Dak Prescott’s offensive heater puts him in elite company

Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career

Since taking over the starting quarterback job from Tony Romo in 2016, Prescott has had his fair share of ups-and-downs. His best seasons have been up there with the game’s elite, such as his 2023 MVP runner-up campaign where he led the NFL with 410 completions and 36 passing touchdowns. Those highs, however, have been offset by years filled with nagging injuries, back-breaking turnovers and postseason disappearing acts. 

Prescott’s career seemed to be on the downswing after a 2024 season in which he posted a career-low 86.0 passer rating and missed nine games with a hamstring injury. Yet in what proved to be a savvy move, the Cowboys made an offseason trade for disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Along with the return to health for tight end Jake Ferguson, the addition of Pickens gave Prescott his first truly elite receiving core since the days of Amari Cooper. 

The early returns on the new-look offense, which also included signing Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams to a one-year deal, were not immediate. The Cowboys dropped two of their first three contests with Prescott throwing three interceptions and three touchdowns. Things looked to be taking a turn for the worst when Lamb injured his ankle in that third contest, but in a weird way, Lamb’s absence may have helped the offense in the long-term. 

Without Lamb commanding 10 targets a game, Prescott was forced to develop his connection with Pickens as well as get other secondary targets like Ferguson and Ryan Flournoy more involved. In the first game without Lamb, the Cowboys dropped 40 points on the Green Bay Packers' vaunted defense, then proceeded to torch the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commander’s secondary. Lamb re-joined the offense this week and the unit didn’t miss a beat, capping off a historic four-game run for Prescott. 

Of course, the elephant in the room is that the Cowboys only went 2-1-1 in this span, as their defense allowed 28.5 points per game in these four contests. The Cowboys inability to keep their opponents off the field and out of the end zone may keep them from being seriously considered as Super Bowl contenders, but it does nothing to diminish the accomplishments of their offense. Prescott and Co. look like the league’s best passing attack, and a strong performance against the Broncos vaunted secondary will only further their claim.