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Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Loss to 49ers in playoffs still a 'scar'
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott remained haunted by last year's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers even while celebrating Monday's wild-card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"[For] me and this team, that’s a scar," Prescott said on Monday night about the home defeat against San Francisco last January, per Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. "That one hurts. It will hurt for the rest of my career, and it will be a motivation throughout my career, just to make sure I’m preparing the right way, leaving no doubt in the preparation."
The 2021 Cowboys finished the regular season at 12-5 and atop the NFC East division standings but proved to be a one-and-done postseason team thanks to the 23-17 loss to the Niners.
Many will remember that game for Prescott shockingly running a quarterback draw with no timeouts in hand and under 15 seconds remaining in regulation. He was unable to spike the ball before time expired, and fans later blasted both the signal-caller and head coach Mike McCarthy for the controversial decision.
This past October, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones made it known he wanted another shot at the 49ers during the playoffs. Jones will get his wish when Dallas and San Francisco play at Levi's Stadium this coming Sunday.
"So just being able to get [the 49ers] again … this thing’s set up just for us -- playing teams that have beat us, teams that we’re familiar with," Prescott continued on Monday. "So it’s important for us now, as I said, to capitalize on this preparation, take it one day at a time, and make sure we’re ready to go as we work for this one."
Of course, these 49ers currently have rookie sensation Brock Purdy and not Jimmy Garoppolo guiding them into the Dallas matchup. San Francisco is also riding an 11-game winning streak.
"They’re on fire," Prescott added about the 49ers. "Win streak, I guess, what, the longest in the league right now? Yeah, it’ll be important for us to start fast, get on top of them. I know the pass rushers they’ve got, but, once again, I’m so confident in the guys that I’ve got, this group we have and what we’re capable of doing."
More must-reads:
- Dak Prescott leads Dallas to first road-playoff win in 30 years
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott sticks up for kicker Brett Maher after abysmal performance
- The 'Leading rushers from the 2021 NFL season' quiz
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Urban Meyer pushes for Chargers or NFL to suspend Jim Harbaugh
Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer thinks the Los Angeles Chargers or the NFL should take it upon themselves to punish Jim Harbaugh. On Aug. 15, the NCAA punished Michigan for violations connected to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh received a 10-year show-cause order. During Wednesday's episode of "The Triple Option" podcast, Meyer compared Harbaugh's situation to that of Jim Tressel in 2011. Meyer argued that the league or the Chargers should suspend Harbaugh, like the Indianapolis Colts did to Tressel. "There's an elephant in the room here, boys, though, that no one's talking about," Meyer said. "When Jim Tressel was fired at Ohio State and he was given a suspension, Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, came out and said that, 'We're going to honor that suspension.' And you remember, he went to the Indianapolis Colts to work in the replay room or something. "The Colts, because of the respect they had for the NCAA and the suspension, you realize suspended Jim Tressel? So he was unable to perform his duties for the first six games of the year for the Indianapolis Colts. I think we all know the answer. Any chance that Roger Goodell and the NFL, of course not. And I don't know why." There is a belief that Harbaugh bolted to the Chargers after winning the national title in 2023 because he knew the NCAA was getting ready to punish the Wolverines. A six-game suspension is not comparable to a 10-year show-cause order, and punishing Harbaugh so lightly would be more symbolic than substantive. Frankly, it's bad business for the league to suspend Harbaugh and to connect the outspoken head coach to a trivial scandal that happened in college. Punishing Harbaugh would draw unwanted attention to the Chargers and the league, who knew what happened before he jumped to the NFL before the 2024 season.
Brian Robinson Jr.'s next destination just became painfully obvious
Brian Robinson Jr. is being shopped for a potential trade by the Washington Commanders. And his next destination could be a little clearer based on an unfortunate incident around the league. The Commanders have decided that Robinson doesn't have a future in Washington. He was once projected as a starting option, but has now fallen out of favor for whatever reason. Those in power don't think he can offer what they require, and general manager Adam Peters is looking to extract something in return for a player who's out of contract next spring. What the immediate future holds for Robinson is unclear. It won't be in Washington after he got sent to the shadows, but there could be a few potential suitors for his services if the compensation isn't too steep. Dolphins could call Commanders about Brian Robinson Jr. amid injury crisis One team rumored to be interested just got a big reason to make a splash for Robinson. The Miami Dolphins are desperately short of experienced running backs. There is a lot at stake for head coach Mike McDaniel in 2025, but fresh problems are cropping up in the backfield that could jeopardize their chances. De'Von Achane is currently on the sidelines. He could be joined by Jaylen Wright after he was helped off the practice field. And this didn't look like an injury that he could shake off quickly, according to those in attendance. If Wright is forced to miss time, that leaves the Dolphins relying on rookie Ollie Gordon II and journeyman veteran Mike Boone as their running back options. While the Oklahoma State product has promise, asking him to accumulate starting duties in Year 1 seems like a stretch. Even if Warren and Achane are healthy, Robinson could be an upgrade on any physical runner Miami has in between the tackles. The Commanders are eager to get the former third-round pick out of Alabama out of the equation. Any offer is better than nothing, something that would also relieve some burden on the salary cap along the way. Other teams are also reportedly looking for running back upgrades before the season. This is playing right into Peters' hands. Still, whether Robinson is someone worth giving up draft capital for with his ceiling all but reached is another matter. Time will tell on both fronts. However, fans can expect this situation to be resolved before attention turns to trimming the roster down to 53 players. And the Dolphins represent a legitimate landing spot. More Commanders news and analysis
