MVP frontrunners struggling vs Jets defense proves Dak Prescott deserves more respect

The script of the Dallas Cowboys' first four games hasn't allowed Dak Prescott go go scorched earth from a statistical standpoint. Thus far, Prescott is averaging 227 passing yards per game with four touchdowns and one interception.

Granted, Prescott could have two more touchdowns on his ledger if not for end zone drops by tight ends Peyton Hendershot and Luke Schoonmaker. Six touchdowns would look a lot better in the eyes of the national media, but fans who watch every snap recognize that Prescott has been excellent to start the season.

While Prescott's numbers might pale in comparison to that of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, arguably the MVP frontrunners a month into the season, the Cowboys' quarterback diced up the New York Jets' defense.

You know what's funny about that? That same defense had Mahomes and Allen, who are praised left, right and center by the national media, seeing ghosts.

The Bills lost to the Zach Wilson-led Jets in Week 1 after a four-turnover showing from Allen, while the Chiefs escaped Sunday Night Football with a narrow 23-20 victory after Mahomes tossed two ugly interceptions and completed 60.0% of his passes for a lowly 208 yards.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott dominated the Jets defense. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen did not.

Mahomes made enough plays -- most of which came with his legs -- to seal the win for Kansas City, but Sunday was an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from the two-time MVP. Ironically, he made the same mistakes against the Jets that Allen did in the season-opener in terms of trying to force the ball downfield instead of taking what the D gave him.

In a vacuum, Mahomes was outplayed by Zach Wilson, who was the league's worst-performing quarterback through three games. Just imagine the outrage among the national media and football fans if Prescott allowed that to happen in a nationally televised primtime game.

It would be the lead story on every sports talk show in America.

While Mahomes has more than earned the benefit of the doubt, he's subject to criticism just as any other quarterback is after a lousy game. And yet, crickets. His game-winning scramble and subsequent slide to milk the rest of the clock drew more attention than the fact Zach Wilson (ZACH WILSON!) was the superior quarterback Sunday night.

In Week 2 against the Jets, Prescott completed 81.6% of his passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns to zero picks. Allen completed 70.1% of his passes for one touchdown to three picks and a lost fumble in the fourth quarter.

See the irony?

They got to Josh Allen (and then some) and did the impossible by making Patrick Mahomes look ordinary.

Prescott, meanwhile, recognized the Cowboys would win big by dominating the intermediate game. He averaged just 6.7 yards per attempt in Week 2, but that's all that was required for Dallas to assert its dominance on the scoreboard and his passer rating nearly doubled that of Mahomes and Allen.

Would be pretty cool if the media underlined these facts this week, but they'll probably split hairs over the fact Dak has four TDs in as many games.

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