Anonymous NFL executive says quiet part out loud about Cowboys' Dak Prescott

Quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys is one of the most desirable jobs in sports, but it takes a hard-nosed individual to handle the pressure and nonstop scrutiny. Because of that, Dak Prescott is the perfect man for the job.

No matter how well Prescott performs, he's perpetually analyzed with a fine-tooth comb. He is critiqued more harshly than any other quarterback. All because of the team he plays for. There would be a greater appreciation for Prescott on a national scale if he played for a small-market team ... or simply any other team that isn't he most valuable franchise in sports.

While most of the criticism Prescott receives is unfair, some of it is deserved.

For instance, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler paneled NFL executives, coaches and scouts to rank the 10-best quarterbacks. Prescott checked in at No. 10 behind the likes of Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, C.J. Stroud and Aaron Rodgers.

That is way too low for Prescott, who finished second in MVP voting last season and arguably deserved to win it over Lamar Jackson. However, one piece of criticism from an anonymous exec hit a little too close too home.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott ripped by anonymous NFL executive

"He always does well enough to be in the top 10 but never gets over the hump," said an NFC executive. "He makes all the throws. He's playing the position at a high level. But something's missing. There are a lot of factors in that, from the running game, playcalling, defense, and Dallas hasn't won in a long while. But certain guys are going to elevate their team late in the game, and Dak doesn't seem to do that."

This narrative has followed Prescott for the better part of five years. Ever since Prescott outplayed Rodgers as a rookie in the 2016 Divisional Round, his playoff performances have left something to be desired. As the executive laid out, Prescott is not entirely to blame for the Cowboys' shortcomings. He's had some of the best playoff games of any quarterback during that span.

It is also fair to question if Prescott is capable of leading Dallas on a deep run in January. He did nothing to silence his naysayers in the wild card loss to the Packers. While the Cowboys' defense deserves the biggest slice of the blame pie, Prescott was flat-out bad in the first half and his pick-six near the end of the second quarter put the game out of reach at 27-0.

At the same time, a game shouldn't be effectively over by halftime because an offense failed to score on its first three possessions. Prescott is known to come out of the gates jittery in big games and his accuracy suffers as a result. He needed time to settle in and adjust to the Packers' game plan, and his defense, which talked a big game all year, didn't afford him that luxury.

At the end of the day, Prescott will only turn 31 later this month. Many great quarterbacks never achieved playoff success until they hit the other side of 30. As fair as it is to question whether Prescott can win the big one, he's played a lot better than his 2-5 career postseason record leads on.

It will only take one deep run for Prescott to silence (most of) his critics. Until he does though, this question will hang over his shoulder.

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