Jimmie Ward: 49ers defensive strategy a huge insult to Dak Prescott

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t fear Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott much as a passer, per safety Jimmie Ward.

Who said adding insult to injury is a bad thing?

The 49ers defeated the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon in dramatic fashion, thanks in large part to a last-second gaff by Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. The Mississippi State product failed to spike the ball in time after a quarterback dash set the Cowboys up near the red zone.

Dallas fans were furious with the officials, but in the end it was Prescott’s fault for not handing the ball to the ref. Prescott didn’t have any time left to spare.

Apparently the 49ers didn’t think they had much to fear with Dak in general, as safety Jimmie Ward said making Prescott pass was part of their strategy.

49ers: Jimmie Ward pays ultimate insult to Dak Prescott

“We went in there and did what we needed to do: Stop the run and force them to be one-dimensional. See if Prescott could win the game for them,” Ward said.

Ward did acknowledge Prescott’s talent, but if the Cowboys were more afraid of an injured Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, that says a lot about Dak’s game at the moment. Considering Jerry Jones is paying Prescott $20 million in base salary next year (and way more to follow), the Cowboys expect more bang for their buck.

Dallas has several question marks heading into the offseason, and quarterback isn’t one of them. The poor game-management of one Mike McCarthy has long plagued him as a head coach, but it’s unlikely to cost him his job, either. Jones confirmed that fact on Monday.

So, how do the Cowboys plan avoiding the same result while making few personnel changes? It all starts with Prescott, and his ability to make opposing defenses fear him.

For now, that’s anything but the case.