Cowboys' 3 Biggest Chokers in Playoff Loss to Packers
The Dallas Cowboys' impressive 2023 season came to a stunning end on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs. A loss in itself wasn't the surprise here, but instead it was the way this Cowboys team got dominated in all facets of the game versus the Green Bay Packers.
Losing like this should have everyone in Dallas looking themselves in the mirror. And there's a few people around the team who need to realize they choked in the biggest moment of the season.
Cowboys at Fault for 2024 Wild Card Loss to Packers
1. Dak Prescott
One of the reasons Cowboys fans felt optimistic this team could go a long playoff run was because of quarterback Dak Prescott. The formed third-round pick appeared to take a major leap forward during the 2023 season, as evidenced by his league-leading 410 completions and 36 touchdown passes, along with a second career campiagn of at least 4,500 yards.
However, whatever zone Prescott was in during the year completely changed when facing Green Bay. His poor play in the first half was a major reason Dallas found itself in 27-7 hole after the initial two quarters, recording a lackluster 87 passing yards and two interceptions.
Both of Prescott's INTs led to Packer touchdowns, making those mistakes that much worse. He was lucky the first wasn't a pick-six at the time, but Green Bay punched it into the end zone a few plays later. The second pick was taken to the house, however, as Darnell Savage read him perfectly to put his squad up 27-0.
Everyone felt the air go out of the stadium following that interception return for a touchdown, and it was completely Prescott's fault for telegraphing the pass. Even though Prescott finished the day with three TDs, it wasn't close to making up for the damage he did to his own team earlier in the contest.
This defeat now pushes the 30-year-old's all-time playoff record to a dismal 2-5. His choke job when it mattered most shouldn't be overlooked despite a strong statical performance during the regular season.