On the day the Cowboys reported to training camp, left guard Tyler Smith made headlines when he said the Super Bowl is a “realistic goal.” The Cowboys, of course, haven’t played in an NFC Championship Game since 1995, which was their most recent Super Bowl appearance.
New coach Brian Schottenheimer has echoed Smith’s words, and quarterback Dak Prescott called it the goal and expectation every year despite the drought.
“Hell yeah. If [Smith] doesn’t believe it, or anybody in that locker room doesn’t don’t believe it, then I would ask him to get out,” Prescott said Thursday, via Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. “Schotty said it day one we showed up. If you don’t want to win the Super Bowl, don’t think we can win a Super Bowl, then don’t come to Oxnard and you’re in the wrong place. We know the standard when you wear the star. We know the expectations. And I credit Schotty for not shying away from it. I don’t think anybody’s ever heard me shy away from it. So it’s just making sure everybody understands that. We have to think that. We have to manifest that. I appreciate Tyler for saying it and believing it.”
Prescott heads into this 10th season with high expectations and the burden of a 2-5 postseason record.
“What I’ve done or accomplished really doesn’t hold any weight to me,” Prescott said. “That’s the true fucking motivation. That’s the truth . . . in your stomach. Like that’s what’s in your gut. It’s obvious that I don’t [have a Super Bowl] so it’s not like, ‘Oh my God, somebody knows there’s a secret.’ Like, my secrets out. No, fuck that.
“That’s what pushes me to be better each and every day, and that’s what I wanted. That’s not just for myself. It’s for everybody. You’ve got to love when your expectations align and your standards align with not only the coaches, the front office, but the fans as well. I think that’s the great part about playing with the Cowboys is it says you’re as good as your last game. Period. What are you doing for us now? And when your last games are playoff losses. . . . That’s obvious. That’s what sits on me, and it should sit on fans, too.”
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