3 Cowboys Most to Blame for Team's Disappointing Season

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys were finally put out of their misery on Sunday evening when it was confirmed that they were eliminated from playoff contention. Now that their maddening campaign has drawn its last breath, it would be reasonable to begin pointing the inevitable fingers at those most responsible for their shortcomings. So, aside from Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones themselves, here are three players who needed to give the team more than they ended up giving in 2019.

3. Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott's inclusion here isn't an indictment on how one feels about his ceiling as an NFL signal-caller. He was undoubtedly the right man for the job this season, but his play was far too inconsistent in 2019. We've truly lost count as to how many times Prescott missed open receivers this season. Whether overthrowing them or heaving the ball woefully behind them on routes, the Mississippi State product rarely made it easy for his bunch.

2. Jaylon Smith

Boy, did Jaylon Smith's flaws surface in the center of Dallas' defense with Leighton Vander Esch sidelined for most of the season with a neck injury. Like Prescott, you just never knew what form of Jaylon -- the world-beater or mindless tackler -- you were going to get on a weekly basis. Fresh off landing a lucrative contract extension, we expected more than 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits all season long.

1. DeMarcus Lawrence

DeMarcus Lawrence got paid like one of the NFL's best edge rushers following his dominant 2018 season, but he sure didn't play like one this year. In the simplest of terms, we shouldn't forget that a player of his pedigree was on the field, and we found ourselves asking that question far too often in 2019. Tank compiled just five sacks (after combining for 25 the previous two campaigns), two forced fumbles, and 10 tackles for loss.