Dallas Cowboys weakness generates epic playoff momentum

Coming off a thrilling victory over the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys were able to generate some great momentum heading into the playoffs.

The Dallas Cowboys Week 17 matchup against their divisional foes, a battle with the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey was supposed to be a meaningless game.

The Cowboys had already locked up the NFC East championship and a place in the playoffs the week prior. And the talk around the Metroplex all week was whether Dallas should rest their starters, not about how the team should go about beating the G-Men.

But after the Cowboys thrilling 36-35 victory over the Giants on Sunday, the contest felt anything but meaningless. In fact, Dallas might have cracked the code when it comes to generating the maximum amount of momentum heading into the postseason. All it takes is having your team’s biggest liability show up and pull out a last minute win in your final game of the regular season. Easy, right?

All year the Cowboys passing game has been under attack. And squarely in the crosshairs of most of that criticism has been third-year quarterback Dak Prescott. And rightfully so.

Despite possessing intangibles that are off the charts, Prescott’s inconsistent play under center such as his struggles with accuracy and holding the ball too long in the pocket is why Dak is often considered to be the Cowboys’ biggest weakness.

On Sunday, Prescott still displayed his accuracy issues completing just 27 of his 44 pass attempts. Dak still held the ball too long at times resulting in him being sacked four times. That raises his season total to a whopping 56 sacks. Prescott was sacked a total of 57 times in his first two seasons combined.

Yet, without running back Ezekiel Elliott to rely on, Prescott was somehow able to generate 387 yards of offense and passed for four touchdowns. Three for those scores went to Blake Jarwin, a second-year tight end who had never splashed for a touchdown in the NFL before.

And that final touchdown? A 32-yard laser from a scrambling Prescott towards the back of the end zone that hit a leaping Cole Beasley with 1:19 left in the game on a fourth and 15 play. Simply incredible.

All season long, the Cowboys were carried by Elliott and an elite-level defense. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys passing attack was considered this team’s weakest link. And in a meaningless game without Zeke on the field and the defense struggling, it was Prescott and the passing game who rallied them the Boys to a one-point victory against the Giants.

Now, the Dallas Cowboys head into the playoffs with something they didn’t possess prior to their Week 17 matchup against the New York Giants. That’s a new found faith in their passing attack … and their quarterback. How’s that for postseason momentum?