In last week’s playoff tracker Youth Sean Lee Jersey , we looked at why the Cowboys faced a must-win game in Washington: Well, the Cowboys lost, and their playoff odds took a big dive. And even with a win against the Titans in two weeks (which is by no means a given for this team), the Cowboys will not hit the halfway mark of the season with a winning record.Winter is here for the Dallas Cowboys.What is the escalation of a must-win game? Probably a desperation game. Which is why the Cowboys face a desperation game against the Titans: If the Cowboys win and improve to 4-4, their playoff increase to 32%. If they lose and drop to 3-5, their playoff odds drop to just 11%. You might feel that these numbers are too generic and don’t apply to the specific situation of the Cowboys, and that may be true. So here’s a look at the 10 seasons in which the Cowboys started either 4-4 or 3-5: 10 seasons, 7.0 wins on average Sean Lee Jersey Stitched , lucked into the playoffs twice, nine wins as a ceiling. And they never made the playoffs - or had a winning record - after starting 3-5. Desperation.Other metrics also project the same old Jason Garrett song and dance, barring an improbable turnaround in player and coaching performance.Pythagorean Formula: 8.2 winsElo Ratings: 7.8 winsFootball Outsiders: 7.7 winsBut this is nothing new, as we pointed out after Week 3, when we said Winter is Coming for the Cowboys.Nothing has changed. We’re just further along into yet another average Garrett season.And keep this in mind: With another coach, the Cowboys might be sitting pretty at 5-2, but Garrett’s conservative game management on the final offensive drives is a key reason why the Cowboys didn’t get a chance to win both the Texans and Redskins games.What bugs me most is Garrett should know better; his conservative game management has has cost him multiple games, as Michael Strawn summarizes here in his most recent article. Garrett and his staff now have two weeks to develop a gameplan to defeat the 3-4 Titans. Fail at that task and Garrett should start polishing his resum茅 and start tidying up his desk. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett Youth Leighton Vander Esch Jersey , offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and quarterbacks coach Jon Kitna all played quarterback in the NFL, combining for 169 game appearances and 135 starts. (Yes, Kitna had most of those.)So Dak Prescott has someone he can seek for advice at every turn.Kitna, hired by the Cowboys this offseason, said he plays only a small role in Prescott’s development.“I’m just trying to help him be the best he can be,” said Kitna, who started 124 NFL games in a 15-year career that included two seasons in Dallas.The obvious follow-up question is: What is Prescott’s best? That’s the question the Cowboys are faced with answering as they actively negotiate a long-term deal with Prescott.I don’t think anybody knows that,” Kitna said. “I don’t think anybody knows that. He’s a rare individual. He’s a rare individual from the physical standpoint Leighton Vander Esch Jersey Stitched , the mental standpoint, the experience standpoint, the leadership, I mean, on down the line. Playing in Dallas, with all that comes with being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, he embraces all that. He doesn’t shy away from it. I don’t think you want to even try to put limits on what that would be, on what his best is. It’s going to be fun over time to watch it happen.”Prescott Youth Connor Williams Jersey , who turns 26 next month, has never had a losing season in his three seasons starting for the Cowboys. He is 32-16, having thrown for 10,876 yards with 67 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.“The thing that jumps out and I’ve said this multiple times: He wants to be the best,” Kitna said. “A lot of people say that. I just feel like you can watch somebody [you can see it]. You don’t really care about what they say. . . .You watch Jason Witten and you’re like, ‘There’s a guy who wants to be the best tight end. Still.’ Dak is similar. He doesn’t need to be poked and prodded, but he wants to be poked and prodded and pushed. So it’s fun.”