Dak Prescott’s bold Eagles claim sparks NFL debate.
Oct 27, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
The Dallas Cowboys had a rough 2024. A 7-10 finish, no playoffs, and two humiliating losses to their biggest division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, the Eagles? They stomped through the postseason and took home their second Super Bowl trophy after dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Yet, Dak Prescott doesn’t see much of a gap between the two teams. He made that clear when asked about it this week.
Dak Prescott says Dallas Cowboys are “very close” to Philadelphia Eagles despite being outscored 75-13 last season
When asked if the Dallas Cowboys are close to the Philadelphia Eagles, Dak Prescott didn’t hesitate.
“I feel like we compete with the Eagles and beat them for the most part when we play them. I don’t want to say check the record when they’re the guys holding the trophy right now, so credit to them, they’ve earned it and they deserve it by all means. But yeah, very close,” Prescott said.
Here’s the problem—last season, the Philadelphia Eagles blew out the Dallas Cowboys twice. In Week 9, they walked into AT&T Stadium and embarrassed Dallas 34-6. Then, in Week 17, they did it again, winning 41-7. The Eagles outscored the Cowboys 75-13 across both games.
Now, to be fair, Prescott wasn’t on the field for those games. He was out with a hamstring injury. But even in 2023, when Prescott played both matchups, the teams split the series. The Cowboys have never beaten the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs during Prescott’s time in Dallas, and in that same span, the Eagles have made three Super Bowl appearances, winning two.
That’s not “very close.” Prescott might believe what he’s saying, but the numbers don’t back it up.
Marcus Spears shuts down Prescott’s claims
NFL analyst and former Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears wasn’t buying Prescott’s optimism. He pointed out the glaring gap between Dallas and Philadelphia.
“What you’ve done on the field—we’re not talking about what you’ve done on the field. We’ve watched y’all win 12 games in a row, three seasons in a row. Championships. This is Philadelphia’s third Super Bowl appearance. They won two out of those three in the last, what, ten years? So right now, you’re not close to them.”
Spears wasn’t done. He called out the Cowboys’ lack of major moves to compete with top-tier teams.
“I get the sentiment, D. You wanted to let everyone feel like you’re right there. I get it. Maybe if y’all would have signed Derrick Henry a year ago, we’d have that conversation.”
He also questioned why Prescott was even making these statements at a charity event.
“You guys are opening up flesh wounds for no good reason a couple of days after the Super Bowl. This was a charity event. You said Lord doing this—I’m cutting him some slack.”
Dak Prescott gives health update and backs new Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer
Dak Prescott is 90 days removed from surgery on his hamstring. He says he’s feeling good.
“My health is good,” Prescott said. “I’m doing a lot more. I’m getting there. I’m really looking to amp it up here. I got all my confidence. We’ll be fine.”
Prescott was also in attendance when the Dallas Cowboys introduced Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach. The move wasn’t exactly shocking. Dallas wanted some level of continuity on offense, especially with their investment in Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Prescott approves of the hire.
“He’s kind of old-fashioned,” Prescott said. “I’m looking forward to the grind and some things that we’re going to do and he’s going to add. Excited for him. I know he’s ready for it. He’s been in the system a long time. Something else I admire is the way he went on with the interviewing process.”
He also praised how Schottenheimer has been assembling his coaching staff.
“I think (that) speaks highly of his approach,” Prescott said. “And the way he’s going to take care of things.”
But none of this means much unless the Cowboys make actual changes.
Dallas Cowboys offense was one of the worst in the league, and fixing the run game is the only way forward
The Dallas Cowboys offense got stale. Even if Mike McCarthy had stayed, changes were necessary. Now, with Brian Schottenheimer in charge, the biggest focus has to be the run game.
Dallas ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing last season. They averaged just 4 yards per carry and 100 yards per game. The best rushing teams in the NFL? They averaged 5 yards per carry and 150 yards per game. That’s the difference between an offense that keeps defenses guessing and one that stalls out.
Prescott knows it too.
“We just got to get to running the ball, being a little bit more consistent on that,” he said. “And then from there go back and look at the numbers. I’ve always enjoyed play-action pass, so just being able to get back to that. But you’ve got to start with the run game. When you have that, the rest of the offense can open up. You saw that (in the Super Bowl).”
He’s not wrong. The Philadelphia Eagles leaned heavily on their run game in their Super Bowl win, and it worked. If the Cowboys don’t figure it out, it won’t matter how “close” Prescott thinks they are.
Dallas has major decisions to make this offseason. But right now, talk is cheap.
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(Image: Imagn Images)
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