Dak Prescott Has Dallas Cowboys History in His Own Hands

When you play for a franchise like the Dallas Cowboys, there’s a burden of history on your back. America’s Team didn’t start taking the field yesterday; there’s a line of NFL champions and gridiron greats who have set the standard since 1960.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, however, has a chance to tread on new ground in 2023.

As the season has progressed, the signal-caller has played his way into the MVP conversation. Even if you don’t think he’s the favorite, Prescott is certainly assembling a legitimate case for the crown.

And beyond personal pride (and the possibility of an offseason raise), Prescott can also make franchise history if he reaches the top of the regular-season heap.

Let’s break it down.

No Cowboys QB Has Won NFL MVP

While playoff success has been hard to come by in recent years, the Cowboys’ franchise history boasts plenty of legendary names, including several big-time quarterbacks. None won NFL MVP honors.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Roger Staubach, who has a Heisman Trophy and two Super Bowl titles to his name, didn’t claim the crown. He earned Super Bowl MVP honors but fell short of the regular-season title.

The same can be said for Troy Aikman and his three championships. He took home the Super Bowl MVP title in January 1993 but never won the comparable regular-season crown. Perhaps the overall talent of the Cowboys’ roster kept voters from thinking that he was the most valuable player. (Don’t worry, we’ll get to Emmitt Smith shortly.)

And while Tony Romo lacks the postseason success of his predecessors, he had a claim for the MVP crown during the 2014 campaign when he threw for more than 3,700 yards and 34 touchdowns. He finished fourth in the final ballot, though, losing out to Aaron Rodgers and finishing behind J.J. Watt and DeMarco Murray.

The only Cowboy to claim regular-season MVP honors was Smith. The running back earned the top spot in 1993 on the back of a 1,486-rushing-yard, nine-rushing-touchdown campaign.

Prescott Controls His Own Path to History

Now, let’s jump back to the present and focus on Prescott. While no Cowboys quarterback has been able to earn regular-season MVP honors, Dak will largely control his fate from here on out.

After an iffy start to the season, the quarterback got on a roll. That success could have been written off by a weak strength of schedule (he faced the Chargers, Rams, Giants, Panthers and Commanders during that stretch), but then things changed. Dallas faced two tougher opponents (the Seahawks and the Eagles). And rather than missing a beat, things just kept rolling.

In those two wins, Prescott posted a combined 570 passing yards and five touchdowns; he now sits at 3,505 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns through 13 appearances. The victory over the Eagles was especially significant, as it pushed Dallas ahead of their rivals in the race for the NFC East crown.

On a personal level, the performance also gave the QB an edge over Brock Purdy in the MVP race. According to Covers.com, Draftkings, FanDuel and Ceasars all list Dak as the current favorite.

And that reality, combined with the remaining schedule, means Prescott holds history in his own hands. If he can perform against the Bills, Dolphins and Lions (plus the season finale against the Commanders) to clinch a divisional crown, no one can question his credentials. A loss, however, would put the ball in Purdy’s court (or Lamar Jackson’s if the 49ers also falter).

Is that a daunting task? Of course. Winning a single NFL game is tough; beating two legitimate playoff teams and one talented bubble team fighting for postseason posession is a genuine challenge. But, when the chips are down, it’s always better to control your own destiny than have to rely on external help.

And who knows, maybe the added carrot of making Cowboys history will give Prescott the extra juice required to make it over the hump.