5 Cowboys who deserve blame for humiliating loss in Buffalo
By Randy Gurzi
![Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4995,h_2809,x_0,y_151/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/129/01hhxbp0cv2ahdwxca44.jpg)
2. Dak Prescott, Quarterback
Dak Prescott has had an MVP-caliber season but there's a chance he lost that on Sunday. That might sound extreme but we're not talking about unbiased voters or even a normal player. There's a true bias against the Cowboys and Prescott is held to a much higher standard than anyone else. Even during their loss to the Bills, it was said they couldn't defeat winning teams as their victories over Seattle and Philadelphia have already been forgotten.
That means this game will be used as proof that Prescott isn't an elite player. They'll throw out all the success he's had this season and re-hash this one over and over — just as they did with the San Francisco loss. This game was hardly in the rearview and media members were jumping at the chance to end Dak's MVP chances.
Dak Prescott’s MVP race likely ended today.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) December 18, 2023
*No NFL MVP has lost by a margin of 21 or more, after week 14, since the turn of the century.
That is to say, either:
A: Voters don’t forget late season blowouts.
B: MVP’s don’t get blown out late in the season. #Cowboys
While none of this treatment is fair, it is fair to say Prescott didn't have a good game at all on Sunday. He finished with a mere 134 yards on 21-of-34 passing and had no touchdowns with an interception. And there were at least two other passes that could have been picked off.
Prescott struggled for sure but the Cowboys as a whole were bad on offense. Their receivers were unable to get open consistently but when there was a big play there, Prescott missed. The best example came on the opening drive when Brandin Cooks was wide open for a huge gain and potential touchdown. Prescott ended up overthrowing him and before long, they were punting the ball away.
As a whole, the entire team was flat and that falls on everyone. Having said that, Prescott is the leader of the team, and his inability to capitalize on the plays that were there played a huge part in the defeat.