Dak Prescott is 1–19 when trailing by 10+ at halftime, which is a stat no quarterback wants— and the Cowboys’ defense keeps failing when he needs them most.
Prescott’s 1–19 Curse: Cowboys Collapse When Down Big
When Dak Prescott trails by double digits at halftime, the numbers are staggering.
In his Dallas Cowboys career, Prescott is 1–19 when down by 10 or more at halftime — a stat that highlights how Dallas falters when forced to play from behind.
And while much of the public criticism falls on Prescott, the truth is clear: the Cowboys’ defense has been the biggest culprit when the scoreboard turns ugly early.
When Did Prescott’s Only Comeback Win Happen?
Prescott’s lone win in these situations came in Week 2 of the 2020 season against the Atlanta Falcons. Dallas trailed 29–10 at halftime but stormed back to win 40–39 in one of the most dramatic finishes in team history.
That game remains the rare example where both sides of the ball found rhythm — the defense tightened up, and Prescott executed nearly flawlessly.
Since then, that kind of complementary football has been almost nonexistent when Dallas falls behind.
Why Can’t the Cowboys Close the Gap?
In nearly every one of those 19 losses, the Cowboys’ defense has failed to provide the spark needed for a comeback.
- 2019 vs. Packers: Down 17–0, the defense surrendered four rushing touchdowns to Aaron Jones.
- 2023 vs. 49ers: Trailed 21–7, allowed 42 points in a blowout loss.
- 2023 vs. Bills: Behind 21–3, gave up 266 rushing yards in a 31–10 defeat.
When Dallas is down early, the defense rarely forces takeaways or gets crucial third-down stops. Those failures keep the offense on the sideline while opponents control tempo and drain the clock — a fatal combination for comeback chances.
Is the Defense Holding Prescott Back?
Under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys’ offense has improved in rhythm and play-calling balance. But no amount of offensive creativity can overcome a defense that gives up 33 points per game when trailing by double digits at the half.
The lack of takeaways, inconsistent pressure, and poor tackling have erased any margin for error. Prescott often finds himself needing to score on every drive to stay within reach — a formula that rarely works against playoff-caliber opponents.
This isn’t just about scheme. It’s about execution, communication, and accountability. The defense that once defined Dallas with swagger and aggression has too often disappeared when games slip out of control early.
Cowboys Must Stop Digging Their Own Graves
Prescott’s 1–19 career record when trailing by 10 or more at halftime isn’t a quarterback flaw — it’s a team-wide failure.
Until the Cowboys’ defense starts generating stops and turnovers when they matter most, Dallas will remain a front-running team that crumbles under adversity.
Schottenheimer can fix the offensive tempo, but without defensive resistance, comebacks will stay rare.
If the Cowboys want to rewrite this narrative, they must start faster, defend better, and stop waiting until halftime to wake up. Because until that happens, the 1–19 stat will keep defining the Prescott era in Dallas.
So, the Cowboy offense is not on the field in the first half of games, it’s just the Cowboy defense vs the opponent’s offense. “It’s a team wide failure” when the QB led offense can’t produce in the first half and put the team in a hole. Interesting.
This last game against the Cards, QB1 led the team to TEN POINTS the ENTIRE GAME. Against the Broncos, 17 points the entire game. How is this the defense’s fault for losing. Not saying the defense hasn’t been bad, but there are issues on both sides of the football.
Does “team wide failure”, not cover the QB? The last time I checked he was part of the team, unless I missed something. You cannot, with a straight face, say this team has not lost more games because of the defense.
Never said the defense wasn’t playing bad, merely pointing out the offense is not without some accountability.
I guess the issue I have with this article is the very obscure
1-19 stat which seems to make QB1 the victim of the defense’s play. My comment above points out that both teams’ offenses are on the field in the first half with the ability to score. If QB1 can’t produce in the first half, that should be on him as the leader of the offense and not the defense.
BTW, you highlighted three of those 1-19 games, two in 2023, and one in 2019. Cowboy defense was TOP FIVE in the league in 2023. In 2019, they were 11th. In the SF “blowout”, QB1 had THREE INTs and 150 pass yards. In the Bills game, he produced 130 pass yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. In the GB game, THREE INTs.
Looks like QB1 may have been a victim of his own bad play.
It does sound like the term ” halftime adjustments” is unheard of. Or, maybe, simply inadequate.
in either case, that’s the issue – and starting well – of course .
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s all the sports media groups and Jerry Jones needs to wake up and realize the Cowboy are a jokes and Jerry Jones made this mess by firing Jimmy Johnson