From State to Sundays: Cowboys Win, But Can Dak Shake His Slump?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has struggled as of late, but led his team to victory on Sunday.

Former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott led his Dallas Cowboys to victory on Sunday, but it didn't come easily.

The Cowboys defeated the New York Giants 21-6 to move to 10-4 on the season and come even closer to solidifying their spot in the playoffs. However, the game was not decided by a stellar offensive performance, but rather by the talented Dallas defense. Prescott finished the day 28-of-37 passing for 217 yards with one touchdown-- not bad, but not at the level he should be at this late in the season.

Prescott started the season on fire and was a serious contender for being named the NFL MVP at the end of the year. Through his first six games, he led the Cowboys to a 5-1 record and was 158-of-216 for 1,813 yards with 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Those numbers were rivaled by only a few other quarterbacks, and Dallas quickly become a Super Bowl favorite. 

However, Prescott suffered a minor leg injury against New England on Oct. 17 and was forced to miss a game. When he returned, he was a completely different quarterback. Through the past seven games, Prescott is 179-of-276 for 1,785 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. He has dropped significantly in every category except total interceptions-- that's not good. Sure, it's understandable that his first game back from injury was shaky, but he shouldn't still be having issues related to that. 

Prescott will need to find his ground quickly. Unless the near-impossible happens, the Cowboys should be in the playoffs as the winner of the NFC East. Even if they somehow manage to slip from first place in their division, Dallas should still easily be one of the three wild card teams. Prescott has been to the playoffs twice in his five-year career and has a 1-2 record. With the group of athletes he has around him, there is little to no excuse for him to not make a run at the Super Bowl.

Prescott and his Cowboys have three games remaining against the Washington Football Team, Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL Playoffs will begin on Jan. 15 and conclude with the Super Bowl on Feb. 13.