Coming into the “Monday Night Football” game in Week 9, things seemed to line up well for the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott. They were in need of a win after a disappointing Week 8 effort against Denver and had a 2-5 Cardinals team coming into their home field. The Cowboys have a bye week coming up, so going in with a win would have gotten some momentum back.
And for Prescott, there was something more at play: It had been exactly 12 years since his mother died from colon cancer, a loss Prescott said he carries around constantly. Peggy Prescott had raised her son with football, and it made Dak Prescott want to win on the national stage al the more.
Alas, it was a decidedly disappointing effort from a scattered team on Monday against the Cardinals, and the Cowboys lost a game they never really were in, 27-17.
Dak Prescott Lost Mother to Cancer
After the game, Prescott was asked about how much he wanted to get a Cowboys win on that night of all nights.
“I thought this morning about a lot of the Monday night games we watched together and I wanted to get a win. And I didn’t,” Prescott said. “But I know it doesn’t take how proud she is away and it doesn’t take anything away from who I am. Just keep pushing for her.”
Prescott was harried throughout the game and for the second straight week, put up a subpar game that further derailed his early MVP candidacy. He was 24-for-39 passing with 250 yards, but threw an interception and was sacked five times in the game.
Cowboys Loss ‘Nothing Compared to Life’
In general, for Prescott, playing on November 3 isn’t an easy thing, and as poorly as things are going for the Cowboys, Prescott has some perspective.
“Heavy hearts today,” he said. “This game’s hard but when you deal with a day like today, you realize, life’s hard. Blessed to be able to do what I do. Thankful for it in so many ways. I don’t know if I can even explain how thankful I am for the time I had with her. To have as great as a mother as I did, selfless mother, everything you see me do and I am is because of her.
“This loss is nothing compared to life. That’s why I don’t have any concerns about what I’ll be able to do, what this team is able to do and the way that we can respond. But it’s a tough day. It was a tough day, it was a day that you damn sure want to win.”
Cowboys, Dak Prescott Looking for Answers
The loss drops Dallas to 3-5-1 heading into the bye week, with the NFL trade deadline coming on Tuesday. The fortunate thing for the Cowboys is that the NFC as a whole has been beset by parity, and they remain within striking distance of the playoffs.
But much needs to be improved. The Cowboys were looking for answers on Monday, and Prescott said that he just does not have them. Yet.
“If I had the answer, we wouldn’t be struggling, not to leave it at that, but that’s what the bye week is for,” he said. “We’ve got to figure it out.”
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