Troy Aikman discusses Dak Prescott being blamed for Cowboys' playoff woes

Dallas Cowboys legend, Hall of Famer and ESPN NFL analyst Troy Aikman spoke at a charity gala on Monday evening about if current Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott is criticized too much for his lackluster playoff record. 

"I benefitted from the success of the teams that I was a part of in January," Aikman explained, according to Garrett Podell of CBS Sports. "I understand there's two sides to that coin. Until you do it, there's always the questions about whether or not you can." 

While Aikman helped the Cowboys claim three Super Bowl titles in four seasons during the 1990s, Prescott fell to 2-5 as a playoff starter this past January. Additionally, Dallas hasn't played in an NFC Championship game since Aikman and company hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in January 1996. 

The 2023 Cowboys won the NFC East division title with a record of 12-5 but then suffered a 48-32 wild-card loss at home to the Green Bay Packers. Aikman acknowledged that Prescott and others will feel "that they really missed an opportunity" considering what Dallas accomplished during the regular season. 

"There's been some of those in the last 20 years when they've been the No. 1 seed, but the way the year ended for them to be the No. 2 seed, I really thought that they would be in the NFC Championship game," Aikman added. "I'm certain they thought the same thing."

In February, Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson insisted that Prescott was "ready for the next season" and had put the Green Bay disappointment in the past. At Monday's event, Prescott indicated that the recent birth of his daughter has helped him move forward following yet another playoff loss.

"A lot of time to myself just being home allowed me to shut the door on that one, turn the page into working out in the offseason and try to figure out what needs to get better and change things," Prescott said. 

The 30-year-old is now tasked with changing a culture associated with losing elimination games. One wonders how many more chances Prescott will get to make a first career Super Bowl appearance with Dallas before Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones strongly consider going in a different direction regarding the sport's most important position.