No quarterback in the NFL is scrutinized every year for the level of intensity that Dak Prescott is. A lot of that has to do with the insane amount of attention his team, the Cowboys, receives. A lot of that has to do with the talent around Prescott.
All of that raises the level of expectations for him.
Among the league's top quarterbacks, no one has a better chance than Prescott to dramatically change the narrative of his career this postseason. Prescott's reputation, like the weather, always seems to be in flux.
A big playoff run this January, and possibly February, could change the perception of Prescott forever.
Good because if the Cowboys beat the Commanders in Sunday's final regular season game, it would guarantee Dallas the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and at least one postseason game at home, where the Cowboys went 8-0. It will be a start.
This season, Prescott has done a great job bouncing back from a below-average season in 2022, when he pitched one NFL game and had a career-high 15 interceptions (despite missing five games with a thumb injury). ), alarm bells are ringing from all over what went wrong.
Prescott did his best to tell the world that nothing was wrong, that 15 picks were an anomaly, and that he would be better in 2023. But Prescott and the Cowboys will be judged more on their playoff performance than their regular season performance.
That's because the Cowboys, who are expected to win against Washington on Sunday, will improve to a 12-5 regular season and win their second NFC East title in the past three years. That's because I haven't done much to back it up. postseason.
Prescott has an overall win-loss record of 72-41 in the regular season, but is just 2-4 in the playoffs and has yet to lead the Cowboys past the divisional round.
His regular season numbers (66.8 completion percentage, 198 touchdowns, 73 interceptions (1.9 INT rate)) are better than his postseason numbers (63.4 percent, 11 TDs, 5 INTs (2.3 INT rate)).
Prescott entered Sunday with a league-leading 32 TDs while throwing just eight picks in 16 games. If Prescott finishes the season leading the NFL in TD passes, he will join Hall of Famer Roger Staubach (1973) as the only Cowboys quarterbacks to accomplish that.
“At that time last year, I knew this was me. As I said then,” Prescott told reporters this week. “It was tough at times, the ball didn't go the way I wanted it to, there were weird bounces here and there, tight throws didn't work in my favor. And then there's the occasional bad interception, which has happened again this year. in the process of.
“For me, it's about staying true to myself, continuing to work, and not letting other people's opinions, actually critics, affect my game and how I approach this. is.”
During training camp, Prescott was adamant about showing his critics that he doesn't tend to get intercepted, vowing to reporters: That's a guarantee. '' Despite playing four more games and throwing seven fewer picks, he backed up that statement.
Prescott's 1.4 interception percentage is the second lowest of his career. He had 23 touchdown passes and four INTs as a rookie in 2016, hitting just 0.9 percent. He had an interception rate of 3.8 percent last season.
“It’s the numbers, it’s the statistics, it’s part of it,” Prescott said. “So I don't get caught up in that. Unfortunately, a lot of great quarterbacks got injured this year. I just try to do my best every day and make sure the guys around me do their best.” I have confirmed that it is. [working too]. A number is a number, I don't get caught up in it. ”
But after the final game of the regular season, all eyes are on how far Prescott can take the Cowboys into the postseason.
Dallas hasn't been to the NFC Championship Game since 1995 when Troy Aikman was quarterback, but at least an appearance in the NFC Championship Game would raise Prescott's reputation to an all-time high. Dew.
