The Cowboys began the season 5-1, and Dak Prescott was in the MVP conversation. But on his touchdown throw in overtime in the Week 6 win over the Patriots, Prescott strained a calf muscle.
The Cowboys had a bye, and then Prescott missed a game before returning in Week 9.
In the six games after that, the Cowboys went 3-3 as Prescott threw for 1,568 yards with eight touchdowns, six interceptions and an 82.8 passer rating.
The Cowboys went 6-5 in the final 11 games of the season, including the postseason loss to the 49ers.
Prescott isn’t blaming his calf injury for his or the team’s slump, though during the season, he and the Cowboys continually claimed there was no slump.
“Obviously it went on for a couple of weeks going on to that bye week,” Prescott said on The Rich Eisen Show, via Rob Phillips of the team website. “I was able to rest it then, missed the next week out in Minnesota. But I wouldn’t say it lingered as long as people gave me the excuse of it.
“I went through a period in the time right there in the season and just didn’t play my best ball, and people tried to say it was it the calf. The calf got better. I did everything that I needed to do for it to heal.”
The Cowboys have not found success in the postseason after Troy Aikman. Tony Romo went 2-4, and now Prescott is 1-3.
“We thought we were headed in the right direction to do what we needed to do to go get a win and we didn’t,” Prescott said. “The way that it ended, it’s just one of those that sticks to you, those moments, an opportunity that you’ll think about for a long time.”