Despite a wrapped hand and a difficult loss to Tampa Bay, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott insists his physical condition was not a factor in his poor performance.
When Dak Prescott took the field on Thursday night. the right hand he had wrapped following a collision in Houston last Sunday was the subject of quiet scrutiny. By the end of the night. the focus had shifted entirely to the scoreboard and a 24-16 home loss to a previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad.
Despite an inefficient performance that saw him complete just 57.1 percent of his passes for 316 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, Prescott offered a firm assessment of his physical state. “Absolutely nothing wrong with my hand,” he insisted after the game.
While the two interceptions were deflected off his teammates’ hands. the rhythm that usually defines the Cowboys’ offense felt conspicuously absent. The game followed a challenging pattern: after Dallas struck first with a Javonie Williams touchdown. the defense struggled to stem the tide. Tampa Bay controlled the clock with a near-11-minute scoring drive. fueled by Bucky Irving’s 175 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. alongside a 64-yard reception by an unmarked Tez Johnson.
The math of the game paints a grim picture for the 2-3 Cowboys. Even with the Christian Parker-led defensive unit looking for answers. the reality remains that the franchise quarterback failed to deliver a winning effort. Without the defensive backbone to survive his struggles, the margin for error has evaporated.
Following a week where he was nursing a hand stepped on during the 34-30 win over the Houston Texans. the timing of this slump invites questions about lingering effects. Yet. if the quarterback’s own account is to be believed. this was simply an off night rather than the result of a physical setback. The Cowboys now face a 10-day period of introspection before they head to Lambeau Field to face the 2-2 Green Bay Packers. looking to recover from a performance that left little room for excuses.
Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Week 5 Cowboys injury report NFL scores