Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer December 1, 2023, 2:29 a.m. ET
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- Todd Archer is an NFL reporter for ESPN covering the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
ARLINGTON – Dak Prescott isn’t going to get carried away by a fourth straight win, a game-ending touchdown drive or three more scoring passes.
In the Dallas Cowboys’ 41-35 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, Prescott simply did what he thought he was supposed to do.
“Honestly, my expectations,” Prescott said. “I put a lot into this game. I prepare hard. There are great coaches and players around me who do exactly the same thing. So I really think that’s the expectations that I have for myself, the standard that we’ve created as an offense and how we feel comfortable in this game.”
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Prescott has never felt so comfortable. In his last seven games, he has 21 touchdown passes, including three against Seattle, and just two interceptions. The Cowboys are 1-6 since losing to the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 8, and Prescott was able to power a punting-free offense Thursday, scoring on eight of 10 offensive possessions, which included a kneel, to secure the victory finish.
Head coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott’s play was reminiscent of what he saw Aaron Rodgers do in his MVP seasons when they played together with the Green Bay Packers.
“Dak is playing great. It’s fun when you’re in that rhythm,” McCarthy said. “He has such great command. And it’s just a connection with his teammates. We get in and out seamlessly. We play at a really good pace. And that’s how we want to attack. “That’s only possible with a championship-caliber quarterback. And Dak is that guy.”
Prescott still has to get the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs, but there’s nothing he can do about it until January. At 9-3, the Cowboys appear to be on their way to their third straight playoff season, something they haven’t done since the 1990s when they won three Super Bowls.
“He’s getting better and better, and that says something when you have the experience and the reputation that he’s had in his career and the successes, if you will,” said owner and general manager Jerry Jones. “But he also experienced some setbacks. Dak plays best. He’s getting better and better. In my opinion he’s the best he’s ever been.”
After completing 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns, including the 12-yard game-winning strike to Jake Ferguson with 4:37 left to play, Prescott’s odds of winning the NFL Most Valuable Player award increased to 8-1 at 5:1, the third-lowest odds with Lamar Jackson, according to ESPN BET.
Prescott said he’s not worried about MVP talks or a Super Bowl right now. He’s more focused on having the weekend off to watch the Philadelphia Eagles play the 49ers on Sunday and resting his body after three games in 12 days.
If the Niners beat the Eagles, the Cowboys will be just one game back in the division. The Eagles won their first meeting against the Cowboys 28:23 on November 5th.
“I’m going to watch this game and then use it as kind of a film study, honestly,” Prescott said. “Then when the game is over on Monday morning, believe me, the first thing I will be looking at is the game from the last time we played them to the games they played in the last month between when “We played, played against them.” I’m really looking forward to it. Really. The way we play and understanding how the game went last time. We get this group here at home. There are many things to look forward to. And most importantly, we take another game step to get better and get to where we want to be.