(NFL) Cowboys’ recent playoff loss to the Packers provides three reasons why they shouldn’t let go of Dak Prescott.
The NFL playoffs have taught us to expect the unexpected, but few could have predicted the Dallas Cowboys’ crushing loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round. Dallas fell short of the visiting Packers 48–32 in a contest where the home team trailed by 32 points at halftime.
The Cowboys haven’t advanced to the NFC Championship game in almost thirty years, and in that time, they’ve gone 5-13 in postseason play. Supporters of the Dallas Cowboys are demanding that the team fire head coach Mike McCarthy and part ways with starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
With one year left on his deal, Prescott’s future is uncertain, but here are three reasons the Cowboys shouldn’t let go of their All-Pro quarterback.
The main narrative leading up to Sunday was whether or not the Packers could contain the potent Cowboys offense. Rather, it was the Dallas defense that found it difficult to neutralize the well-balanced Green Bay offense. A season-high 48 points and 415 total yards were surrendered by the Cowboys. Aaron Jones averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns, while Jordan Love had an almost flawless quarterback rating.
This Dallas defense had its ups and downs this year, but it finished the regular season ranked fifth in total yards and points allowed per game. Even if Dak Prescott had played a near-perfect game it would have been difficult for the Cowboys offense to keep up.
Dak recently completed a career year.
Dak Prescott was under pressure heading into this season after recording a league-high 15 interceptions in just 12 starts the previous year. Rather, Prescott bounced back with his best-ever campaign. With 36 touchdown passes and just nine interceptions, he more than halved his interception rate to lead the NFL. With a career-high passer rating of 105.9, the Mississippi State graduate was named to the AP 2023 NFL All-Pro Second Team.
What better quarterback is there, in the Cowboys’ opinion, anywhere?
Where would the Cowboys go if they made the decision to let go of Dak Prescott? Although Kirk Cousins has only won one postseason game in his 12-year career, he is similar to Prescott in terms of regular-season output. Despite having just finished a stellar season with the Tampa Bay Bucs, Baker Mayfield is more erratic all around and has not shown much promise in the postseason. Although Russell Wilson has a great deal of experience participating in and winning postseason games, the 35-year-old player is not the same as he was five years ago.
In the postseason, it is very hard to win. Dan Marino, a Hall of Famer, with an 8-10 career postseason record. It took John Elway until his fifteenth season to win a Super Bowl. While Peyton Manning needed six years to win a postseason game, Drew Brees did not win one until his sixth year as a starter.
All four of Dak Prescott’s playoff losses were in games decided by one score going into this year. He was 2-4 overall. The postseason is when crazy things happen. The Indianapolis Colts suffered a 41-0 loss to the New York Jets in Peyton Manning’s fifth season. Manning completed with 137 passing yards and two interceptions. Imagine how Indy fans felt then. It would take a further four seasons for one of the greatest quarterbacks in history to appear in the Super Bowl.
It is unrealistic for great teams to contend for the Super Bowl every year, despite what fans may think. Although Dallas was competitive enough to contend for a championship each of the previous three seasons, the Cowboys’ chances of winning the Super Bowl would not increase if Dak Prescott were to leave.
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