Prescott feels pain, but is part of promise for Cowboys

Dak Prescott tried to negotiate the length of his second meeting with reporters in less than 24 hours after experiencing the pain of a last-play loss in the NFL playoffs for the first time.

The Dallas rookie quarterback told someone to pick the maximum number of questions, and when he thought it was too high, Prescott suggested his uniform number – four – and broke into a faint smile while everyone laughed Monday.

Prescott and fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott, the NFL rushing champion, can understand what Tony Romo and Jason Witten have been feeling for years trying to end what is now a 21-year Super Bowl drought for a franchise with five titles.

It will be up to the young stars to make it happen after the promise they showed in a gut-wrenching 34-31 divisional playoff loss at home to Green Bay.

“It was a missed opportunity … because this team won’t be back together, not the same team, not the same exact men and players won’t be back together,” said Prescott, who added to a number of NFL rookie QB bests by becoming the first to throw three touchdowns in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era. “But for the people that will for this organization, the youth in this team, it’s a building block. We’re going to get better from it. We’ll make plenty more runs.”

The Cowboys had a replay of 2007, when they were the top seed in the NFC at 13-3 with a bye and home-field advantage before losing to the New York Giants. It was the fifth straight divisional loss for Dallas, going back to 1996, the year after the last Super Bowl win.

The feeling, though, might be a little more like 1991, when the Cowboys lost to Detroit in the same round and went into the offseason feeling the need to add an elite pass-rushing end. Charles Haley was a key part of three Super Bowl wins in four years.

The Dallas defense was mostly adequate this season working alongside a first-rate offense with one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. But the Cowboys couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers, just like two years ago when they were built similarly and lost a divisional game during a trip to Green Bay.

“I’m buoyed in the short term more so than what happened to us in the ensuing years after ’07,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “I don’t think I’m being an optimist.”

There won’t be much work to do on offense, once the Cowboys figure out what to do with Romo, who is likely to be traded or released after Prescott once again affirmed his status by rallying Dallas from an 18-point deficit in the second quarter and from 15 down in the fourth.

Prescott and Elliott have three years left on their rookie contracts – Prescott at an extreme discount for his position if his performance doesn’t fade.

Star receiver Dez Bryant appears primed for the final three years of his $70 million contract after perhaps his best game considering how often the Cowboys went to him to try to get back into the game. The 28-year-old had his first two career playoff TDs against the Packers.

Witten is entering the final year of his deal after finally catching his first postseason touchdown and figures to be back for a 15th season.

“I’m proud of these guys,” Witten said. “A lot of them are young. For them to play that way, it’s not easy to do. There’s a lot of things to build on moving forward.”