QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys Clinch NFL Playoff Spot

Despite losing on Sunday, the Cowboys have reached the postseason for the second straight season.

Former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott will be leading his Dallas Cowboys into the NFL Playoffs once again.

Despite a 40-34 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, the Cowboys (10-4) were able to secure a spot in the postseason with a little help from an NFC East foe. The New York Giants took down the Washington Commanders by a score of 20-12 late Sunday night, giving the Cowboys the green light.

The NFL's tiebreaker rules allowed Dallas to be given a guaranteed a playoff spot with three games remaining this year. The team can't finish worse than 7-5 in the NFC, and no more than two conference opponents can finish with a better record. 

The Cowboys will most likely fill a Wild Card spot, but there's a very slim chance that they could claim the NFC East crown in just a few weeks. For that to happen, the Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) will need to lose their remaining three games, while Dallas must win out. Ironically, the two teams will face each other on Saturday: a game that the Cowboys must win by double digits to make up for a nine-point loss to the Eagles that came earlier this season. 

Prescott started strong in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, but he couldn't close the game out. The veteran signal-caller went 23-of-30 passing for 256 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. One of those turnovers was a pick-six in overtime to give Jacksonville the victory. He also had five rushing attempts for 20 yards. 

In his seven seasons in the NFL, Prescott has now made the playoffs four times. He has a 1-3 record in the postseason, with his lone win coming against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Wild Card Weekend in 2018. This is the first time in Prescott's career that he has outlasted the regular season in two consecutive seasons, and the team has not done so since 2006 and 2007.

Dallas closes out its regular season by hosting the Eagles on Saturday before traveling to face the Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders. The NFL Playoffs will begin with the Wild Card Round, which starts on Saturday, Jan. 14 and runs through Monday, Jan. 16.