Cowboys' Dak Prescott takes more criticism following Texans' playoff win

The Dallas Cowboys can't escape criticism even when they're not playing.

That was evident during the Houston Texans Wild Card Game against the Los Angeles Chargers. During the second quarter, Charles Davis poked fun at Jerry Jones for the sun glare in his stadium.

After the game, there was more criticism, although this time it was Dak Prescott who took the heat.

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Prescott, who is just 2-5 in the postseason has often been criticized for not getting the job done when it matters most. That's not the case for his in-state counterpart as C.J. Stroud just improved to 2-1 in the playoffs with the win over L.A.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) jogs off the field after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

What makes this look worse is the fact that Prescott has been in the NFL for nine seasons whereas Stroud is in year two.

🚨CRAZY STAT🚨 #Texans quarterback CJ Stroud has the same amount of playoff wins as #Cowboys QB DAK Prescott.

Stroud is playing in his second season, and Dak has been in the league for nine seasons.

🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/71UWTfKSva
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 12, 2025

Of course, any one who has followed the Cowboys understands that Prescott has been asked to do much more than Stroud. The Texans understand their QB needs help, so they extended Nico Collins, signed Danielle Hunter and Joe Mixon, and traded for Stefon Diggs.

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When players such as Diggs and Tank Dell were injured, they adjusted and added Diontae Johnson late in the season. Johnson hasn't made a huge impact but the Texans have left no stone unturned.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas, on the other hand, has made a lot of excuses. They avoided outside free agents this year and made sure to test the relationship with Dak and CeeDee Lamb during contract negotiations.

None of this means Prescott is immune to criticism, because he has struggled in the playoffs. It's just hard to compare situations when he's asked to do far more heavy lifting than anyone else.

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