Getty Dak Prescott, Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott didn’t just chomp into an oversized turkey leg after blowing out the division-rival Washington Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys‘ quarterback took a big bite out of the MVP candidacies of other top quarterbacks across the league Thursday afternoon.
Prescott was remarkable against the Commanders, completing 22-of-32 passing attempts for 331 yards with four touchdowns in a convincing 45-10 Cowboys victory.
Not only was Prescott a model of efficiency, but the tossed deep-ball touchdowns of 31 yards, 34 yards, and a pair of 15-yard scores, underscoring his ability to dictate to opposing defenses while igniting a big-play element of the Cowboys’ offense.
Dak Prescott completed 7 of 12 passes for 189 yards and 3 TDs targeting vertical routes tonight against the Commanders.
Prescott has now thrown 16 TDs targeting vertical routes this season, 14 of which have come since Week 8 (both the most in the NFL).
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In a season where several top quarterbacks have suffered significant injuries, with the Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Browns’ Deshaun Watson, and Vikings Kirk Cousins all out for the season, and the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers’ season ending just four snaps into the 2023 campaign, this might finally be the season Prescott breaks through as a top MVP candidate. The Cowboys’ signal caller might even steal the award.
Thursday’s dominance over Washington might have been the high-water mark of Prescott’s season, but the 30-year-old is in the midst of one of the most consistent stretches of his career.
Not only are the Cowboys 8-3, 1.5 games back of the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East lead, but, over the past six weeks Prescott has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,874 yards with 17 passing touchdowns and three rushing scores.
Prescott’s productivity has also translated to wins, with Dallas boasting a 5-1 record, with the only loss coming in Philadelphia, over that torrid six-game span.
Now 11 games into the season, Prescott’s 2,935 yards rank fourth in the NFL, he’s tossed a league-high 23 touchdowns, and only Brock Purdy has a higher quarterback rating than Prescott’s 107.4.
Winning on Thanksgiving is one thing, but Prescott will have a big chance to bolster his MVP candidacy in the rematch against Jalen Hurts’ Eagles on Dec. 10 that will have significant implications on both the MVP and division races.
Given the Cowboys’ success on offense, that is being powered by Prescott, combined with the injuries at quarterback around the league and a bit of a regression from Patrick Mahomes amid woeful play from the Chiefs’ wide receivers, this might be Prescott’s best chance to date to take home the MVP.
Jerry Jones Believes Dak Prescott is an MVP Favorite
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is all in on Prescott for MVP.
During his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 FM the Fan, Jones offered a ringing endorsement on Tuesday on whether his quarterback deserves to be in the MVP conversation.
“I do, I certainly do,” Jones said. “He’s put together a series of games that are the best of his career in my view. It’s the fact that he’s doing them back to back. … Boy is he really in a position where it’s not only physical, but it’s mental. He’s really showed us that the hard work and time he has put in and frankly the adjustments that have been made over the past year, we’re really seeing the fruits of that.”
At minimum, Prescott belongs in the conversation alongside Hurts, Houston Texans upstart rookie C.J. Stroud, and perhaps Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who is playing some of the best football of his career.
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland in Midst of Historic Season
Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland might have already locked down the Defensive Player of The Year Award.
Bland has simply been that dominant.
After returning his fourth interception for a touchdown, in Week 11, Bland owns the NFL single-season record for interceptions returned for a touchdown. Thursday against the Commanders, Bland returned his fifth interception for a touchdown on the season, setting a new record.
However, put another way, now three games into Week 12 of the NFL season, if Bland were a wide receiver, he’d currently rank 14th at the position in receiving touchdowns. If the old adage of a best offense being a great defense is true, Bland is legitimately making the impact of an offensive player.