FRISCO, Texas – Brian Schottenheimer told his Cowboys players to treat this next stretch of games, starting Sunday afternoon with Philadelphia, as if they own an 0-0 record.
CeeDee Lamb called Sunday's game against the NFC East first-place Eagles (8-2) a "playoff game," including all the rest going forward. You know, win or go home.
Words to the wise, considering the 4-5-1 Dallas Cowboys – second place in the East and 10th in the NFC, where seven teams qualify for the playoffs – can't afford more than another loss or two if they are to put themselves in the playoff conversation.
And as for Dak Prescott, the 10-year veteran quarterback, no Pollyanna said this – ever – when rating the importance of these next three games being played within 12 days in determining their 2025 season's fate portending to:
The Eagles on Sunday.
The Chiefs (5-5) on Thanksgiving.
The Lions (6-4) the following Thursday in Detroit.
"They will be defining," Dak said. "I think there's no ifs, ands or buts about it, knowing where we put ourselves and what we have to do. Yeah, after these three games we'll have either given ourselves a good shot or put ourselves in a hole."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
That is the harsh reality after suffering those back-to-back losses to Denver and Arizona and heading into the bye with that 3-5-1 record. That is the harsh reality of allowing the Packers to end Game 4 with a walk-into-overtime 53-yard field goal, and then with but one measly second left in OT kick the 34-yard field goal into forever more a tie.
Why, going into this past Monday night's game in Las Vegas, the Cowboys' realistic playoff hopes seemed to rest on needing to win at least two of the next three games being played within 11 days. That would get the then 3-5-1 Cowboys to at least 5-6-1, though significantly reducing their margin of error.
Well great, did beat the Raiders, 33-16, for one of those but sure didn't get much help from anyone else the past two weeks. Philadelphia squeaked by the Packers, 10-7, then the Lions, 16-9, the Eagles winning both when scoring just a combined two touchdowns. So that resets the goal, the Cowboys now still needing to win two of the next three, which would get them to 6-6-1, at least .500 with four games to go. Beating the Eagles would seem imperative, dropping their division mates to 8-3.
But, you say, what about securing one of the three wild-card bids? That would currently mean leaping past either the 7-3 Seahawks, the 6-3-1 Packers or the 7-3 Niners, the three current wild-card holders. And while holding the 10th best record in the NFC today, the Cowboys still see Carolina at 6-5, one of the two teams between them and the seventh seed, and the Panthers own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas.
Quite a pickle since the Cowboys have yet to beat a team with a winning record, losing to the Eagles, Bears, Panthers and Broncos, but at least tying the Packers. And knowing they must play four of their next five games against teams with winning records.
Brutal stretch.
But can't worry about none of that. Remember, 0-0, one game at a time.
Eagles first and foremost, 3:25 p.m. at AT&T Stadium. And if you need a statistic to wish upon a star, Prescott owns a 21-2 career record against NFC East opponents at AT&T. Even more impressive, Dak has lost just one division game at home since his NFL debut in the 2016 season opener, that to the Giants. The other came against the Eagles in 2017. So decide, does that say something about Dak or about the NFC East opponents having played at AT&T?
To me, it says the Cowboys got Dak, and them others don't … and haven't.
At some point, Dak hopefully will receive the appreciation he so richly deserves, and not just from those bleeding silver and blue, but nationally where East Coast bias still is alive and well. Allow me to digress for those whose eyes must be tightly shut or can't see straight enough to recognize what this once 23-year-old kid from tiny Haughton, Louisiana, has done in his 10 NFL seasons.
Dak needs, and please follow along so you know when this happens, just 160 passing yards on Sunday to become the franchise's all-time leader, leaping current leader Tony Romo (34,183). And this is not just Romo he would pass. Let this sink in. Dak would have more passing yards than Hall of Famers Troy Aikman (32,942) and Roger Staubach (22,700). And throw Danny White (21,959) in for good measure.
And as Lamb warns, do not tune in late, "He'll probably get it in the first quarter."
But this is not just about yards. Dak ranks first in team history in completion percentage (67.1 percent) and completions (3,033), is second in passing touchdowns (234, Romo with 13 more) and third in starter wins (80), five behind Staubach and 14 behind the all-time leader (Aikman's 94). And to think, Troy got off to an 0-11 start in his 1989 rookie season. In addition, as for consistency, Dak has the franchise's most games with a 100 QB rating.
Dak humbly, but rightfully, says of his franchise accomplishments, "I'm the product of a lot of great players."
Now, for sure Troy will tell you he is most proud of leading the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles and Staubach the same with his two in five appearances. And Dak knows, no matter what, that is how quarterbacks are unfortunately judged, well aware of that standard.
