NFL

Dak Prescott: the Dallas Cowboys’ anti-hero

Dak Prescott once again led the Cowboys attack to a hard-fought victory in Pittsburgh, but he also made mistakes that could have cost his side dearly.

Charles LeClaireUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Dak Prescott was the hero for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night in Pittsburgh (20-17), but he was also the reason the Steelers still had a shot at victory in Acrisure Stadium. Before connecting with Jalen Tolbert for a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Prescott had thrown two interceptions - one of them in the end zone - and fumbled the ball when the Cowboys were in scoring range with Brandon Aubrey.

In the end, Dak not only threw the game-winning touchdown pass but also saved the day by recovering after Jalen Tolbert’s fumble. Prescott scrambled and fought hard, keeping the Cowboys’ hopes alive.

Dak’s subpar season stats

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had high praise for Prescott, saying, “I just have tremendous respect for Dak Prescott. I haven’t seen much of him. I think we only played against him in 2016, but he’s an ultra-competitive guy. He’s got an incredibly talented arm and natural leadership.” Despite the compliments, doubts remain about the league’s highest-paid quarterback. Prescott now has 23 career fourth-quarter comeback wins, surpassing quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes (18), Roger Staubach (21), and Troy Aikman (20).

This season, Dak has thrown for 1,424 yards, second only to Seattle Seahawks’ Geno Smith, with eight touchdown passes, ranking eighth among the league’s 32 quarterbacks. However, he added two more interceptions on Sunday, bringing his total to four for the year. Additionally, Prescott’s pass completion rate has been subpar, ranking 17th in the league with a 65.4% completion percentage - lower than quarterbacks like Justin Fields, Will Levis, and Kirk Cousins.

Prescott (4) throws a touchdown pass to running back Rico Dowdle.Barry ReegerUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

At the start of the season, one of the major concerns was the Cowboys’ ground game. Despite having the chance to sign Derrick Henry in free agency, owner Jerry Jones opted to bring back Ezekiel Elliott, which caused frustration among Dallas fans.

However, the Cowboys’ rushing attack is starting to improve, thanks not to Elliott but Rico Dowdle. On Sunday, Dowdle posted a career-high 87 rushing yards and added 27 receiving yards for a total of 114 all-purpose yards. An undrafted free agent signed after the 2020 NFL Draft, Dowdle had to wait for his chance, playing behind Elliott and Tony Pollard. In 2023, he had his best season yet, rushing for 361 yards.

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