Cowboys Dak Prescott As Super As Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes? A New Goal

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doesn't have to be Patrick Mahomes, winner of the Super Bowl. He must - and can - be a match for Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.

The Super Bowl just set the bar for Dak Prescott. 

No, he doesn't have to "be Patrick Mahomes,'' the MVP winner of the 38-35 "Big Game'' on Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs capturing a last-second thriller. That's asking too much.

But Dak can - and must - "be Jalen Hurts.''

There is the goal.

How are the Dallas Cowboys to catch up with the Super Bowl entrant Philadelphia Eagles? And while the deep-dive solutions may be complex, what seems like an achievable part of the chase is clear. ...

Dak needs to start by being as a good as Hurts.

As it happens, Mahomes didn't put up ridiculous numbers (21 of 27 for 182 yards, plus 44 rushing yards, all on a bum ankle) in his Super Bowl win; his three TD tosses were enough.

Indeed, Hurts actually did more, finishing 27 of 38 for 304 yards, with a passing TD and three rushing TDs (part of his 15 carries for 70 yards night). He did have a killer early-game fumble that was returned for a score. But if not for Mahomes' last-minute drive toward a game-winning Chiefs field goal, Hurts would be remembered as by-far the best player in this game.

Dak can do that.

After a season that saw Prescott throw a career and league-high 15 interceptions (regular-season) and two more in the playoffs while leading Dallas to a 12-5 record, some see Dak as the weak link in the offense and that has led to increased criticism. So along comes one attempt to upgrade things, as the 2023 play-caller will be head coach Mike McCarthy as he installs his West Coast offense.

Is this supposed to magically turn Dak into Joe Montana or Aaron Rodgers, two WCO superstars? No. ... in the same way that Dak's $40 million APY contract doesn't mean he's got to be Mahomes, who counts $49 million against the Kansas City cap this year.

But Dak being able to play on Hurts' level (a level that albeit made him an MVP finalist)? That seems doable.

In 2022 ...

Hurts as a passer was 306 of 460 for 3,701 yards, with a 66.5 completion percentage and a 22/6 TD/interception ratio. He also ran for 13 touchdowns.

He played in 15 regular-season games. In 10 of those 15 games, he avoided throwing a pick.

Dak this year was 261 of 394 for 2,860 yards, with a 66.2 completion percentage and a 23/15 TD/interception ratio. (He ran for one TD.)

He played 12 regular-season games. Not only did he total the infamous 15 interceptions - he played only two games without throwing one!

There are a few apples-to-oranges issues here, including the fact that not all of Dak's picks were his "fault'' and also including the variable of Hurts as a runner.

We can get into the deep-dive details of the "fix'' and we do so here: As CowboysSI.com has already thoroughly detailed, when Dak releases the ball inside of 2.5 seconds, not good things, great things happen. His passer rating is up (99.3), his touchdown to interception ratio is better (eight scores, three interceptions), and his pass completion skyrockets (77.4 percent). 

But when Dak holds the ball over 2.5 seconds, his stats fall off a cliff ...

A cliff positioned far below the plateau upon which Hurts is perched.

Prescott's best games are outstanding, but his worst games are awful. The gap between the two is too wide and needs to close. 

Similarly, the gap between Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott - the Cowboys offense being responsible for interceptions almost every week while Hurts and the Eagles offense essentially coughing up a pick once a month - is too wide as well.

Critics complain about Prescott "not being elite,'' but they are missing the target. Dak doesn't need to be as good as some all-time great; he simply needs to be as good as a third-year, second-round former "running QB'' named Jalen Hurts. ...

Who was pretty much the best player on the field in a losing Super Bowl.

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