Sunday’s game was a must-win matchup for the Dallas Cowboys. If Dallas lost to the Commanders, you could stick a fork in their playoff chances this season. If they won, there is a visible path where the Cowboys could be competing for a playoff spot late in the season.
Thankfully, the Cowboys put on display arguably their best performance of the season, blowing out the Commanders in a 44-22 victory. Dallas’ defense’s improvement was remarkable, as they actually looked like a competent unit in this
game, but once again, the Cowboys’ offense stole the show.
The NFL’s number-one offense scored 40+ points for the third time this season, looking as good as it has all year. Many players contributed to Dallas’ success on offense, but one stood above the rest. That guy was quarterback Dak Prescott, and the signal-caller takes home this week’s game ball award.
You could argue that Prescott has been playing the best football of his NFL career since Week 4. The 32-year-old quarterback had been playing at an MVP level despite missing key pieces on the offensive side of the ball. This week, Dallas welcomed Tyler Booker, CeeDee Lamb, and KaVontae Turpin back, and Prescott elevated his play even more.
The Cowboys’ quarterback finished the day completing 21 of 30 passes (70%) for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Prescott’s passer rating of 130.4 was his highest of the season, and Sunday marked his fourth-straight game with a passer rating over 124.
It’s pretty unbelievable just how dominant Prescott has been over Dallas’ last four matchups. Over that four-game span, Dak has completed 71% of his passes and 13 touchdown passes without a single interception. Since Week 4, he ranks second in the NFL in quarterback EPA+CPOE (0.236) and EPA/Play (0.462). He’s also in the top four in CPOE (5.7) and passer rating. (128.1)
Prescott is playing like the best quarterback in football, and his consistent greatness gives Dallas a chance against any opponent this season. If the Cowboys’ defense can build upon its performance from Sunday and become anything close to a league-average unit, Prescott and Dallas’ elite offense could elevate this team to being a real threat in the NFC.
