The Dallas Cowboys struggle to come by respect from those stationed outside the fandom. It’s understandable. Any team run by Jerry Jones and labeled “America’s team” is going to face extra scrutiny and a bit of passive disdain. It’s hard not to roll your eyes at the Cowboys sometimes. What an absurd construct of modern society.

And yet, by that same token, the Cowboys often deserve more respect. It’s easy to pile on after the postseason flameouts and controversial front office maneuvers, but Dallas has been one of the NFC’s most reliable contenders over the last few years. The playoffs are a different and difficult beast, but Dallas is a regular season force year-in and year-out.

Dak Prescott has been the primary driving force behind Dallas’ success over the last eight years. He may not be the best player on the Cowboys, but quarterback is undeniably the most important position in football, and Prescott has executed the position at a high level since he entered the league as a fourth-round pick in 2016.

There have been lulls — the standard peaks and values that come with sub-elite quarterbacks — but while Prescott isn’t in the top tier at his position, his best stretches have approached that level. Last season, the 30-year-old finished second in MVP voting after his most productive individual campaign to date.

And yet, when ESPN polled NFL coaches, executives, and scouts about the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Prescott landed tenth on the list. He was the only QB slated in the top 10 who didn’t receive a single vote inside the top six. Here is what one NFC exec told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“He always does well enough to be in the top 10 but never gets over the hump. He makes all the throws. He’s playing the position at a high level. But something’s missing. There are a lot of factors in that, from the running game, playcalling, defense, and Dallas hasn’t won in a long while. But certain guys are going to elevate their team late in the game, and Dak doesn’t seem to do that.”

Not exactly much substance there. Only a vague declaration that “something is missing.”

Dak Prescott can’t shake losing reputation after another Cowboys flameout

What the executive articulates is not a new sentiment. This is pretty much how Prescott is viewed universally — a very good regular season quarterback who cannot muster the necessary ‘it’ factor when games get tight and stakes are raised. At a certain point, it’s impossible to separate the QB from the success of his team.

Is Prescott at fault for Dallas’ Wild Card stinker against the 9-8 Green Bay Packers in the playoffs? No, not really. The Cowboys put up 32 points on the soon-to-be-fired Joe Barry, but Dallas’ once elite defense bled 48 points to an inexperienced offense in their own backyard. Prescott can’t go out there and defend the pass or pressure the opposing quarterback. He can only control what he can control.

Still, there have been instances where Prescott has choked away leads and come up small in big moments. Until he can reverse that narrative and lead the Cowboys on a deep postseason run — and, despite the front office’s general incompetence, this Cowboys team is built for a deep run — it will be impossible for Prescott to shed the ‘loser’ tag. The ‘he’s good, but not great’ label.

That said, it’s a bit strange to see the reigning MVP runner-up, who completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, ranked 10th at his position. The top four are more or less locked between Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson, but Prescott deserves a shout in that next grouping. Aaron Rodgers, ranked eighth, is a 40-year-old coming off an Achilles tear. Matthew Stafford, ranked sixth, posted a QBR more than 10 points lower than Prescott last season.

Prescott probably isn’t a top-five quarterback, but there’s a compelling case for that six, seven, or eight range. This is ultimately a matter of personal preference, but it’s fair to opine that Prescott is suffering under the weight of expectations a bit. The Cowboys continue to fall short, and that negative press is dropped on Prescott.