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Neville Gallimore Takes Blame for Cowboys Loss; Asks Fans Not to Hate on His Family
January 17, 2022
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore took blame for Sunday's wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers after he was called for a critical hands-to-the-face penalty in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys stopped the 49ers on a 3rd-and-12 with four minutes and 31 seconds left in the game. That would have given Dallas plenty of time to drive and potentially win the game, but Gallimore was called for illegal use of hands when trying to rush the quarterback. While the 49ers did not score on the drive, the penalty gave them a first down and allowed them to drain nearly two more minutes off the clock in the 23-17 victory.
Despite the costly penalty, it's hard to find any reason Gallimore should take blame for the loss. His penalty was one of 14 called on the Cowboys, who were sloppy from start to finish on both sides of the ball. A Randy Gregory defensive holding penalty with 1:31 remaining was the worst foul of the game, as it happened well behind the play and allowed the 49ers to drain critical time off the clock.
Dallas had two opportunities with the ball after Gallimore's penalty and failed to score a touchdown on both. It's fair to point out the Cowboys would have had more time on the clock if it weren't for his gaffe, but the entire locker room shares blame for the flat performance.
Dak Prescott accumulated just 254 yards through the air on 43 attempts, while Ezekiel Elliott carried the ball 12 times for 31 yards and CeeDee Lamb was limited to one catch for 21 yards. The offensive line also failed to show up, allowing Prescott to be sacked five times.
Any fans trying to pinpoint one play as the impetus for the loss should go back and watch a tape full of gaffes from the Cowboys.