AP Images/Ringer illustration

Dallas’’ s careless play and bad choices doomed the group to yet another early postseason exit. Now the franchise heads into the offseason with huge concerns to address.

Perhaps the Cowboys didn’’ t be worthy of for their season to end with that much misery, however the loss did appear fitting. After 3 quarters of lifeless offending play and self-sabotage, Dallas had an opportunity to manage a 16-point fourth-quarter resurgence. Rather, more mistakes caused time going out in a strange ending deserving of a group that fought bad discipline all season long. The Cowboys lost to the 49ers 23-17 in Sunday’’ s wild-card match, beginning the clock on another offseason filled with concerns surrounding Mike McCarthy’’ s period.

.

Late-game tears almost shown to be early. Dallas ’ s defense required a San Francisco punt with under a minute left. When Kyle Shanahan ’ s side called timeout, Dak Prescott drove the Cowboys into Niners area with 14 seconds left. Out of the break, Prescott amazingly break up the middle for a 17-yard bring prior to moving at San Francisco ’ s 24.

.

Holding no timeouts and as the clock kept up 10 seconds left, the Dallas offense rushed to ready, increase the ball, and offer Prescott one last toss to the end zone. Due to the fact that they were hurrying, Prescott surged the ball after the clock had actually ended.

.

What a method to end the video game! #SuperWildCard pic.twitter.com/esKKpbkrQn

— NFL( @NFL) January 17, 2022 .

“ Thisis going to sting for an actually long period of time, ” McCarthy informed press reporters.

.

The Cowboys were lucky to complete Sunday ’ s contest with an opportunity. In the postseason, particular matches can swing video games, and a few of my associates tabbed 49ers-Cowboys as the very best wild-card video game due to the fact that of the chess match in between San Francisco ’ s Kyle Shanahan and Dallas ’ s Dan Quinn. As The Ringer ’ s Steven Ruiz wonderfully detailed recently , Shanahan is a main gamer in what ’ s end up being a varied offending’landscape. Quinn ’ s defense has actually been amongst’the very best in creating huge plays of its own. For a bulk of the video game, Shanahan ’ s side won the fight. The Niners developed a 16-7 halftime lead– which margin ought to have been larger. When Deebo Samuel scored on a 26-yard run on the very first play after a Prescott interception, the Niners increased it to a 23-7 lead in the 3rd quarter.

.

. @ 19problemz , however slime ain’t one. ‍ ♂ ️ #NickWildCard | #FTTB : &#SFvsDAL on @nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/FejTwOv99C

— NFL( @NFL) January 16, 2022 .

The issue forDallas on Sunday was that its offense, which sputtered throughout the 2nd half of the season, never ever discovered a rhythm. Offensive planner Kellen Moore ’ s system is as multidimensional as they come , however it had no responses for San Francisco ’ s pass rush, which produced 5 sacks and 14 QB hits.’Even after Nick Bosa left the video game with a concussion, protective organizer DeMeco Ryans ’ s group suffocated Prescott in the pocket and restricted Dallas ’ s running video game (21 group brings for 77 lawns; 3.7 lawns per bring). The video game was won and lost in the trenches.

.

Much credit is owed to the 49ers, however simply as much blame can be put on the Cowboys for their careless play. Dallas dedicated 14 charges for 89 lawns, consisting of 9 on offense. Frequently the Cowboys offense damaged its own development, which was the pattern for the system throughout the year. According to RBSDM.com , the Cowboys ranked 6th in offending EPA per play( 0.101) from weeks 1 through 10, however from weeks 11 through 17( we ’ re omitting its beatdown of the Eagles ’ backups in Week 18), the Cowboys offense was connected for 15th( minus-0.004) because metric. Sometimes in this contest the Cowboys ’ own arena protested them; a Bryan Anger punt struck the huge Jumbotron and Cedrick Wilson Jr. missed out on a catch due to the fact that of the sun streaming through AT&T Stadium ’ s windows .

.

But the Cowboys ’ mismanagement kept ruining any chance they needed to finish their resurgence. Tracking 23-10 early in the 4th quarter, Dallas performed a fake-punt pass to transform a fourth-and-5. An unusual pre-snap shuffling resulted in a delay-of-game charge. 3 plays later on, the Cowboys needed to choose a 51-yard basket.

.

McCarthy is not the play-caller, however he is the head coach. Fourteen charges in a postseason video game, in the house, is a mark versus him. And Moore is mainly accountable for the Cowboys ’ listless offending efficiency. Quinn ’ s defense may have struggled early, however it kept the video game within reach. Eventually, Sunday ’ s defeat was a microcosm of both the larger concerns that haunted Dallas throughout the season and the larger issues that will tower above the next couple of months.

.

Dallas will be required to make some modifications this offseason. Moore and Quinn might both leave for head-coaching chances. There are a number of secret totally free representatives whose futures will require to be examined. And the huge, overarching concern staying for Dallas will hang over the offseason: How do the Cowboys overcome the proverbial bulge?

.

“ The bulge is advancing in the playoffs, ” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones informed press reporters. “ There ’ s been some excellent quarterbacks that sanctuary ’ t advanced in the playoffs. I ’ m simply ill [that] we ’ re among them. Truly ill. I ’ m ill and shocked. ”

.

’Dallas had the makings of a Super Bowl competitor.”When theCowboys, boasting among the league ’ s most outstanding offenses in addition to a chest of protective playmakers, began 6-1, numerous started to see what Jones had actually imagined prior to the season began . That summer season optimism is now all however tired. This season, the Cowboys made the playoffs for the very first time given that 2018. The franchise hasn ’ t advanced beyond the divisional round because 1995. McCarthy, an one-time Super Bowl head coach, was generated to assist Dallas get closer to its Super Bowl objectives. In 2 seasons, the club has actually fallen well brief.

.

“ We absolutely underachieved, and it draws, ” Prescott informed press reporters. “ Point blank. ”

.

Read more: theringer.com