ARLINGTON, TX - Less than a week after a gut-wrenching 45-28 Divisional Round loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys gathered at The Star to clear out their lockers and face the media. For a team that entered the playoffs as the NFC's top seed, the early exit stings even more.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was candid as he packed up his gear. "We had our chances," said Prescott, who threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings but was also intercepted three times. "In this league, you can't give the other team extra opportunities-especially in the playoffs."
Prescott finishes the season with 3,929 passing yards (11th in the league), 24 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. But the Cowboys' struggles extended beyond their quarterback. In the regular season, tight end Luke Schoonmaker was the team's leading receiver with 1,056 yards (19th in the league)-a telling sign of an offense that never fully clicked. "It's never good when your tight end is leading the team in yards," said offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. "We didn't get enough production from our wideouts, and that's something we'll have to address this offseason."
The ground game didn't fare much better. Aaron Jones led the team with just 745 rushing yards (21st), while rookie Deuce Vaughn and backup quarterback rushes propped up the rest of the production. On defense, cornerback Trevon Diggs led the league with 9 interceptions, a bright spot for a unit that otherwise faltered at times down the stretch.
Micah Parsons and Sam Williams each posted a team-high 8 sacks (tied for first), showing flashes of the Cowboys' old pass-rushing identity. But it was Caelen Carson who led the team in tackles with 44 (120th in the league), a sign of how often the secondary was called on to make plays. "We got away from who we are defensively," said Williams. "We were supposed to be the best defense in football, but we didn't play like it."
Head coach Andres Perez didn't shy away from the criticism. "We didn't meet expectations," he said. "We had the talent, we had the opportunity, but when you come up short in the postseason, that's on all of us. There's no sugarcoating it."
As the Cowboys face a long offseason, questions swirl around what's next, especially on offense. "We know we have to be better," Prescott said. "It starts with me, and it starts now."
