Dak Prescott earns 40 million US dollars a year with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, with two picks, he was again instrumental in the Cowboys missing the NFC Championship Game for the second year in a row. Those mistakes raise doubts that Prescott is merely being paid like a franchise quarterback but isn’t one.

“It’s all sh*t right now,” Dak Prescott said after the game.

One can understand his displeasure, after all, the quarterback had been eliminated from the playoffs with the Dallas Cowboys a few minutes earlier. Yet “America’s Team” had a great chance to play in a championship game for the first time in 27 years.

“It all sucks,” Prescott repeated. Perhaps Prescott was also so served because at that moment he realised the fact that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has always denied in the past, but that many fans have long been aware of: Dak Prescott is not a franchise quarterback. At least not by the high standards in Dallas.

Prescott: Six games with at least two picks

Beatable the San Francisco 49ers were against Dallas. Beatable, like hardly ever before this season. And yet Prescott was unable to put more than twelve points on the scoreboard.

Instead, the playmaker achieved the feat that he has already achieved for the sixth time this season: Prescott threw two interceptions. Two hair-raising ones to boot, which he takes on his own head.

Prescott threw the first pick in the first quarter when he clearly underthrew his receiver Michael Gallup on 3rd and 9. He threw the second interception while trying to reach CeeDee Lamb, but he was in double man coverage. The 49ers converted both picks into a field goal each.

Prescott: “There’s no excuse for that “

“Those are two passes you can’t throw. Not in the playoffs,” Prescott said. “There’s no excuse for that, those are 100 percent on me.”

In the end, two game-changing mistakes. Mistakes you might forgive a rookie quarterback for – but not a veteran playmaker like Prescott, who is sitting on one of the thickest contracts in the NFL.

For the record, the 29-year-old signed a four-year, $160 million contract in March 2021, with about $125 million of that guaranteed.

Prescott and the heavy backpack of the contract

Prescott, then, is on a monster contract that an absolute top quarterback can live up to – but not Prescott.

He’s already proven he’s not worth the money with his 15 interceptions during the Regular Season. 15 interceptions despite Prescott missing five games due to injury. He shares the inglorious top spot in this category with Davis Mills of the Houston Texans.

Doubly bitter for the starting quarterback: In the five games in which Prescott was absent, the Cowboys won four. Only against the top team of the Philadelphia Eagles did backup Cooper Rush suffer a narrow defeat. So Prescott’s record as a starter in 2022 is just 8-4.

Clear criticism of Prescott

Against the 49ers, the pick woes continued with the quarterback throwing interceptions four and five in just his sixth playoff game.

Numbers that would make any Cowboys fan go white-hot, as did journalist Mac Engel of the Dallas-based Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “Dak was outplayed by Brock Purdy.” The Cowboys let it get out of hand because their veteran, overpaid quarterback made mistakes the 49ers’ rookie and seventh-round pick didn’t. “

But the 49ers were so beatable that night that the Cowboys had a long shot at winning even after the two Prescott interceptions. Until the last drive, the hopes of all Cowboys fans were kept alive. Until the last play, which ended in a similar tragic way as the year before.

Cowboys: Tragedy like last year

The Cowboys had nine seconds left against the 49ers to spike the ball after Prescott’s straddle to stop the clock and call one last play.

But that didn’t happen because first Prescott was harassed by the referee and then he didn’t place the ball in time for the Cowboys’ snap. In addition to the referee, Prescott was also sharply criticised at the time. After all, the playmaker could have thrown a pass to a teammate that it would go sideways, stopping the clock.

Instead, Prescott ran himself and time ran out for the Cowboys. Last weekend, Prescott could do little for the game’s bizarre final play, which saw running back Ezekiel Elliott line up as a centre and Prescott’s pass failed to provide a decisive gain in space.

Prescott a franchise quarterback?

But all in all, Prescott’s performance was ultimately too thin. 23 of 37 passes received for 206 yards and a touchdown is fine – two interceptions in a playoff game where every drive counts is not.

Dak Prescott may be paid like a franchise quarterback, but he’s not. After all these years of backing him up, Jerry Jones should have realised that by now.

Only he can’t change anything anymore – because Prescott already signed the contract about two years ago.