The Dallas Cowboys’ Week 18 loss was nothing short of embarrassing. Not only did it seal a losing season, but it also sent the franchise down a dark path it hasn’t traveled in more than two decades.
It is the first time Dallas has had back-to-back losing seasons since 2002, when they finished 5-11 that season under head coach Dave Campo. Longtime Cowboys fans will say that you don't want to be in the history books with Campo, as he cemented himself as one of the worst head coaches in Cowboys history once his time was done.
This wasn't the season that Cowboys fans had in mind, but quietly making history for another losing season in Dak Prescott's prime is truly the cherry on top.
The Cowboys have now suffered back-to-back losing seasons
This wasn’t the season Cowboys fans had in mind, but quietly making history with another losing season in Dak Prescott’s prime is the bitter cherry on top.
Even Dak Prescott expressed frustration with the Dallas defense after the loss, noting it was the first time he could recall his play not correlating with the team’s final record. Prescott played well enough to win at least 10 games this season. That they finished 7-9-1 is a complete embarrassment.
The Cowboys have gone through three defensive coordinators in three years, and no one on that side of the ball has managed to get the unit on track. Losing Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs was the clearest sign yet that the team’s defensive culture has fractured.
READ MORE: Cowboys have connections to ideal Matt Eberflus replacement who just got fired
Matt Eberflus cannot be handed his walking papers soon enough, but not even Mike Zimmer was able to get competent play out of the defense until it was too late in the 2024 season. It took a true defensive catastrophe for the Cowboys to finish below .500 with this high-powered offense, and it happened.
Entering Week 18, Dak Prescott led the NFL in passing yards, edging out Matthew Stafford, who has played at an MVP-caliber level this season. Typically, a quarterback near the top of the league in passing yards is headed for the playoffs, but Dallas’ defense had other ideas.
The last two years have been a waste of Prescott's prime, and Jerry Jones has a lot of work in the offseason to undo the mess he's created.