Loss of Prescott stuns Cowboys
QB’s ankle injury overshadows win over hapless Giants
ARLINGTON, TEXAS— After Dak Prescott’s season ended on a gruesome ankle injury, his running mate for all five of their seasons with the Dallas Cowboys had a hard time getting through the post-game interview.
Ezekiel Elliott sounded crushed, even after backup Andy Dalton led a drive to Greg Zuerlein’s second game-ending field goal of the season as the Cowboys rallied twice in a 3734 victory over the winless New York Giants on Sunday.
“I can’t even think right now,” Elliott, the two-time rushing champion, said to no question in particular as he continued trying to absorb the third-quarter injury to Prescott, a twotime Pro Bowl quarterback.
“It’s hard to kind of put in words,” Elliott, who rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns, said in the middle of an answer about Dalton’s role in the rally. “I’m sorry. I’m just struggling a little bit right now.”
Prescott was going down in the arms of defensive back Logan Ryan at the end of a nineyard run in the third quarter when the Dallas quarterback’s lower right leg got caught under Ryan and appeared to snap.
Prescott reached for the leg as he writhed in pain, and TV images showed his right foot bent at an awkward angle away from his leg. He was fighting back tears as he was carted off with a cast on the leg. Most of Prescott’s teammates rushed to greet him, as did several New York players, including Ryan.
The team said Prescott had a fracture dislocation of the right ankle and was taken to hospital, where surgery was planned. Prescott started the first 69 games of his career, from the beginning of his rookie season.
“I feel terrible for him,” firstyear coach Mike McCarthy said. “He was having a tremendous year in the short time working with him. He’s made such an impression on me and he’s clearly the leader of this football team. I have no doubt that he’ll bounce back from this and this will be all part of his great story.”
Michael Gallup made two spectacular sideline catches on the final drive. The first was a toe-dragging 19-yarder and the second an over-the-shoulder catch to the New York 16 with Dion Lewis running stride for stride and one foot barely staying inbounds.
Both catches help up on review, the latter after the Cowboys had run the clock down to 3 seconds before a timeout to set up Zuerlein’s 34-yarder to drop the Giants to 0-5. Both wins for the NFC East-leading Cowboys, now 2-3, have come on game-ending kicks by Zuerlein, and after rallies from deficits of at least two touchdowns.
The Giants led 17-3 in the second quarter before the Cowboys went in front 24-20 with 16 seconds left in the first half on Prescott’s first career touchdown catch. The 11-yarder was from receiver Cedrick Wilson, who took a reverse pitch from Elliott.
Prescott had a huge smile when greeted by right guard Zack Martin after becoming the first Dallas QB with a touchdown catch since Danny White had his second in 1985. A mere 30 minutes later, Prescott’s season was over.
“I’ve got a sick taste in my stomach for it, because he was playing hell of a game, it was a hell of a battle between us,” Ryan said.