Why showdown vs. 49ers offers moment of redemption for Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott

Sunday isn’t judgment day for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

That will come sometime in January.

But Sunday will provide a moment for redemption and hope for playoff future.

No matter how you look at it, that’s what’s at stake in the prime time show down against undefeated San Francisco 49ers.

Prescott offered a window into his soul following last week’s 38-3 victory against the New England Patriots when he was asked if the season-ending loss to the 49ers in the NFC Divisional playoffs still drive him?

“I mean every [expletive] … Every day. Every day. Every day. Every day,” Prescott said.

That day is here.

Not only did the 49ers end the Cowboys season in the playoff last Sunday with a 19-12 victory, thanks largely to two interceptions by Prescottb, ut they knocked them out in 2022 when the clock ran out on Prescott in a 23-17 setback.

“Yeah, losing to the same team twice in the playoffs is no good feelings,” Prescott said on Thursday. “We’re focusing on these guys and they’ve got all of our attention, all of our respect. But at the end of the day we were confident as hell and who we are and what we’ve got and what we can bring to the table and where this team is and where this team has grown in the past couple of years. So excited as hell for the matchup.”

This team and this matchup resulted in a referendum being made on who Prescott is as quarterback in big games.

And after a season in which Prescott tossed a league-high 15 interceptions that caused wholesale changes in the Cowboys’ offense to be help their quarterback play more efficiently and mistake free.

Head coach Mike McCarthy fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. He took over play calling duties and installed more West Coast principles in the offense.

McCarthy said Prescott has always been a student of the game and worked hard in the offseason. Nothing has been different this year as far his preparation.

But he is playing better.

“I’d would say nothing has really changed with him because he’s always been so driven,” McCarthy said. “I think if anything, he’s being smarter, more experienced, maybe not trying to do too much. But I think what he’s been asked to do, especially with his connection to the perimeter, starting way back in the spring and throughout the summer, I’ve really liked how that group has come together, the protection responsibility.

“He’s got a lot more on his plate than he has in the past. He’s crushed that. I give him an A for that. He’s just met every challenge like he always has. He’s extremely, extremely disciplined in his approach. The external sources he utilizes. I see a very, very consistent man I enjoy working with every day.”

While the results haven’t been perfect, as the team ranks at the bottom of the league in red zone touchdowns, Prescott’s play and command of the offense has been top notch.

His 71.3 completion percentage ranks second in the league. He has four touchdowns to just one interceptions. The Cowboys lead the league in 3rd down conversions and have had a league-leading 16 drives of 10 plays or more.

“I think Dak, he’s just playing the real high level right now. He’s seeing it well,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “Just the control in the command and Dak has right now of our third down attack is pretty cool. The ball was getting spread around to different people.”

There is a certain attitude that Prescott hasn’t had too do much so far in 2023 because the defense has been so dominant with 10 forced turnover and three returns for touchdowns as they Cowboys have outscored their opponents 110-13 in their three wins.

The Cowboys scored just eight offensive touchdowns this season.

Of course, that will likely have to change Sunday against a 49ers team that is playing as well as any in the league and just one turnover in four games.

Prescott and the Cowboys offense will need to play well and not be their own worst enemy with turnovers.

They know as much and they are ready for their prove it game.

“We’re confident what we’ve got,” Prescott said. “There’s a lot of good that’s going to come from this and come from the changes versus the past year of playing against these guys. One is my play. Simple as that. Go back and turn on that tape. I wasn’t my best in either of those games and wasn’t close to it. The last one, two or three plays away from from winning that game and a game being a different score.

We’ve got to go out there and execute the game plan that the coaches have for us and they’ve got a great one. Confident as hell in what we’ve got.”