Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer has big Dak Prescott regret as end of disappointing season nears

The Dallas Cowboys knew before they improved to 7-8-1 on the season via a Christmas Day win over the Washington Commanders that Dallas' season would end after Week 18. 

While there's currently no indication that first-year Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is in danger of losing his job, he has at least one major regret regarding the play of starting quarterback Dak Prescott. 

Should Dak Prescott be in MVP conversations?

"If we’re winning more games, he’s probably in the MVP conversation," Schottenheimer said about Prescott during a chat with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated for a piece published on Monday. 

The numbers suggest Schottenheimer is correct. According to Pro Football Reference stats, Prescott began Monday leading the NFL among qualified players with an average of 280.1 passing yards per game. He was fourth with a 71.9 adjusted QBR and tied for third with 30 passing touchdowns. 

To compare, Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams entered the final Monday of 2025 leading the league with 40 passing scores and ranked second among qualified players with an average of 278.6 passing yards per contest. Stafford was also fifth with a 71.8 adjusted QBR. 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Stafford as the betting favorite at -230 odds to win the MVP Award for this season. Stafford's 11-4 Rams will play at least one playoff game in January. 

As Jon Machota of The Athletic noted, it's unclear how much Prescott will play in Dallas' season finale at the New York Giants (3-13) on Jan. 4. 

Brian Schottenheimer praises Cowboys' culture

The Cowboys were playing only for pride when they picked up a road win on Christmas. Schottenheimer hinted that victory shows the franchise is headed in the right direction. 

"I think we got the right culture," Schottenheimer told Breer. "And when you have guys like (pass-rusher) Jadeveon Clowney, you know, f---ing 12 years in the league, Dak Prescott, 10 years in the league. I mean, these guys out there putting it all on the line just shows you that the love for the game and one another is real."

It remains to be seen how much getting to 8-8-1 will mean to Prescott and Co. on the first Sunday of 2026.