DALLAS — The NFL announced their 2020 Pro Bowl rosters on Tuesday evening, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was not one of the three quarterbacks for the NFC.
Earning the conference's top spots were the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson, the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees, and the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers.
Wilson, Brees, and Rodgers were named to the Pro Bowl because of the visibility that comes with winning. All three of their teams are playing musical chairs for the two first-round byes in the playoffs. Meanwhile the Cowboys are at .500 and may not make the playoffs.
When fan voting is a part of the process, all people are going to know is that Wilson, Brees, and Rodgers win. The voters saw Rodgers beat Prescott in Week 5, a week after a Brees-less Saints team defeated the Cowboys.
Cowboys quarterbacks don't get the benefit of the doubt of being a great talent trapped on a bad team or saddled with a bad record. The last Cowboys quarterback to make the Pro Bowl while the team failed to make the postseason was Eddie LeBaron in 1962. He posted a 3-3 record while Dallas went 5-8-1 on the season, their third of six consecutive seasons before they would qualify for the postseason in 1966.
Every other Dallas quarterback — Don Meredith, Roger Staubach, Danny White, Troy Aikman, Tony Romo — earned their Pro Bowl selections in years the Cowboys made the playoffs.
Winning matters.
Going off of stats alone, it is puzzling how Prescott did not make the top three. Among the three Pro Bowl quarterbacks, his 340 completions are higher, as are his 519 attempts and his 4,334 passing yards. Prescott has thrown for more first downs with 204, and his 8.4 yards per pass attempt is also higher than the three selected. His 65.5 completion percentage is higher than Rodgers' 63.3%. Wilson has more touchdowns by two with 28. Brees has fewer sacks (nine to 18), but that is only because he missed five games.
Here are stats that may have influenced fans and some players to think Prescott just wasn't good enough. His passer rating of 99.3 is lower than Rodgers' 100.4, the lowest of the trio. Prescott is tied for the 10th-most interceptions in the NFL with 11. Along with Tom Brady, Prescott is the only quarterback this season to have started every game and failed to deliver on a fourth quarter comeback and/or a game-winning drive.
It also doesn't help that the Cowboys didn't beat their first team with a winning record until Week 15 versus the Los Angeles Rams. Until then, the narrative was that Dallas couldn't beat a good team, and ipso facto, Prescott just beats up on bad teams like the Dolphins, Giants, and Lions.
Presuming Prescott's shoulder injury doesn't linger throughout the rest of the season and into the postseason, the former 2016 fourth-round pick ought to have a shot at replacing whichever one of the three NFC quarterbacks will likely be preparing for a Super Bowl. Furthermore, if it's not Wilson, do Rodgers and Brees really want to go to Orlando, Fla., for the umpteenth time?
Do you think Dak Prescott should have been named to the Pro Bowl team over bigger names on winning teams? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
More coverage of the Cowboys:
- Dak Prescott limited in practice Wednesday due to shoulder injury
- Patrick’s POV: NFC East is there for the taking for Cowboys against Eagles
- Cowboys Hash Marks: Dallas finally beats a winning team
- Veteran Sean Lee leads defensive revival, but can the Cowboys sustain it?
- 5 Things: Who were those guys? Cowboys rout Rams
