While a game ending in a tie is never ideal, there is no denying that there were incredibly encouraging signs from a Dallas Cowboys team that was expected to be blown off the field against the Green Bay Packers. Near the top of this list was quarterback Dak Prescott, who put on an absolute clinic against Green Bay's respected defense. Leading to Cowboys' insider Ed Werder of WFAA reporting an eye-catching quote from Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
"“If there’s a quarterback in the league playing better than Dak, I’d like to see him.”"Brian Schottenheimer
It is hard to argue against the logic of the head coach who watched Prescott's heroics for 70 minutes on Sunday night. Dak finished the night 31/40 for 319 yards with four total touchdowns. Most importantly, there were zero turnovers with the veteran signal caller ending his interception streak and protecting the football. While George Pickens did a lot of the damage, reeling in eight catches for 134 yards and two scores, it was a great night for the offense as a whole, with Prescott hitting eight different targets.
Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer Hypes Incredible Performance from Dak Prescott
Before getting too carried away with the deserved praise for Dak, it was only a little over a week ago that fans were watching turnover issues continue as the offense struggled. However, it was an outlier of a game in what has been an otherwise incredible start to the season for the quarterback. Along with his standout passing performance, Prescott added a short rushing touchdown to further pad a truly impressive stat sheet.
So much of what the quarterback did on Sunday night was made possible by Javonte Williams, who finally provided a reliable rushing attack. Williams is producing at a level fans haven't seen since Zeke Elliott was still a productive member of the roster. This is when Dak was at his absolute peak. Not having to force the ball into tight windows or being under pressure to deliver every play, but rather being able to lean on the run game and play off of it.
This doesn't take anything away from a quarterback who is off to an exciting start, but rather points out the reality of when he is at his best. Giving Dak even the threat of a run game unlocks a level of confidence that puts him among the league's best starters.
There is a certain swagger that comes with the balanced offense being born. The improved protection allows some of the burden to be taken off his shoulders. It also proves that Schottenheimer's comments are on the money. Prescott played as well as anyone in the league on Sunday, putting himself in an elite conversation.
Now, the question becomes how consistently the offense can play at this level as they continue to receive little help from Matt Eberflus' defense. Regardless, the praise Prescott received was well-deserved and needed to be pointed out, as even amid the underwhelming start, it proves how elite Dak has been.