Dak Prescott apologizes for his comments about referees

After Dallas lost 23-17 to San Francisco in the wild-card round on Sunday, Cowboys fans were seen throwing beer bottles and other trash toward the field as players and referees exited through the tunnel. It remains unclear whether or not fans were intending to throw the trash at the referees, the Cowboys’ players, or some combination of both.

Prescott initially condemned the actions when he thought they were directed at the players, but when he was told the trash was directed at the refs, he replied with “Oh, well, credit to them, then.”

His comments were initially met with laughs on social media, but Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones made sure to disavow his statement the following day. A day later, the National Basketball Referees Association put out a statement that criticized Prescott.

Prescott was the subject of much of the criticism surrounding the loss after he ran for a large chunk of yards as the clock winded down and failed to get the ball snapped for a spike after an awkward interaction at the line of scrimmage as the umpire tried to spot the ball properly.

The referees’ role in the final drive coupled with the usual complaints about calls during the game led to much criticism via fans and outside spectators. Referee Alex Kemp defended the sequence in a pool report after the game, saying in part, “The umpire spotted the ball properly.”

Prescott finished the game 23-for-43 for 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 27 yards and a score.