Prescott's playoff interceptions, decision-making failures, and slow starts have been catastrophic in recent postseason

Prescott has been a notable culprit in Dallas's playoff failures, throwing five interceptions across three recent playoff exits, all in critical situations. The source identifies three core issues: (1) paralysis by analysis—holding the ball too long and missing hot routes designed to escape pressure, leading to costly sacks and third-down stalls; (2) off-balance misfires—getting rattled by elite defenses and delivering errant throws, sailing balls over receivers or throwing behind them on crucial third downs; (3) blatant misreads—all five interceptions were balls that should never have been thrown, with the defense figuring him out and smothering his intended targets. Four picks were thrown deep in Dallas territory, turning into immediate opposition points; one came when the offense was on the verge of scoring in a close game. The source also documents a "warm-up effect" where Prescott's offense repeatedly digs massive holes early in playoff games (2016: 3 points by late Q2 down 18; 2018: 7 points by late Q3 down 16; 2021: 0 points until late Q2 down 13; 2022: 0 points until midway Q2; 2023: 0 points until end of Q2 down 27). While Prescott plays decently overall, he fails to elevate his game when it matters most, and the source argues he must become the solution rather than part of the problem if Dallas is to break its playoff curse.