INGLEWOOD, Calif. — For a few fleeting seconds, Dak Prescott looked like he had atoned for a rocky second half, rescued the mistake-prone Dallas Cowboys and demonstrated why he is worthy of the lucrative long-term contract he is seeking.
Only then did Prescott spot the yellow flag that wiped all that away.
An unconvincing offensive pass interference call against wide receiver Michael Gallup negated a 47-yard strike from Prescott that would have put the Cowboys within range of a game-tying field goal with 21 seconds to go. The penalty left the Cowboys facing 3rd-and-20 on their own half of the field, dooming them to start Mike McCarthy’s coaching tenure with a 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.