In the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 beatdown of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dak Prescott was the star of the night.
So it got us thinking about the best playoff performances by a QB in Cowboys history, and where Dak’s Wild Card Round heroics would land on that list.
Here’s what we came up with:
5. Roger Staubach 1976 NFC Championship
Roger Staubach earned the nickname Captain Comeback for his late-game heroics, but none were needed in this matchup. Dallas cruised to a 37-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams to advance to the Super Bowl.
Staubach jumped on the Rams immediately, throwing three touchdowns in the first half. He finished the game 16/26 passing (61%) for 220 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Staubach also rushed for 54 yards.
A funny note from this game is that Staubach’s 112.2 passer rating was second-best that day. Backup QB Clint Longley closed the game out and went 2/2 passing for 26 yards, earning a 118.7 rating.
4. Troy Aikman 1992 NFC Championship
Dallas topped the San Francisco 49ers 30-20 in this matchup, which led to the Cowboys hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in the 1990s.
Troy Aikman didn’t throw his first touchdown until the fourth quarter, but still had an impressive day. Troy went 24/34 (70%) for 322 yards and two touchdowns.
His favorite target was Alvin Harper who reeled in three catches for 117 yards, averaging 39 yards per reception.
3. Danny White 1981 Divisional Round
Dallas trailed the Atlanta Falcons 27-17 in the fourth quarter, but stormed back to win 30-27. The catalysts of the comeback were Danny White and Drew Pearson, who combined for two fourth quarter touchdowns to keep the Cowboys season alive.
White finished 25/39 passing (64%) for 322 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
White’s big game might not have come in the Championship Round or the Super Bowl, but his clutch play to save the day is deserving of a top three ranking, regardless of the stage.
2. Dak Prescott 2023 Wild Card Round
Prescott has been under heavy scrutiny this season. His 15 interceptions are tied for the most in football, and are a career-high.
All the criticism of Dak made the Cowboys defeat of the Buccaneers even sweeter. Prescott was 25/33 (75%) for 305 yards and four touchdowns.
The fact that it could be Tom Brady’s final game is icing on the cake. NFL fans’ last memory of the GOAT being Dak ushering the 45-year-old into retirement would be tough to beat.
1. Troy Aikman 1993 Super Bowl
The Cowboys clobbered the Buffalo Bills 52-13 to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Dallas for the first time in 15 seasons.
There were a lot of dominant performances from Cowboys players that day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. But nobody was sharper than Aikman.
He threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Aikman was extremely accurate, too, completing 22/30 passes (73%). So it should come as no surprise that Troy was named Super Bowl MVP.
