The Dallas Cowboys are off to a rough start. Despite some nail-biting performances, the team only has two wins to show after six games. It’s a frustrating situation considering their offense is one of the best-performing
units in the league right now. The Cowboys have scored the third-most points in the NFL, and no team has gained more yards this season.
Sadly, that feat only amounts to two wins because of what’s happening on the other side of the ball. The Cowboys’ defense has surrendered the most yards in the league so far this season, and they are the only NFC team to give up an average of over 30 points a game.
It is aggravating that they have squandered games they could have won, but this annoyance only grows stronger when you look at what’s ahead. The Cowboys have 11 games left on their schedule. Only three of their remaining opponents have a losing record, and all three have as many wins as they do. The road to the playoffs is incredibly difficult for them.
Their only hope is that they improve on defense to the point where they can put up a fight against the stronger opponents coming their way. That feels like a tough ask, considering the little-to-no growth they are showing and that few meaningful reinforcements are coming back from injury. It’s not like they are missing a handful of key defenders who will make all the difference when they return. This defense is likely to be something that holds them back all season, and that makes us want to curl up in a ball and cry because it’s such a waste of a productive offense, and such a waste of a good season from Dak Prescott.
To illustrate this waste, think of all the notable franchise quarterbacks the Cowboys have had. Going all the way back to their first star quarterback, Don Meredith, something is interesting about all of them.
Don Meredith – three Pro Bowl Seasons – made the playoffs every one of those seasons
Roger Staubach – six Pro Bowl Seasons – made the playoffs every one of those seasons (four Super Bowls)
Danny White – one Pro Bowl Season – made the playoffs that season
Troy Aikman – six Pro Bowl Seasons – made the playoffs every one of those seasons (three Super Bowls)
Tony Romo – four Pro Bowl Seasons – made the playoffs every one of those seasons
For those keeping track, that is 20 Pro Bowl seasons between those five quarterbacks. And if you add Prescott to the mix…
Dak Prescott – three Pro Bowl Seasons – made the playoffs every one of those seasons
Every time one of these quarterbacks had a Pro Bowl season, the Cowboys made the playoffs. Every time.
Prescott is having one of the best seasons of his career right now. He’s on track to put together another Pro Bowl season, meaning he could be the first Cowboys Pro Bowl quarterback in over 60 years to miss the postseason. In the spirit of providing thorough research and paying tribute to our long-time Cowboys historians, it should be noted that Eddie LeBaron was the first Cowboys quarterback to earn Pro Bowl honors in 1962, despite only starting six games. The Cowboys did not make the playoffs that year.
It doesn’t take a 60+ year streak coming to an end to convey the aggravation of watching a strong showing from your franchise quarterback go to waste. It’s infuriating. Making matters worse is that Prescott is no spring chicken and doesn’t have many good years left. Looking at those franchise quarterbacks again, here is how long they played and their age during their final year in the league.
Prescott is getting close to hitting the max time of these other guys. He’s already the Cowboys’ all-time leader in completions, and soon will be the leader in passing yards and touchdowns. And while the length of time playing is a big part of that, it’s not just about volume. Prescott has played well. He’s the only quarterback in that picture above who hasn’t thrown 100 interceptions.
10 to 12 years seems to be the ceiling for many of these quarterbacks. Keep in mind that both White and Romo didn’t start for the first few years of their career. Unless Dak defies the historical data, his time is starting to run out.
If Prescott had plenty of years left, this season would be an easier pill to swallow. The Cowboys have some nice draft capital to work with over the next couple of years, and they have some young pieces. The future has promise. But with the narrowing window of opportunity for Prescott, time is of the essence. Tomorrow is another day, but there aren’t that many more tomorrows left with Dak under center.
And if all this isn’t depressing enough, Prescott remains the highest-paid quarterback at an average of $60 million per year. It frustrates fans when they don’t feel Dak is living up to his price tag, but it has to be even more frustrating when he does, and the Cowboys still can’t hang with the rest of the league.
The year isn’t over. There’s still plenty of football left. Who knows, the Cowboys’ defense may turn a corner and right some wrongs that could be enough to win games, especially when some of their key offensive starters return to action. But if things don’t start improving soon, the cold reality of a wasted Dak season will start to set in, and that won’t be a fun time for Cowboys’ fans.
