Getty Cowboys QB Dak Prescott.
Dak Prescott cemented his status as a legitimate 2023 MVP candidate by leading the Dallas Cowboys to a thrilling fourth-quarter 41-35 comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 13.
During a game in which neither team punted, Prescott was nearly flawless, especially in the game’s biggest moments. Trailing 35-30 with 7:04 remaining, Prescott guided the Cowboys on a seven-play, 54-yard sojourn down the field that was capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ferguson to take a lead Dallas would never relinquish.
The Cowboys’ victory wasn’t just the 14th consecutive win in AT&T Stadium, but it came against a swarming Seattle defense that Prescott lit up for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns while leading the charge of an offense that produced 411 total yards.
After a win that sent a message that the Cowboys have staying power at the top of the NFC playoff race, Prescott had a similar message to his critics.
“I understand nobody’s opinion defines me,” Prescott told reporters when asked if he believes he has silenced his critics. “That’s the great part about life and that’s the great opportunity that we all have, that people can say whatever they want. But, you know, I have the pen, I have the paper and I’m the one writing.
“So, because I’m playing as well as I am now doesn’t mean I’m going to stop, doesn’t mean I’m going to listen to them now.”
Prescott is one of the sport’s most maligned and oft-criticized quarterbacks, despite the fact that at age 30, he is turning in one of the most impressive seasons of his career.
Through the Cowboys’ first 12 weeks, Prescott is completing an astonishing 70.1% of his passes for 3,234 yards with 26 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.
Thursday night, Prescott proved he belongs in the MVP conversation by completing his 13th fourth-quarter comeback and second of the 2023 campaign. All while keeping Dallas within striking distance of the Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) for the NFC East lead.
“Dak’s having one of the greatest seasons I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons told reporters following the game. “It’s truly amazing to see the growth and where he’s at. I think right now he’s playing at the highest level in the NFL. Just from my standpoint what I’m seeing: Staying in the pocket, breaking sacks, making the right reads. He’s just playing terrific.”
Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb Continues Dominant Stretch
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb continues to be one of Prescott’s favorite targets.
Lamb caught 12 passes against the Seahawks on Thursday night for 116 yards and Dallas’ first touchdown of the game.
But Lamb’s 17-target outburst against Seattle is just the latest in a dominant stretch for the fourth-year receiver. Over the past seven weeks, Prescott has looked Lamb’s way 86 times, resulting in a prolific 63 receptions for 824 yards with 6 touchdowns.
On the season, Lamb continues to be the deep threat the Cowboys’ offense had been missing in 2022, with the former first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft catching 90 passes for 1,182 yards with 7 touchdowns.
Lamb is on pace to set new career highs in receptions, receiving yards and scores.
Micah Parsons Seals Cowboys Victory
Micah Parsons continues to prove his worth to the Cowboys’ defense.
On a night where the Seahawks’ offensive line had done an excellent job neutralizing the disruptive impact of Parsons and Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the All-Pro linebacker showed that it only takes one play for him to affect the outcome.
With quarterback Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense facing fourth-and-2 with 1:15 remaining at midfield, Parsons broke free untouched and forced Smith to toss an incompletion under duress to preserve Dallas’ victory.
Parsons finished the night with only 2 total tackles and 3 quarterback hits but might have made Dallas’ most important defensive play.