Three burning questions about SEC's huge conference schedule change
The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule, and we have questions. The conference answered some (the nine-game schedule will begin in 2026, each team will have three annual opponents), but others remain. Here are three we're particularly interested in: 1. What happens with the ACC? Earlier Thursday, Yahoo Sports college football reporter Ross Dellenger shared that momentum was building for the SEC to adopt a nine-game conference schedule after executives met this week. He added that a move by the SEC could force the ACC, which plays an eight-game conference schedule, to do the same. However, with the conference sitting at 17 teams, it's mathematically impossible for the league to schedule nine conference games per team. The conference likely wouldn't kick out a member. Instead, adding an 18th team would make more sense. Memphis threw itself at the Big 12 and fell on its face. Perhaps the ACC would be more interested? The ACC already has a scheduling agreement with Notre Dame, and it might also pursue strengthening those bonds by having the Irish play more conference opponents. 2. Will SEC still schedule FCS out-of-conference games? On the surface, the SEC adding more competitive games is a win for fans. That said, if the conference is adding one conference game, it's taking one out-of-conference game away. Depending on which one, a nine-game SEC schedule will hardly be worth celebrating. Instead of scheduling challenging out-of-conference games, SEC programs might be more inclined to ensure easy wins by paying overmatched FCS teams to get blown out by 50 points. Where's the fun in that? 3. How does a nine-game conference schedule impact College Football Playoff format? The Big Ten and SEC, college football's biggest conferences, have been at odds over the CFP's future, with the Big Ten favoring a 4-4-2-2-1 format that features four automatic qualifiers for it and the SEC, two for the ACC and Big 12, and one for a mid-major. At-large bids would fill the rest of the 16-team field. The SEC, meanwhile, has supported a format that rewards the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams. By moving to nine conference games, the SEC might be more receptive to the idea of automatic qualifiers as teams compete more intensely, ensuring that it gets a set number of seats at the CFP table each season. Last season, the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff, the SEC only landed two at-large berths. Nevertheless, it might still prefer a 5-11 CFP format, relying on the perceived strength of the SEC to gobble up more bids in future seasons. On Aug. 11, the Associated Press published its preseason top 25 poll, which featured 10 ranked SEC teams. There are a few things the conference loves more than "quality losses," and commissioner Greg Sankey will be able to champion even more with the expanded SEC schedule. While a lot remains uncertain, that's one thing we're certain of.
An $18M Gamble That Could Pay Off Big for Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers are facing a pivotal decision in goal — one that could define their playoff strategy for 2026 and potentially set them up in the years to come. Stuart Skinner, who has quietly backstopped the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, is entering the final season of his $2.6 million deal. And with the salary cap projected to climb significantly, the time to strike might be now. This argument won’t go over well with many Oilers fans. Specifically, those who believe Edmonton needs an upgrade in goal aren’t going to like the idea of investing in Skinner for a sizeable amount of money. Frankly, it’s hard to blame those skeptics; Skinner’s numbers won’t land him in the Vezina conversation. That said, his consistency has been good enough to keep Edmonton in contention, and if he has a solid 2025-26 season, you can bet the Oilers are going to wind up paying to keep him. When the Oilers’ defense holds up, Skinner performs as well as most mid-tier starters across the league. Under new goalie coach Peter Aubry, there’s optimism that Skinner could add another layer to his game — and if that happens, his price tag could soar. Goalie Deals, Like What’s Coming For Skinner, Aren’t Getting Cheaper League-wide trends suggest goalie deals aren’t getting cheaper. Locking Skinner in for something in the range of three years at $6 million per season could give the Oilers cost certainty and valuable cap flexibility. Comparable netminders like Logan Thompson, Tristan Jarry, and Darcy Kuemper already sit in that range, and Edmonton could find itself with a bargain if Skinner continues to grow. Lukas Dostal just signed on with the Ducks for five more years at $6.5 million per season, in what many are calling a bargain extension. The benefit isn’t just about saving money. A team-friendly deal keeps Skinner movable if things go sideways. Waiting comes with risk. A breakout season from Skinner would make negotiations far more expensive — especially in a market where quality goaltending is scarce. For a team operating in a tight Cup window, overpaying later could mean losing depth elsewhere. Is Skinner the Long-Term Answer Or Yesterday’s News? If the Oilers aren’t sold on Skinner, investing further in him isn’t the right play. But, if they believe he’s got the tools to rebound, buying low (or at least, lower) isn’t the worst idea. He’s experienced, and Edmonton has taken the time and shown patience to see him flourish. “I think going through it the first time, you go through that experience in the summer and then you realize the things you did well and the things you didn’t do well,” Skinner said to NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest. “So going through it a second time, but being able to say you went through this does help you get over it quicker, just because you have to go back into training and do it all over again.” Maybe the lows have shown themselves, and the highs could be around the corner. Moreover, one could argue the decision is less about whether Skinner is the long-term answer in net and more about innovative asset management. Betting on him now is a calculated gamble that could pay off in a big way, especially if Edmonton believes their championship core can win with steady — if not spectacular — play between the pipes. For general manager Stan Bowman, this isn’t just about a contract; it’s about strategy. Move early, and the Oilers could secure the cost certainty they need to keep their stars together. If Skinner remains average, a $6 million goaltender is potentially a tough sell, but not an impossible one.
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