It used to feel different when Dak Prescott’s salary was, by NFL standards, a whole lot of next-to-nothing. As the first four years of the Dallas Cowboys quarterback’s career played out, everything seemed and felt like a bit of a freeroll, each winning performance a welcome bonus and always, always, profoundly great value. That’s what happens when you stumble across a situation where you can pay your QB an annual average of less than $700,000 and he performs as well or better than men making around 40 times that much in the same position. It all gets a little shifted — or a lot shifted — when the player himself joins the ranks of the hugely remunerated, and shoulders the hopes and dreams of your franchise in an entirely new way. Prescott isn’t in bonus territory anymore. He’s now paid like one of the very finest QBs in the sport and is expected to play that way. That’s why, at $40 million per year, his efforts in taking the Cowboys to six straight wins earlier in the season didn’t cause anything in the way of outrageous overreaction. And why, after a listless November that brought the team back toward the mean in the NFC, the cold touch of pressure can be said to be hovering over the 28-year-old’s shoulder. Thursday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET on FOX) brings a visit to the New Orleans Saints in what will be the first of three road games. With the slate backloaded with divisional matchups, the once impregnable NFC East lead and guaranteed home playoff spot that comes with it is no longer so great. The Washington Football Team are on a bit of a hot streak and it’s still hard to count out the Philadelphia Eagles. It is time for Prescott to come to the party. Not that he’s been playing poorly, but in four November games that spawned a 1-3 record, it hasn’t been exactly what you’d want from one of the best in the game. “It’s very urgent,” Prescott told reporters this week. “It’s about us looking in the mirror and checking us first and foremost, and that’s what we’ve done. It’s just about going out there and doing everything that we can to heighten our focus, our mindset and our execution come Thursday. “This is a team that’s hungry and that’s pissed off … about the way we’ve executed and the way we’ve played.” Last time out was one of the most frustrating showings of the Cowboys’ season, an ugly overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. In the wake of that, head coach Mike McCarthy, who will be sidelined Thursday after contracting COVID-19, defended Prescott. “You saw Dak’s numbers, it looked like he had good numbers,” McCarthy said, after Prescott threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns, figures boosted by the need to try to claw back into the game late. “If that’s struggling, hell, I’d like to play tomorrow.” It’s a fair point, but also kind of missing the point. Dallas, having shelled out for Prescott and other big contracts like those for Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper in recent years, isn’t looking for a solid season. Owner Jerry Jones wants it all. To first get into strong playoff position and then make a splash once there, they will need outstanding QB play, even with roadblocks such as recent injuries to Cooper and second-year wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Both Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams have the eighth-best odds to win the Super Bowl, listed at +1200 with FOX Bet. The Cowboys are a six-point favorite for the clash at Mercedes Benz Stadium, where Taysom Hill will start at QB for the Saints in the absence of the injured Jameis Winston. It is easy to see how a morale-boosting win could put things firmly back on track and Prescott has historically posted strong statistics in December. Yet it’s not hard to envision a scenario where more disappointment on Thursday could spark fears of yet another Cowboys season that promised much and ultimately didn’t deliver. On FS1’s “First Things First,” Chris Broussard pointed to the Cowboys’ struggling run game as a genuine cause for concern. “It’s certainly not time to panic,” Broussard said. “They’re going to win the division. They’re about to get healthy and five of their last six games are against teams with losing records. If they get things going there with some momentum, maybe they can do something. “(But) Dak, as good as he is, he’s not in that Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes group, where without the run game he can carry the team deep into the playoffs just on the strength of his arm. Not panicking, but that run game has got to improve or they will not do anything.” Prescott gets talked about differently these days, a scenario he was prepared for and is the price you pay for getting that hefty contract. Dallas’ defensive wobbles, rushing deficiencies and injury problems are all part of the issue and it’s right to take that into account, but reality dictates that now there is one place to which the team and its fanbase are looking for a solution. And Prescott knows one thing without any doubt. It’s on him. |
