Don't let his final stat line deceive you. Dak Prescott balled out for the Cowboys in Thursday night's NFL opener.
Prescott completed 21/34 passes for 188 yards and no touchdowns in Dallas' 24-20 loss to Philadelphia, but anyone who watched the game could tell you the No. 4 did all he could for the Cowboys.
He led them on four-straight scoring drives to start the game. It would have been five-straight if not for a RB fumble in which, after the Eagles recovered, Dak made the tackle to prevent a scoop-and-score. And then throughout the fourth quarter trying to lead Dallas to a win, Dak made several big-time throws right on the money only to watch them all be dropped.
He delivered, but the Cowboys let him down.
What more is Dak Prescott supposed to do, exactly?
Look, despite being a Mississippi State fan whose formative years as a Bulldog came watching Dak Prescott lead the Maroon and White, I am not one to blindly defend him. I can admit there have been big games and big moments where he hasn't come through in his professional career.
But I also know for a fact the good, and even great, far outweighs the bad when it comes to what he's done as a QB for the Cowboys. And despite typical NFL fan (and media) narratives about him not being a good enough player, he is far down the list of the people responsible for Dallas continually falling flat on its face as a franchise
He's been the one guy keeping the Cowboys competitive for several years now as they've gone through recent stretches of awful defense, inconsistent play from their skill talent, and mediocre offensive lines. And when he's gotten hurt, we've seen how bad things truly can get for them. Jerry Jones' management of the franchise is horrific, and it's put Dak is a spot where it is practically all on him.
Well Dak quite literally did all he could Thursday night. He commanded the offense at a high level and was throwing lasers all game long. But with terrible first half defense (and a baffling call on the game-sealing play), a Miles Sanders fumble deep in Philly territory, and CeeDee Lamb being physically incapable of catching the football, his performance was totally wasted.
But I'm sure we'll get up on Friday, and someone on ESPN will find some way to pin this loss on Dak because that's just what they do. Someone get my man out of Dallas and away from a Jerry Jones-run franchise before his career and legacy are ruined by incompetence.