Cowboys Dak Prescott Not Top 100 - But Top 10 QB? How?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was left of the NFL's top 100 players, but yet made it into the top 10 quarterbacks in the league.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott divides opinions as much as anyone in the NFL. He shows flashes of his brilliance and then - at least too often in 2022 - comes right back with a poorly thrown interception.

Yes, the evaluation of Dak is vastly different depending on who you ask, and if you ask us? We think that CBS Sports.com needs a little help here. Prescott didn't make the cut in their recently released Top 100 NFL players but received an honorable mention.

But on the same day that list was released, Prescott made it onto CBS Sports' list of top 10 quarterbacks, coming in at No. 9. ... which to us doesn't really add up.

"If his old NFC East rival Kirk Cousins can be knocked for crunch-time hiccups, so can Prescott, who's managed a 2-4 postseason record in seven years with a typically high-octane Cowboys offense," CBS Sports writes. "As PFF argues, few QBs have also been more sensitive to changes in their supporting cast; he's flashed MVP-level production but also had some serious interception sprees depending on the health of the elite line and weapons around him. His own health is also a question -- he's missed 17 combined games since 2020. When upright, however, he does all the little things well, with the vision to go blow for blow with the best."

This is where it gets interesting. On the top 100 players list, Prescott was deservedly behind the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Jalen Hurts. But Prescott was surprisingly left out in favor of Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields.

Did Dak (8-4 record) have a better season than Rodgers (8-9), Lawrence (9-8), Herbert (10-7), Jackson (8-4) and Fields (3-12)? There is a case to be made that, despite the interceptions, he might have.

Now we get to the top 10 quarterback list. As we mentioned, Dak came in at No. 9, which feels about right, give or take a few spots. But ... Prescott made the list when Fields didn't.

Fields was named in the top 100 NFL players above Prescott, yet Dak was ranked as the "better" quarterback in the top 10 list. Make it make sense!

The main reason why Prescott was likely left off the top 100 list is due to his league-leading 15 interceptions. However, he still had an 8-4 record as a starter last season and threw for more yards, touchdowns and won more games than Fields and as mentioned above, a case could be made that Prescott had a better season than a few other quarterbacks.

We can make more arguments, all the way to the top. The Bills' Allen is a brilliant talent. But in 2022 he was responsible for 19 turnovers. The Ravens' Jackson is terrific. But he was injured for a large chunk of last year and his TD-to-INT ratio was only 17 to 7.

Add it up, and logically, if Prescott is named in the top 10 quarterbacks of the NFL, it would warrant a place somewhere inside the top 100 based on last season's form (albeit wobbly at times) ... right?

It feels like CBS Sports has gotten their wires crossed here, and it again demonstrates the odd narrative that has long been building around Dak. Prescott being named a top 10 quarterback, but not on the list of the top 100 players in the NFL? It cannot be about "science,'' but it can be about "bias.'' And in the end, it's a head-scratcher.

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