Cowboys Nation hit the extreme panic button Wednesday after Dak Prescott showed up on the injury report. Though head coach Brian Schottenheimer tried to pump the brakes, it is hard for Cowboys fans to remain calm.
The timing seemed too perfect to be worse. They sit at 4-5-1 with blurry playoff hopes. The team has a 10% chance of making the postseason per the New York Times’ simulator. Sunday's showdown with the Eagles could make or break their luck. One loss drops those odds below five percent.
In the process, Prescott's hip injury just added to the tension.
Fans lose it after Dak Prescott suffers hip injury ahead of Eagles matchup
The franchise signal-caller torched the Raiders for 268 yards and four touchdowns. During that match, there were no visible signs of injury on his body. But now he landed on the week's initial injury report with a hip issue, listed as limited.
The head coach explained, "We're going to be real smart with the tempo today, because it's basically a Tuesday for the players' bodies." However, fans aren't convinced by Schottenheimer's routine explanation, as their playoff hopes are fading.
Social media reacted with absolute doomsday takes. "Damn not Dak whyyy," one fan wrote.
Another added, "I'm scared No C."
A third claimed, "Short week is what makes me nervous but we get that bonus bye coming up. Just need 4 safe Sunday - Thursday after that he can relax some."
"Every time they say its nothing major. Later on something happens to dak and boom he out for the season," a fourth one remarked.
Meanwhile, experts are still holding out hope for the Cowboys and Prescott, but with some conditions. ESPN’s Peter Schrager called the next three weeks "legacy-defining" for Prescott on First Take. The quarterback himself acknowledged the stakes. "We're in control, and life's going to throw things at us," Prescott said recently via Todd Archer of ESPN.
But history haunts Dallas fans as Prescott has dealt with multiple injuries derailing promising seasons.
The head coach offers little comfort to a fanbase conditioned for worst-case scenarios. But folks only want to know that the hip won't limit Prescott against a hungry Eagles defense.
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