5 Cowboys on the hot seat entering the NFL Playoffs
• Injuries in the secondary ramp up the pressure
• Playing QB for the Cowboys leads to criticism
By Randy Gurzi
1. Dak Prescott, QB
Another fantastic season is in the books for Dak Prescott. He led the Cowboys to a 12-5 record while winning five of six games in the NFC East. He's now 73-41 overall as a starter and led the Cowboys to a 32-8 mark against their divisional rivals.
Dak Prescott improves to 32-8 as a starter against the NFC East. Win percentage of 80% against his division.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) January 8, 2024
Dallas went 5-1 against the division this year, with an average score of 38-13.
With the win over the Commanders, Prescott finished the year with 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just nine picks — which surely upsets those ready to pounce on him for saying he wouldn't have 10 interceptions this year. He was playing at such a high level that he's not only in the mix for the NFL MVP Award this season, but he should be the favorite.
As impressive as his numbers have been this year, there's still no player with more scrutiny surrounding him in the upcoming NFL playoffs. Of course, that's true when it comes to regular season games with Dak, who has been a magnet for criticism despite constantly outperforming expectations.
Now, it will be all about whether or not he can get it done when it matters most. Dallas is 2-4 with Prescott under center in the postseason, twice being eliminated in their first game. The goal is to win it all but if the Cowboys don't at least get to the NFC Championship Game, the pitchforks will be out for Prescott. Fair or not, he's going to be the one with the most pressure on him as the Cowboys look to get over the hump.
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