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Not that there was much doubt, but Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Prescott turned in a record-setting performance amid Dallas’ miraculous 40-39 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The fifth-year pro, despite missing his starting tackles, completed 34-of-47 passes for 450 yards and one touchdown, finishing with a 109.4 passer rating.
However, the story of the afternoon was Prescott’s legs, which allowed him to find the end zone three additional times — the difference in a wild shootout. He became the first QB in league history to throw for 400-plus yards and tally three rushing scores in a single game, wiping away a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit, a feat he naturally demurred.
“Those are just statistics. That was a team (effort) all the way around. My stats are just a credit to the whole offense,” Prescott said in his post-game conference call, via The Athletic.
To Dak’s point, rookie wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the team with 106 yards on six catches while WR1 Amari Cooper (6/100) also cracked the century mark against Atlanta’s hapless secondary. Elliott, despite multiple fumbles, collected 89 rushing yards and, too, hit pay dirt.
All told, the Cowboys racked up 570 yards of total offense and 33 first downs across 14 drives. The unit, which held possession for 26:12, went 7-of-13 on third-down and 5-of-6 in the red zone. Surprisingly, despite the absence of LT Tyron Smith (neck) and RT La’el Collins (IR, hip), Prescott was sacked just once.
The effort further entrenched the two-time Pro Bowler as the organization’s cornerstone player and crystallizes his case for a lucrative, long-term contract. Once again, he’s statistically among the sport’s best at the most important position.
Through two weeks, Prescott ranks third in the NFL in passing yards (716), passing yards per game (358.0) and completions (59), and eighth in yards per attempt (8.3). He’s yet to toss an interception on 86 attempts.
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‘Weren’t Supposed to Win’: Cowboys React to Stunner
Pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in recent memory took a true team effort in three phases. The offense was responsible for the points, the defense for getting the offense the ball, and special teams for … well, maybe the best onside kick ever.
“I saw us run it in practice and it just looked amazing,” linebacker Jaylon Smith recalled, via the Dallas Morning News. “From the jump, understanding the opportunity, I knew that was the kick that was going to occur I had 100 percent faith. I wish I could have bet on it if that was legal.
The result: 16 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and a 46-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal to complete the Miracle at Jerry World.
“It almost felt unreal,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “For us to persevere with that bad of a start, that’s kind of unbelievable.”
Unbelievable would be the Cowboys’ calculated win probability late in the final frame: 0.05% — incomprehensibly low and barely registerable digits. But that’s all they needed.
“We weren’t supposed to win that game,” Elliott added, per Machota. “It’s a testament to the type of guys we have in this locker room. We got it done.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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