Dak Prescott, Brian Schottenheimer explain QB's critical third-down throwaway vs. Ravens when George Pickens was open in the end zone

In a desperate bid to avoid a loss on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys faced a critical third-down scenario at the Baltimore Ravens' 5-yard line with 14 seconds left in regulation. With the score tied at 31-28 and no timeouts remaining, the Cowboys were in field-goal range but opted not to take the risk and instead called for a passing play into the end zone.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, however, made a costly mistake. Instead of targeting receiver George Pickens, who was open near the front pylon and had the clear path to a potential touchdown, Prescott threw the ball out of bounds. Pickens had already gained separation, making the throwaway an absolute critical error.

After the game, both Prescott and head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the play. Schottenheimer admitted that he had over-coached Prescott, saying, "We called a quick out. Because we had the points. I probably over-coached Dak on that one. Because we had the points. I probably over-coached him on that. Because with the time, no timeouts, it had to go to GP or throw it away."

Prescott confirmed that he indeed threw the ball away, stating, "I was throwing it away." When asked if he was coached to do so, he declined to elaborate. Despite Schottenheimer's admission, Prescott acknowledged he should have given Pickens more time to make the catch. "I probably should have just sat on it a little bit longer, sank on my back foot and just put it on that front pylon," Prescott said.

The Cowboys' reliance on a field goal to tie the game appeared to have backfired, as the Ravens capitalized with a 27-yard field goal from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers. With less than a second remaining, Ravens kicker Tyler Loop nailed a 56-yard field goal, securing a 34-31 victory and adding to the already chaotic finish.