Cowboys' Dak Prescott catches heat from Seahawks booth over playoff record

Cowboys' Dak Prescott catches heat from Seahawks booth over playoff record originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Dak Prescott did not play a single snap in Seattle, yet he still became the biggest storyline of the Dallas Cowboys' preseason opener. Local broadcasters spent part of the telecast breaking down his career in blunt terms, and one factual mistake during the segment quickly caught fire online. Prescott has led the Cowboys to the playoffs four times since becoming the starter in 2016, but postseason success has remained elusive.

The Cowboys fell 17-7 to the Seahawks on Saturday night at Lumen Field, a result that mattered far less than the commentary happening in the booth.

Seahawks analysts Michael Robinson and Michael Bennett, calling the game alongside play-by-play announcer Kate Scott, used part of the broadcast to question Prescott's postseason résumé nearly a decade into his career. Neither team's regular starters played meaningfully in the exhibition, with backups from both sides handling most of the snaps throughout the night.

The comments circulated widely after being shared in this post, drawing reaction from fans on both sides of the rivalry.

The broadcast opened with praise before turning critical. "Number four runs the entire show," the broadcast said, pointing to Prescott's command of the offense with weapons like CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the outside. "It's a treat to watch," the analysts added, "but at this point in his career, it's time for Dak to win some playoff games." The remark quickly spread across NFL social media, with fans on both sides weighing in within hours of the broadcast airing.

The segment also included a factual error, with the broadcast referencing Prescott's history playing alongside running back DeMarco Murray, even though the two never shared a Cowboys roster. Murray's peak season in Dallas came in 2014 under Tony Romo, while Prescott did not take over as the starter until 2016 after Romo's injury. Ezekiel Elliott, not Murray, was Prescott's primary running back during his early seasons. "He needs to win," the analysts repeated near the close of the segment, tying the critique back to the team's championship drought.

Prescott enters this season with a 2-5 career playoff record, including a 2018 wild-card win over these same Seahawks, and a 2022 wild-card win over Tampa Bay. His postseason results have remained a consistent point of criticism even as his regular-season numbers have stayed strong.

Some fans have pointed out that Prescott's advice to focus on the future rather than dwell on past losses hasn't stopped the criticism from following him into every new season. According to career statistics tracking his postseason performance, Prescott has yet to reach an NFC Championship Game in nearly a decade as Dallas' starter. Dallas has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons under a pair of different head coaches, adding further scrutiny to the quarterback position.

The Cowboys continue their preseason slate with two more exhibition games before opening the regular season. Prescott and the rest of Dallas' starters are expected to see the field for the first time once meaningful snaps begin later this month. Dallas finished last season 7-9-1 under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, missing the postseason for a second consecutive year. The team's preseason opener offered an early look at depth-chart battles rather than any meaningful evaluation of the starting lineup.

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