Dak Prescott struggled on Monday Night Football with his decision making, holding the ball too long, and turnovers in a 28-14 home loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback eked over the 200-yard passing mark on the final drive of the game after going down 14 points, to finish 21 of 31 for 243 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. His two turnovers, including the end-zone interception that wiped away a chance to burst out to an early big lead, killed Dallas.
Despite Dak's continued struggles this season, owner Jerry Jones didn't waver in his confidence in the young passer.
"Tonight's game did not -- did not, I emphasize -- impact my future look at Dak Prescott. Not tonight," Jones said, via the team's official website.
Jones doubled down on his assessment of Prescott's future during a radio interview Tuesday morning:
As the seats of the coaching staff in Dallas heat to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit, Prescott is next in line to catch the ire of Cowboys fans -- the quarterback in Dallas always is.
The interception, on a forced pass to Amari Cooper, destroyed what could have been a game-changing sequence for the Cowboys.
"It's just as simple as I tried to force the ball," Prescott said. "They added guys in my face, and I just have to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone at that point. I just forced it."
Throwing the ball away was a problem for Prescott all night. Behind an offensive line that struggled to block the Titans, Prescott was sacked five times. At certain points the QB had fans pulling out their hair wondering whether he knew that it was legal to throw the ball away.
The Cowboys' second-half performance was particularly putrid. On the first three drives after halftime, Dallas compiled 26 total net yards, two first downs, and a Prescott fumble.
"We've got to do better and it starts with me," Prescott said. "It starts with me first all the way."
The QB will get no argument from Cowboys fans.
The question moving into the offseason for Dallas will focus on Prescott's future. With the QB's seeming regression this season can the Cowboys invest heavily in the fourth-round pick, who will be in the final year of his contract in 2019? Had the QB put up huge numbers this season, Jones would have showered Prescott with cash. After putting up another dud as the Cowboys fell to 3-5, how it plays out moving forward gets murkier.