Dak

Prescott

Prescott was not hurt, but the Cowboys simply decided that, with nothing to play for, they’d rather let Joe Milton play the second half. It was a bit of a surprising move considering Prescott is battling with Matthew Stafford to lead the NFL in passing yards and would be the first Cowboys player ever to accomplish the feat. Prescott will now finish the season by going 404-for-589 for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It was a strong year for Dak, who had his most passing yards per game since 2020 and also added 178 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. A big season for that production was the addition of George Pickens, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. How the Cowboys handle the second wide receiver spot will be a huge part of determining Dak’s fantasy value in 2026, but Prescott should probably be a mid-range QB1 if the Cowboys run it back with Pickens.

It’s a little weird that the Cowboys have to keep telling people the starting quarterback is going to start, but, here ya go. Prescott will get the start in the finale against the Giants with a chance to add to his numbers in a game that means nothing outside of where the teams will draft come April.

Prescott actually wasn’t particularly sharp in the win, completing just 51% of his pass attempts while taking six sacks. There were multiple throws to his duo of elite wide receivers that was either off-target or late. An 86-yard dime to KaVontae Turpin was the primary driving factor behind his surge beyond 300 yards, which was effectively a blown coverage and communication error by the safeties that allowed Turpin room down the middle of the field. Even so, the outing propelled Dak to more than 4,000 yards for the fourth time in his career ahead of the final game of the season. Prescott and the Cowboys end their season with a road game against the Giants in Week 18.

Joe Milton took over for the final drive with the Cowboys down 17. Prescott looked magnificent in the first half, even losing a third passing touchdown to a questionable holding penalty, but the Chargers eventually found his number and were able to get pressure through Dallas’ offensive line. The Cowboys did not convert either of their fourth-down attempts in the second half, including a fourth-and-short fullback plunge. Prescott and the ‘Boys have nothing to play for, but a matchup against the Commanders in Week 17 promises fantasy fireworks. Dak should remain on the QB1 line in that one.

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.