5 Cowboys players who are peaking at just the right time
By Reid Hanson
Timing is everything. Being the best football team in September doesn’t mean much in January. There are ebbs and flows to an NFL season and oftentimes the Dallas Cowboys find themselves ebbing at a time they should actually be flowing.
For teams seeking postseason success, playing well down the stretch is crucial. No. 1 seeds don’t always win the Lombardi Trophy because sometimes the hot team with all the momentum steals it. The Cowboys hope to be that hot team in 2023.
Winners of seven of their last eight games, the Cowboys are playing as good as any team in the NFL. They have been winning in all three phases of the game and have been winning quite decisively at that. It’s no coincidence some of their most important players are playing some of the best ball of their careers.
Excluding first-year NFL players, we look at five players who are peaking for the Cowboys at just the right time…
1. Dak Prescott, QB
No NFL quarterback has been playing as well as Prescott has since Week 6. Over that period of time the Cowboys offense has averaged nearly 36 points. Prescott has also led all passers in adjusted EPA/play, EPA+CPOE composite score, and success rate over that same period of time.
Prescott is currently the highest graded QB in PFF’s season rankings. At 6.6%, he has the highest big time throw percentage in the NFL. Of those with more than five starts, he’s best in the NFL in turnover worthy throw percentage.
Very cool to see Dak's explosive play rate (blue) and INT rate (red) over time.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) December 12, 2023
Last season, Dak had a big peak in explosives AND a big peak in interceptions. Makes sense: high risk, high reward.
This season? Big peak in explosives, INT% down to career average numbers. https://t.co/G5X4bPkUYs pic.twitter.com/9VxBR2EpEU
Prescott has now moved to the forefront of the MVP conversation and has flipped even some of his harshest critics. Playing the most important position in the game, Prescott has a chance to singlehandedly guide the Cowboys to postseason success in 2023. Few players have even played as well as Prescott has of late and if No. 4 can keep the good times rolling in Dallas, the sky is the limit for this team in the playoffs.
With three of the next four games on the road, Prescott will certainly be put to the test. Crowd noise will limit his ability to communicate so his brethren on offense won’t be able to lean on him quite as much as before. But all indications are everyone is up to speed on what it will take and Prescott is more than capable of picking up the slack just in case.