But for him, he's most proud of his completion percentage, meaning how effectively he's been distributing the ball, pointing out he goes into every game with an 80-perecent completion percentage goal. Let Schottenheimer, the former college quarterback, echo Dak's thoughts.
"Your job at the position is to spread the ball around, get the ball out of your hands and let guys create," Schottenheimer said. "We have guys who can do that. No different than some of the greatest point guards in the world."
And all this is not just about Dak's career. This is about this year, too, if paying close attention.
He is ranked among the top five in five categories heading into Week 12 of the NFL season:
1st: Completions (253).
T2nd: Touchdowns (21).
3rd: Attempts (362).
4th: Completion percentage (69.9)
5th: Yards (2,587).
Of the seven quarterbacks with higher QB ratings – Dak at 102.5 – the only quarterback currently with more top-five rankings is the Patriots' Drake Maye (7) who leads in QB rating, while the Rams' Matthew Stafford has as many as Dak's five. And remember, so far this season, and this will continue for the next five games, Dak has not been playing against a bunch of cupcakes, having faced five teams currently with winning records and the four more to go.
The Cowboys darn well know what they'll be getting going forward from Dak, his consistency at an all-time high.
"It's definitely hard, man, but that's what the great ones do. There's consistency about it," Schottenheimer said. "And that's the thing. I think when you look at quarterbacks that are playing good, there's stats you can look at, hey, there's touchdowns here, or whatever it is. But the consistency of what Dak has had over the course of the year is what I think is so impressive, against some really good competition.
"He's given us a chance in every game to put ourselves, for the most part, in a chance to win."
Even against Philly in the season opener, the narrow 24-20 loss, one of the Eagles' seven one-score wins that includes the previously mentioned last two. Without even looking at stats, and the Cowboys did score 20 first-half points, here is what I remember most about the game:
- The Cowboys scored points on their first four possessions, two touchdowns and two field goals, and would have scored more on the first possession of the second half if not for running back Miles Sanders' lost fumble heading in from the 11-yard line.
- The drops, and Lamb no doubt cringes at the memory of his four.
Why, the Cowboys very well could have put 30 on the Eagles, despite Dak playing his first full game since Oct. 27 of last year, meaning no preseason action after recovering from his 2024 season-ending torn hamstring tendon. This also was the first game with the Cowboys for running backs Javonte Williams and Sanders. First game for rookie starting guard Tyler Booker. Only the start of the second seasons for center Cooper Beebe and left tackle Tyler Guyton. First game with the Cowboys for wide receiver George Pickens (3 catches, 30 yards).
Now Sunday the Cowboys come in with Dak leading the NFL's third-ranked offense, Williams the NFL's fifth leading rusher (809 yards,) Pickens the NFL's second leader in receiving yards (908), Williams tied for fourth with eight rushing touchdowns, Pickens and Jake Ferguson tied for third with seven receiving touchdowns and kicker Brandon Aubrey third in kicking points with 86, having missed just one field goal (18 of 19) and his 64-yarder the second longest of the season by 1 yard.
The Cowboys also come into this game on the heels of one of their best defensive performances, yielding a season-low 16 points to the Raiders, a season-low 236 total yards, a season-low 27 rushing yards and a season-low one touchdown.
That being so because of the Raiders or an infusion of defensive talent? Well, fasten your seatbelt, we're about to find out.
The win in Vegas featured the likes of Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Logan Wilson, DeMarvion Overshown, Shavon Revel, Jadeveon Clowney. Plus, the return of healthy safeties Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson, not to mention the return of Sam Williams after missing all of last year and Caelen Carson, none of whom played in that first meeting against the Eagles.
And there were defensive newcomers who were playing in their first game with the Cowboys back in that Thursday night season opener, such as Solomon Thomas, Kenneth Murray, Kaiir Elam, Reddy Steward and rookie Donovan Ezeuruaku.
Here, also is this. The Eagles defense, and we're assuming defensive tackle Jalen Carter will show up for the first possession with dry mouth preventing any spitting mistake, is tied with Denver and Kansas City for giving up the fewest passing touchdowns (9), tied for an NFL-low three red-zone passing touchdowns, ranked first with a 56.6 opponent completion percentage and has a league-best 48 percent third- and fourth-down completion percentage. But they are just 17th in yards allowed per game and moved to eighth in points per game (20) thanks to giving up only seven and nine in their past two wins.
For whatever problems the Cowboys may have experienced over the first 10 games of the season, and that includes still processing the suicidal death of teammate Marshawn Kneeland, they are averaging 29.6 points per game.
And … and … wait for it:
They do have Dak.
