Cowboys Country

Narrative surrounding Dak Prescott is changing dramatically

Dak Prescott is having one of his best years under center for the Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on the field during warm-ups prior to a game against the New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on the field during warm-ups prior to a game against the New York Jets | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been one of the most divisive quarterbacks in the NFL in recent memory.

On one side, Prescott is seen as overrated and a reason for the Cowboys consistently coming up short when it matters most. On the other hand, he is seen as a player who has made lemonade out of lemons and pulled the Cowboys up to levels they otherwise wouldn't have been.

Whichever side you fall on, one thing is clear - he is having one of his best seasons ever under center for Dallas, and that continued vs. the New York Jets on Sunday.

MORE: Cowboys’ hidden gem among highest PFF grades against Jets in Week 5

In fact, the national narrative surrounding Prescott has begun to shift as well, with some pundits - most recently FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd - making the case for Prescott being an MVP candidate despite Dallas being 2-2-1 on the year.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott stands in the pocket against the New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott stands in the pocket against the New York Jets | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"(Prescott) was a little overrated. Now, Dak, this Dak is not getting enough credit," Cowherd said. "They don't have a number one receiver currently, the offensive line is still in a rebuild mode, running game is okay, the staff, fine. Defense last in the league. Dak Prescott, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield... It's like they've hit the 10,000-hour rule. They're all smart guys, but they have reached another level of football IQ, and Dak has gone from a little overrated to now underappreciated. If I had an MVP vote today, I would probably vote Baker Mayfield No. 1 and Dak No. 2.

"I would give Baker it because he's won more games and he's won them late. But also, Baker Mayfield has the better General Manager, the better rookie receiver. I think the overall roster in Tampa is much better than the Cowboys' roster. But this right now, what you're seeing Dak Prescott do, this is the best Dak you've ever seen."

Its hard to argue against Cowherd either. Especially when you consider the fact that Prescott has been excellent for the last two games without his No. 1 wideout in CeeDee Lamb, and the majority of his starting offensive line.

Not to mention, he also has the Cowboys a couple of Lamb drops vs. the Eagles and a defensive stop vs. the Packers in overtime away from being 4-1.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writers’ Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014, covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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