Prescott said playing post-season football is one of the goals, but winning every game matters more.

The Dallas Cowboys had one foot in the playoffs even before their fixture in the Meadowlands. But Dak Prescott was more focused on beating the Buffalo Bills than thinking about post-season football.

But in the heavy rain at Orchard Park, the Cowboys could not hold the candle against the Bills. They went down 31-10 and lost their fourth game on the road. It was an important game to get closer to the 49ers and grab hold of the NFC East, closing the door on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Prescott wasn’t aware that the Cowboys were already in the playoffs, regardless of the outcome at Higmark. He was more focused on trying to win the game than thinking about the playoffs.

No, I didn’t at all. I don’t care, to be honest. Obviously, coming into this thing at the beginning of the year, that’s one of the goals. But as we have gotten to the later part of the year, with the way we have been handling [the games] this season, we knew it was just a matter of time. We can check it off. 

The 30-year-old said after the game.

Every game is important for the teams fighting to get into the playoffs, some more than others. Depending on the final positions of the teams in their respective divisions, it will determine whether they play home or away in the postseason. The Bills’ loss meant it kept the door open for the Eagles to go and clinch the division.

Dak Prescott is eyeing wins in the remaining games

The Dallas Cowboys are 10-4 for the season, and the major reason behind that success is Dak Prescott’s MVP-worthy season. In 15 games, he has thrown for 3,639 yards with 28 touchdowns and just 7 picks.

But a section of the football fans would argue they had an easier road compared to, say, the Philadelphia Eagles or the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (Image via Si)
It’s evident from the fact that the Cowboys have only beaten a .500 team twice all season. On other occasions, they have suffered heavy defeats, like the Bills game. So it puts a dent in their and Prescott’s bid for an MVP candidacy. Yet before Sunday’s game, he was the frontrunner, just ahead of 49ers QB Brock Purdy.

But that’s not the area of focus for Prescott. He wants to wrap up the regular season with all Ws.

Today (against the bills), we did not put out our best performance. We simply didn’t do that. So that’s where the concern is. That’s where the focus is. Right now, much more than us getting into the playoffs, we have two out of three, something like that, left on the road. 

He said

The Cowboys still have to face two teams that have the same number of wins as them. The first is a road trip down South Beach to face the Miami Dolphins. Then they welcome the Detroit Lions to Arlington and finish the 2023 season by facing the Washington Commanders in DC.