'Legacy of Failure': From Romo to Dak, Cowboys Nation Bemoans QB Playoff Record

Dallas QB 'Legacy of Failure': From Tony Romo to Dak Prescott, Cowboys Nation Bemoans Playoff Record

ARLINGTON - We're not sure we would characterize what happened here on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in the playoff opener "another Dallas Cowboys heartbreak.'' After all the writing was on the wall so early in what would be a Green Bay Packers' 48-32 road win that there was plenty of time for Cowboys Nation's "heart'' to slowly adjust, to take a long bathroom- or nachos-break, or to turn off the TV entirely.

Or, if you were with us in attendance in Arlington, to leave early, as thousands of ticket-holders - trying to beat the wintry weather home and trying to shield their eyes from more "football disaster'' - were well within their rights to do.

So your "heart'' didn't "break,'' exactly. And it was too cold for your "heart'' to "melt'' ... 13 degrees once we hit the exits at AT&T Stadium.

Therefore, let's just go with "failure.'' Again.

And Cowboys Nation is left bemoaning the long-ago work of QB's Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman in comparison to their more modern contemporaries Tony Romo and Dak Prescott.

It is Romo's "fault'' that his Cowboys managed just a 2-4 playoff record with an 0-3 mark in the Divisional Round? Not singularly, no. But 13 NFL seasons and two playoff wins? This is a "Quarterback League,'' so ...

Is it Dak's "fault'' that after eight NFL seasons, his career postseason record is a remarkably similar 205 and 0-3 in the Divisional Round? Of course not - though Prescott is taking the blame.

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"I sucked tonight,'' he said, and with his two interceptions (and despite his trio of meaningless TD throws to Jake Ferguson), nobody argued.

This is the most lopsided home playoff loss in franchise history. This is also the first time a No. 7 seed has ever beaten a No. 2 seed. Oh, and the Packers are now 6-0 in this building, whether it's for a Super Bowl win over the Steelers or for an Aaron Rodgers-led success or for the kid QB Justin Love doing it here.

Forget "America's Team's'' 29-year Super Bowl drought; we're just talking about a modicum of success and an the avoidance of embarrassment. 

Dak's performance was such that he responded to questions about the possible firing of coach Mike McCarthy that he said he too might deserve to be canned.

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“Add me to the list in that case,” Prescott said, meaning to support McCarthy but inadvertently causing some Cowboys fans to want to take him up on his offer.

TONY ROMO:

2-4 playoff record, 0-3 in the Divisional Round

DAK PRESCOTT:

2-5 playoff record, 0-3 in the Divisional Round

Carrying on the legacy of failure.

— Barry (@BarryOnHere) January 15, 2024

Dak used the word "shocked'' multiple times to summarize the night,

“Just shocked, honestly,” Prescott said. “From the beginning of the game, we got beat. There’s no which way around it. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Shock.”

Cowboys Nation's response? How can we be "shocked'' by the same thing happening every year?