Dak Prescott had three words when asked about fans throwing bottles and debris at officials following the Cowboys’ wild-card round loss: “Credit to them.”
The Cowboys quarterback was asked about the rowdy fans, who rained litter onto the field at AT&T Stadium after the Cowboys fell to the 49ers, 23-17, during his postgame press conference on Sunday. Originally, Prescott was under the impression that the fans were throwing trash at the players, which he called “sad.”
“For people to react that way when you’re supposed to be a supporter and be with us through thick and thin, that’s tough,” Prescott said.
But when a reporter clarified that the fans were aiming for the officials, his tune changed completely.
“Credit to them, then,” Prescott said, to laughter from reporters.
The officiating crew faced scrutiny from Dallas fans after appearing to delay Prescott’s attempt to spike the ball with just seconds on the clock. Prescott ran the ball 17 yards with 14 seconds remaining and while he did spike it, the ball was not properly set for another play, ending the Cowboys’ 2021 campaign.
“The fans felt the same way as us,” Prescott said at the presser. “I guess that’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast. I think everybody is upset with the way this thing played out.”
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy also called out the officiating team for the way they handled the final plays of the game.
“I thought they would let these teams play today. That’s for them to answer,” McCarthy said.
Dak Prescott praised fans for throwing bottles at umpires. APGame officials reiterated that the umpire’s call was correct and that he was not interfering with the game, but rather following protocols.
“The umpire collided with the players as he was setting the ball because he was moving it to the proper spot,” referee Alex Kemp said.
