Dak Prescott tells Cowboys fans to ‘move on’ from team’s failures

The Dallas Cowboys face an uncertain future as the team begins training camp in Oxnard, CA. Three of the Cowboys central figures — head coach Mike McCarthy, quarterback Dak Prescott, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb — are all entering the final season of their contract without a new deal in hand.

Dallas has fielded one of the best teams in the league in recent years, as the team has finished with a 12-5 record in three consecutive seasons. Yet, the Cowboys have just one playoff win to show for all of their regular season success.

In their latest postseason blunder, the Cowboys were steamrolled by the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium. The 48-32 loss ended the season of a team that had talent all across their roster. Nine Dallas players earned first- or second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.

Now, some of those players are weighing down the team's finances, and it's fair to wonder whether this iteration of the Cowboys missed their best opportunity to win a Lombardi Trophy.

Dak Prescott tells fans to move on about Cowboys postseason collapse

For Cowboys fans who are still disappointed about the team getting undressed in their home stadium, Prescott had a simple message: Get over it.

“Be fans or don’t be fans,” Prescott said on Thursday. “If you’re a fan, you’re going to turn the page just as we do. You’re going to move forward understanding that you’ve got better ahead of you. I just talked about being present and being in the now. ... Sorry, obviously, but it hurt us more than it did them. Obviously it’s on us to get back and to do better, but, yeah, move on."

Any time someone is at fault for the collective heartache of an entire group of people, there are probably better things to say than "move on." Especially when that person hasn't given those people any good reason to move on or to believe that they truly have better things ahead of them.

Prescott failed to register a single passing yard until the second quarter of his latest postseason loss. He will likely seek upwards of $60 million per year on his next contract despite throwing back-breaking interceptions that allowed the Packers to bury his team early in the game.

Prescott had an outstanding regular season. The eighth-year veteran earned second-team All-Pro honors and finished second in NFL MVP voting. He led the league in completion percentage (69.5) and touchdown passes (36) while posting career highs in passing yards (4,516) and passer rating (105.9).

That admirable campaign was erased in one postseason game.

The upset marked the first time a seventh-seed team has won a postseason game in NFL history. The Cowboys became the first team to win 12 games in three consecutive seasons and fail to make a single conference championship game appearance. Perhaps worst of all, the Packers have now won more playoff games at AT&T Stadium (3) than the Cowboys (2).

Prescott has a 2-5 record in the postseason. He has completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,962 passing yards with 14 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 91.8 passer rating. That equates to a per-game average of 280.3 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception per game.

While All-Pro selections and Pro Bowl honors are applaudable accolades, greatness will always be defined by postseason success. And by that definition, the Cowboys have not been great in quite some time.

Dallas has gone 28 years since last winning a Super Bowl championship and the allure of "America's Team" is beginning to fade.