3 Reasons Why MVP Candidate Dak Prescott and His Cowboys Could Miss the Playoffs

Dak Prescott and his Dallas Cowboys are 3-4-1. More importantly, they are 2nd behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, with others chomping at the chance to overtake America’s Team.

The Washington Commanders could mount a rally once they have their players healthy. Then there are the New York Giants, who might not be betting favorites, but have proved that they can win against good teams if they are dialed in.

Coming back to the Cowboys, their remaining schedule is anything but easy. They narrowly won against the Giants and then won against an injury-depleted Commanders. More importantly, they have lost embarrassingly to teams that playoff contenders would easily get past.

Prescott has been playing at an elite level and deservedly earned MVP chants. However, their embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos has posed several questions about the roster.

Owner Jerry Jones has reiterated that he does not need to dip into the trade market to reinforce the squad. The 83-year-old can be quite stubborn, but he is also waiting for the right player and the right deal.

While letting go of Micah Parsons, he inherited some quality assets that the owner-cum-GM might use later. Therefore, if the team stays as they are currently, these areas of concern could see it miss the playoffs.

Dak Prescott and his high-powered offense struggled against an elite defense

Up until Week 8, football fans realized this iteration of the Dallas Cowboys offense is probably the best they have had in the Dak Prescott era. Two very good wide receivers, a good tight end, a good run game, and a solid, young offensive line.

This combination saw them become highlight reel-worthy, and that led the highest-paid QB in the league to start being in MVP conversations. But in those 7 weeks, they managed to stay .500.

Despite getting Jalen Carter ejected, Prescott and his unit still lost to a young defense, adjusting to their new roles after many veterans departed. After that game, they did play the Giants and the Micah Parsons-led Packers.

However, those units are not what they are today, as they were both going through teething troubles. The first time they battled against a quality defense was against the Denver Broncos this week. The latter made Dak Prescott and his high-powered offense look weak. If anything, their situation could go from bad to worse, as their last 7 games are all against top defenses.

Unless they make some adjustments, those units will likely stop the Cowboys from scoring a bunch of points. If that were to happen, the playoffs might end up being a pipe dream.

Defense: Or the lack of

Jerry Jones proudly stated that when he let his former superstar pass-rusher leave, he had a vision about their defense. So far, that vision has either been blurry or way off target.

It so happens that the Dallas Cowboys’ defense is the 2nd worst in the league. They were top in yards allowed, but the lowly Cincinnati Bengals have overtaken them by 26 yards. That is not the hallmark of a team gunning for the playoffs, and unless defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus makes drastic changes, their struggles will likely continue.

The pass defense is nonexistent, and their run defense hasn’t really improved much despite bringing in Kenny Clark through the Parsons trade. It seems the schematics are where the team needs improvement, and not just personnel.

Jones would be wise to bring in some reinforcements for the run game, as well as the pass rush. When Trevon Diggs returns, the secondary should be better. But they will still be left exposed if the front seven cannot pressure the opposing quarterback.

Brian Schottenheimer has to instill the grit needed for the Cowboys to win

The Dallas Cowboys are the most famous NFL team in the world. That is mostly due to the flair that is associated with the franchise, rather than the Super Bowl wins, which they haven’t had for three decades.

A few former players have revealed that the team is all about the show, and that has contributed to their inherent lack of success. Head coaches have come and gone, but the situation has not improved. When Brian Schottenheimer was appointed as the next head coach, it was apparent that Jerry Jones was looking for someone without head coaching experience to usher the team into a new direction.

So far, their offensive explosion has helped establish Schottenheimer’s reputation as someone capable of running Dak Prescott and the offense. However, this Cowboys team needs more than just star names on the jerseys.

They need the grit needed for them to defeat top football teams, and their loss to the Broncos highlighted the fact that this team has none. It is up to the 52-year-old to instill that passion and the drive.

Only then can the franchise move forward in the right direction. This team has problems that could stop them from making it to the playoffs. But some slight adjustments to schemes, personnel, as well as their mindset, could help turn things around.

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