Dak

Prescott

Prescott and the Cowboys cashed in on their first two trips to the red zone, each time via a rushing score from one yard out. They would fail to find paint on their subsequent three red zone trips, each time resulting in a short Brandon Aubrey field goal. Two missed field goals from Aubrey changed the tide of the game, as did the relentless and confusing pressure thrown at Prescott by Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores. It also didn’t help to have a seemingly disinterested George Pickens, who was seen going through the motions on multiple occasions throughout the game. The loss all but ends the Cowboys’ chances at a postseason berth, now requiring three consecutive wins and three losses by the Eagles to make the playoffs.

Pickens reverted to the low-effort Pittsburgh version of himself in Week 14’s loss to the Lions, giving up on routes and appearing generally disinterested in the proceedings. Pickens had just 37 yards on nine targets against Detroit. “We talked a little bit about it,” Schottenheimer said Monday. “In his words, he said, ‘Hey Schotty, I didn’t play my best game.’ I think that, unfortunately, none of us played our best game. But again, I don’t worry about George and his love for football and playing this game. You know, for five or six weeks, he was the talk of the sporting world. ‘Look at George Pickens.’ We didn’t coach or play well enough to win that game in Detroit. They beat us. It is what it is.” Hopefully Pickens gives better effort in Week 15 against a Minnesota secondary that has been burned on deep throws for much of the season. He’ll be a top-12 fantasy option, and a top seven or eight option if CeeDee Lamb (concussion) is out.

Prescott was under fire all night, as the Lions pass rush notched five sacks on the day. Prescott’s first interception came on the first play of the third quarter, when a quick slant to George Pickens bounced off the receiver’s hands and into the hands of linebacker Derek Barnes. Prescott would bounce back later in the day when he found Ryan Flournoy blowing past broken coverage on his way to a 42-yard touchdown to cut the Lions’ lead to three points early in the fourth quarter. Trailing by 10 and with under two minutes to go, Prescott tried to rally his offense to late score but wound up having a pass thrown to Ryan Flournoy tipped and intercepted by D.J. Reed to seal the game for Detroit. Prescott played the entire second half without CeeDee Lamb, who exited late in the second quarter with a concussion. His injury will be one to monitor next week as the Cowboys hope to get back on track in Week 15 against the Vikings. Prescott did throw for 300 yards for a third-straight game in the defeat, and will be in the QB1 mix for next week’s matchup with the Vikings.

His lone mistake on the evening came on the team’s first possession when he was picked by Jaylen Watson on a pass intended for George Pickens near midfield, otherwise notching points on six of seven drives outside of their final possessions of each half. The highlight of his evening came in the fourth quarter as they attempted to ice the game, hitting alpha wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 51-yard strike against a two-high alignment, leading to a field goal to extend their lead to 10 points with just over five minutes to play in the final frame. The Cowboys have now beaten last year’s Super Bowl participants in back-to-back games after downing the Eagles a week ago. The win takes them to 6-5-1 and on the fringes of the playoff discussion in the NFC with another difficult matchup on deck when they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions in Week 14.

Pickens practiced Tuesday ahead of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Chiefs. He should be a full go and remain in fantasy lineups. Pickens this season is second in the NFL in receiving yards — trailing only Jaxon Smith-Njigba — and sixth in air yards. He has functioned as the team’s No. 1 wideout for most of the past month while CeeDee Lamb struggles with drops. Look for the Cowboys to go pas heavy against a KC defense that has been tough against the run.

Showing no ill effects from the hip injury that cost him some playing time last week, Prescott rolled through an Eagles defense that has taken no prisoners of late, most recently embarrassing Dan Campbell’s Lions offense in Week 11. He had three completions of more than 40 yards — one to George Pickens, one to CeeDee Lamb, and one to KaVontae Turpin. Prescott ran one into the end zone in the fourth quarter, only his second rushing score of the season. As the head of a high-scoring Cowboys offense, Prescott should be in lineups every week no matter the matchup. He’ll take on the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day.

Prescott took limited reps in Wednesday’s walkthrough before practicing fully on Thursday and Friday. While we’d prefer him to be completely healthy, we do not expect the hip injury to meaningfully limit him, given his practice participation. Prescott is a QB1 against the division rival. The Cowboys (4-5-1) sit in the NFC East’s second spot behind the Eagles (8-2).

Prescott was surprisingly limited on Wednesday after head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters that the Cowboys’ quarterback would handle a “normal workload” at Wednesday’s walkthrough. Regardless, Prescott is now practicing fully and can be treated as a QB1 entering a Week 12 showdown with the division-rival Eagles.

Prescott picked up a hip injury in the Cowboys’ Week 11 over the Raiders on Monday night. Schottenheimer prefaced Prescott’s injury report appearance by saying the Cowboys’ quarterback “should be fine” for the team’s Week 12 game against the Eagles. Monitoring Prescott’s practice participation is worthwhile, but we expect him to warrant QB1 treatment this weekend. Ultimately, Prescott ended up being listed as a limited participant on Wednesday, which is technically less than normal, though we remain unconcerned at this time.

Pickens is excelling during a prove-it year in Dallas after wearing out his welcome with the Steelers. Making about $3.6 million this season, Pickens will become a free agent in March. Pickens through Week 11 is second among all pass catchers in yards and tenth in receptions. He went for 144 yards and a score in Dallas’ Week 11 win over the hapless Raiders. “Sign me up. I mean, what do you say?” Schottenheimer said Tuesday when asked about Pickens staying in Dallas beyond 2025. “Those two guys [Pickens and CeeDee Lamb], I just love their relationship, man. I love the firepower that they give us. That’s one of those games where you never know which one it’s going to be. Some games it’s both of them. Some games it’s one of them, and again, like I said, I pinch myself at times.” As long as Pickens is seeing targets in a pass-first Cowboys offense, he’ll likely be content in Dallas.