Dak Prescott put the Dallas Cowboys’ situation into perspective as the team’s playoff hopes went up in smoke.
The Cowboys quarterback spoke to reporters late Sunday following his team’s rough loss to the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. While Dallas has yet to be mathematically eliminated from the postseason, the 34-26 defeat makes it virtually impossible to sneak in.
Prescott admitted that he was “surprised” that the team was in this situation after seemingly turning the corner following the November trade deadline.
“Especially after the bye week and the trades got [us] rolling like we did for those few weeks, and then watch the confidence just skyrocket,” Prescott said, via Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins.
“[We] stopped teams scoring at will, coming back from 21 points [against the Philadelphia Eagles]. Just a lot of good wins there to be in this position. Just reminds you that every play matters. It’s a hard game. Those guys get paid, too. They practice throughout the week and prepare no different than we do. It’s tough. I’m definitely surprised, hurt, pissed off, frustrated, but all I can do is get better tomorrow.”
The Cowboys revamped their roster at the 2025 trade deadline, headlined by the deal that brought in Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets.
Dallas went on a season-best three-game winning streak following the moves that got the team to a respectable 6-5-1 record with five games left on the calendar. But that momentum was derailed by back-to-back losses to Vikings and Detroit Lions, pushing the Cowboys to the brink of elimination.
For the Cowboys to make the playoffs, they would need to win all three of their remaining games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants. While that’s still within the realm of possibility, it would have to happen with the Philadelphia Eagles also losing out the rest of the season. The odds of that happening are pegged at under 1%.
The news that Dallas has reportedly damaged its relationship with one of its All-Pro players won’t help their cause, either.
