott about a shortened week ahead of the Cowboys' annual Thanksgiving game.
After the night he just had, Thursday can't come soon enough for the Cowboys' second-year quarterback.
"I'd play tomorrow if I could," he said.
By almost any measure available, Sunday's 37-9 loss to Philadelphia served as the worst outing of Prescott's pro career. He posted his lowest-ever passer rating, at 30.4, as well as one of the three lowest yardage outputs of his career.
At the end of the night, the Cowboys' nine points came off three field goals, marking the first time they'd failed to score a touchdown in Prescott's 27 games as the starting quarterback.
"We're not putting it together," Prescott said. "We get the running game going and the passing game is not, we get the passing game going and the running game is not. Us as players, we've just got to find a way to get it done better on the field."
That simple fact was perhaps the most jarring aspect of the whole affair. The Cowboys, led by Alfred Morris, ran the ball fairly well against the league's best rushing defense. On the night they ran for 112 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
That success on the ground made me the struggles through the air all the more obvious. Prescott couldn't seem to get on the same page with his receivers all night.
"I feel like we did have enough on the ground," Prescott said. "Like I said, that's been our issue – the run game gets going and the pass does not. It's very frustrating to me."
That frustration manifested itself in the shape of turnovers. Prescott threw his first interception in five games when a second down pass bounced off Terrance Williams' hands and into the arms of Rodney McLeod in the first quarter.
Something even more bizarre happened on a 3rd-and-17, just three possessions later. Looking for a spark, Prescott heaved an ill-advised throw toward Dez Bryant in double-coverage, only for it to be easily intercepted by Philadelphia cornerback Ronald Darby.
It was the type of throw Prescott hasn't made throughout his NFL career, and it typified the kind of night the Cowboys were bound to have.
"The second one was boneheaded, simple as that – trying to force and make a play downfield on third and long," he said. "I should have just went underneath."
By the time the clock ran down, the Eagles had intercepted Prescott a career-high three times. They put an exclamation point on a one-sided win with a strip-sack that led to a touchdown return for Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham.
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The easy line of logic is that the Cowboys were drastically short-handed. Ezekiel Elliott missed his second-straight game as part of his six-game NFL suspension. Tyron Smith also missed a second consecutive game as he continues to rehab from a groin strain.
Prescott wasn't hearing it.
"There are no excuses. We're not saying injuries or none of that is bothering us," he said. "We just have to execute plays better. We're not saying the reason we're not winning is because of those guys. We believe in ourselves and the guys we put out there."
That may be true, but it doesn't change the truth of reality. The Cowboys have been outscored, 65-16, in their last two games. They've scored one touchdown in their last 23 possessions.
Unfortunately for Prescott, his upcoming tape sessions won't be as kind as they typically are. Fortunately, neither will his wait for another chance to improve.
"It's a tough one," he said. "Thankfully, we get to go right back at it Thursday. I'll watch this a couple times and hopefully forget about it and move on."
