Dak Prescott’s confident to solve Cowboys’ playoff puzzle

Dak Prescott turned 30 early in training camp, not long after setting a record for team attendance by hosting yet another pre-camp get-together.

The Dallas Cowboys star continues to fall short of leading his team where Tony Romo couldn’t – deep into the playoffs for a shot at the Super Bowl.

Prescott keeps coming back, knowing of how Dallas quarterback legacies are defined by Roger Staubach’s two victories in the 1970s and Troy Aikman’s three in the 1990s.

And always a little more determined to be the third title-winning quarterback for America’s Team, one of the world’s most valued sports organizations.

“Had a lot of adversity within and outside of this game,” Prescott explained. “It’s just shaped me to be the man, the leader, and the right guy for this team to get us exactly where we need to go.”

“It’s about using adversity and using our scars, embracing them and making sure we’re holding ourselves accountable to those and investing more time into what once caused those scars to make sure that is going to be our strength as we move forward.”

Moving forward begins Saturday, when the Cowboys open preseason versus Jacksonville at 4 p.m. ET.

Some of Prescott’s scars are psychological, such as divisional-round playoff defeats in three of his seven seasons — three more failed attempts to get the Cowboys to the NFC championship game for the first time since the 1995 season.

Physical scars include three surgeries to fix the horrific lower right leg injury that ruined his 2020 season in Week 5.

Some wounds are on the record, such as tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 15 last season despite missing five games due to a fractured thumb.

Prescott played one of his best performances of his career in a 31-14 wild-card victory over Tampa Bay last season, which forced Tom Brady to retire. However, he followed it up with a divisional-round flop against the San Francisco 49ers, which was comparable to another defeat to the 49ers in a wild-card game a year earlier.

Romo’s attempt to end Dallas’ postseason drought came to an end in 2016 when he was injured and replaced by Prescott.

Prescott, a starter from the start, was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading Dallas to the top seed in the NFC with an 11-game winning streak.

The Cowboys were defeated by Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay in Prescott’s playoff debut, and he now has a 2-4 postseason record.

“The way my rookie year went, it kind of messed up my head, and I didn’t think it’d be this hard in the six years following,” Prescott said. “But if it’s easy, I’m not interested.” In my life, nothing has ever come easy for me. I never ask for anything, and I’m not going to start now. That’s a factor.”

Prescott’s offseason meetups, which have become commonplace, usually bring a half-dozen players. He stated there were 17 recently in Georgia, and all the novices turning up drew his attention.

“You know there’s always going to be one of those guys you need late in the year to make a play, you’re going to need one of those guys to get moved up from the practice squad, you’re going to need one of those guys to come in on third down and make that catch,” Prescott explained. “We require them. We require their undivided attention and focus.”

Owner Jerry Jones signed Prescott to a $160 million, four-year contract two years ago and says an extension is on the way.

“Somebody’s been asking about, ‘Well, he’s 30, hasn’t won a Super Bowl, such and such won it at 27,'” Jones, 80, added. “I’m not sure, but I can’t think of anything I could do at 27 that I couldn’t do at 30.” Talk to me in 10 years, and we’ll talk about his age a little.”

Rodgers was 28 when he earned his first of four NFL MVPs in 2011, the season after winning the Super Bowl with Dallas coach Mike McCarthy, who is now Prescott’s play-caller.

McCarthy recalls telling Rodgers after that MVP season that he had perfect command of the scheme and that the challenge for the rest of the season would be being himself and growing with receivers and backs.

“When I look at Dak, I think he’s entering that phase of his career,” McCarthy explained. “He understands the offense completely, but where he is today is due to the changes we’ve made; he just needs reps.” Because, at the end of the day, the master of offense is what gives us the best chance to be who we are, and I believe he’s undoubtedly there.”

Even with the release of two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott in a cost-cutting measure, the roster may be the finest since Prescott came.

Prescott, a fourth-round pick after Elliott went fourth overall, is the final Dallas member from the 2016 draft class. That serves as another reminder of what Prescott is after.

“It just speaks of a sense of urgency,” he explained. “Nothing lasts forever, and I know what I want to do.” I know what I want to achieve. And I know what this squad want, and it’s all about that right now.”

Prescott is prepared to take another shot.