For Dak Prescott, the odds are pretty strong that if he fails miserably against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in an NFC Wild Card game on Monday, Jan. 16, he will have violated the last ounce of trust that the franchise has in him being the guy that will lead them to their first Super Bowl since the ’90s.
Will Dak Prescott Beat Tom Brady In Wild Card?
The way Dak has played in recent weeks and history suggests the odds are against the 12-win Dallas team. For starters, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers already beat the Dallas Cowboys this season. Secondly, Brady has never lost to the Cowboys in his career, going 7-0 against the ‘Boys. Adding drama to the scene, this might be Brady’s last game as an NFL quarterback.
Talk about pressure, and Prescott is mired in it. To top it off, the Cowboys are playing in Tampa on Monday night, which adds more stress to America’s team.
When you LITERALLY can’t handle the truth…
Jalen Hurts vs Dak Prescott pic.twitter.com/iZ235MQgdO
— Marc Farzetta (@MarcFarzetta) January 11, 2023
Fire Everybody Game
“Monday night, they’re going to be in Tampa and that feels like a fire everybody game if they lose,” said Mike Greenberg on the Monday, Jan. 9 edition of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
What’s Wrong With Dak Prescott?
Prescott returned to the Cowboys’ starting lineup in Week 7 and has turned the ball over more than any other quarterback in the league. He also has taken the league lead with 15 interceptions, tying Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills.
However, the Cowboys are second in the NFC East division with a 12-5 record, so why is the overarching sentiment that the pressure is on Dak when the Bucs have a paltry 8-9 record while sitting on the top of the NFC South? Simple: Dak has yet to live up to the hype and prestige of being the leader of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Richest Sports Franchise In The World
The Dallas Cowboys makes for the richest sports franchise in the world, worth $8 billion per Forbes 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2022 list. That financial valuation means that although the team isn’t typically the best, it is the most recognizable brand. Owner Jerry Jones continues to stamp the Cowboys as “America’s Team,” (a tag invented by legendary announcer Pat Summerall during a CBS broadcast in 1979) but even he knows that statement can only persist over time with wins to back it up. The Cowboys have actually made it to the Super Bowl eight times and won the whole thing five times. They last won in 1996, capping off a total of three Super Bowl wins in the ’90s (the other two were in 1993 and 1994).
Dak Prescott finally thinking he’s ready to advance in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/7bQfL7Z6eA
— JJ Gruden (@TakingThePoint5) January 11, 2023
In Search Of Chips
But that was almost 30 years ago since their last Super Bowl win. Prescott was drafted in 2016, and has made Dallas his home ever since. But he is a long way from the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler that made Jerry Jones reluctantly give up the bag and the keys to the kingdom. At the time, Dak’s four-year, $160 million deal with the Cowboys and a five-year deal with Jordan Brand to become the company’s only quarterback elevated him to the highest-paid NFL athlete.
The nostalgia since taking over for an injured Tony Romo and leading the team to the top seed of the NFC as a rookie is also in the rearview mirror. Cowboys Nation wants a chip, and he is fighting against an old dog in Tom Brady, who knows how to get one.
.@danorlovsky7 on Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' loss to the Commanders.
"That's the worst game I've EVER seen Dak Prescott play, and candidly this is the worst season I've ever seen Dak Prescott play."
Agree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/rDjBTsAQjz
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 9, 2023
Brady fought many mental and emotional battles along with his 45-year-old frame to stay in the NFL, but here he is. Deciding football was more important than his marriage is a hell of a commitment for any professional athlete, let alone one seemingly as obsessed with the game as Brady.
Just a sampling of the storylines walking into the Cowboys vs. Bucs game, and trust America’s Team going against America’s quarterback in Brady makes for an epic showdown with real-world applications to a player’s future employment.
