The 1-2-1 record for the Dallas Cowboys may not accurately represent it, but it’s hard to say that there has been any four-game stretch in quarterback Dak Prescott’s career that has been quite as special as his start to the 2025 season.
Through four weeks, Prescott is first in the NFL in passing yards (1,119) and third in completion percentage (72.9%) after a Sunday night performance against the Green Bay Packers that saw him throw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-40 tie.
It was an unusual result for what is becoming a usual Prescott performance in this Brian Schottenheimer offense that’s averaging an NFL-leading 404.3 yards per game. But even amid a strong stretch, Sunday night’s performance stood apart from the rest.
He completed 31 of 40 passes for the 319 yards and three touchdowns. In advanced metrics, he generated his fourth-most expected points added (EPA) of any game in his career (+22.5) and the second-most win probability added (122.8%) with his performance.
“If there’s a better quarterback playing right now than Dak Prescott in the league, I’d love to see him,” Schottenheimer said postgame.
“I don’t know if a 1-2-1 record would say that,” Prescott said about this potentially being the best stretch of his career.
Still, the level of play Prescott has been at has the Cowboys believing in contention. Against a Packers team that some have pinned as NFC favorites, the Dallas offense hung with Green Bay in a haymaker fight that had both arms being raised at the conclusion.
Despite one of the best games of his 10-year career ending in a tie instead of a win, he embraced the opportunity at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.
“I love it,” Prescott said. “It’s the game of football. It’s the NFL. You’re playing against the best, which means you have to play your best when it’s needed. … This game, I can be mad about the one second on the clock [on the final Green Bay offensive play]. I can be mad that we let them drive the ball. But at the end of the day, I’m pissed that we didn’t score in the red zone [in overtime].”
Dak Prescott returning from hamstring avulsion
Last year, Prescott’s season was cut short in late October to a hamstring avulsion that required extensive rehab. When he took the field in Week 1, it had been 10 months since he last played in a competitive game, but that hasn’t held him back early in the year. He attributes that oddity to his experience in the league.
“I’ve been playing 10 years, 10 months or not,” he said. “My offseason probably started a lot earlier than anyone else’s in the NFL’s offseason. [It’s] the work that I put into this. … This is all of the hard work paying off, and it’s going to continue.
“This is why quarterbacks think they can play until they’re in their 40s, because as you get older, you’re getting better. You’re seeing things. The quickness in the defense or what allows you to play ahead of it. That on top of me working, being healthy, having trust in my teammates and the play-calling, it’s all of it combined.”
The headlines coming into the game centered around Packers defensive end Micah Parsons making his return to AT&T Stadium after being traded away from the Cowboys exactly one month to the day prior. After the game, owner Jerry Jones was asked why he decided to send Parsons away when he paid Prescott the most expensive price tag in NFL history at $60 million per year in 2024.
Jones doubled down on that decision and pointed at Prescott’s play as his prime example why.
“You had one of the most expensive players in the history of the NFL playing tonight,” he said. “I think you certainly had people watching tonight asking if he’s worth all that. Take a look.”
From making a circus throw in overtime to Jalen Tolbert down the right sideline to avoiding would-be sacks throughout the night and coming up big for late-down conversions, Prescott continues to find ways to impress 10 years into his career. For players who have been in Dallas for most of it, some are still surprised by his abilities.
“I’d like to say I‘m not surprised,” tight end Jake Ferguson said. “But he’s always doing crazy stuff. He’s a tank back there. He’s unbelievable.”
Others are not.
“He does not surprise me anymore,” guard Tyler Smith said. “He is who he is. He’s an all-world talent, an all-world leader. He leads this offense.”
Not blaming defense
The Cowboys will have to continue to get this best version of Prescott to find victories this season. With a defense that’s allowing more yards than any team in the NFL (420.5) and the second-most points (33.0), it took a special Prescott night to even play Green Bay into a tie. It could take more to play this team into wins, but Prescott isn’t pointing any fingers — even if he’d have every right to do so.
“It’s not about the defense,” Prescott said. “It’s about being accountable. It’s about handling my job and making sure I take care of everything that I can. And if I can influence others to do the same, I’m going to do that. That will take care of itself.
“Make sure they’re not finger-pointing. Make sure they’re being accountable. I almost want them to answer their own questions. When they get frustrated, ask them why. … They need to build on the trust they have with one another. Not only me, but this team and this offense has their back.”
It could’ve been a tougher night for a team that came into Sunday night’s contest as heavy underdogs. With Prescott’s performance canceled out by yet another rough defensive outing, the result could have easily found itself in a much more unfavorable manner.
But on the flip side, the one tally in the win column remains lonely as the team heads into its Week 5 matchup against the Jets in New York. With a favorable slate of games ahead, the Cowboys will have to cash in on Prescott’s elite stretch of play with better defensive play.
For a franchise that has let so many greats walk away without much playoff success to show for it, the organization can’t let Prescott be the next. In a year that is shaping up to be one of his best, the urgency must be high to right all of the defensive wrongs and find some wins, before it’s too late.