'Just Being Real!’ Dak Prescott & CeeDee Lamb Self-Scouting By Cowboys for Playoffs vs. Packers

Dallas Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse is a vocal leader of the defense but pointed to the offense as a reason why a deep playoff run is entirely possible. Who did he emphasize?

The Dallas Cowboys looked like Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the season when the defense looked like an All-Decade unit.

Things didn’t quite pan out the way the first month of the season may have led one to believe, but the ascension of the offense has compensated adequately. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s MVP campaign, matched by receiver CeeDee Lamb's attempt at Offensive Rookie of the Year, has helped Dallas rise to the second seed in the NFC.

That isn’t to say the defense is bad. Safety Jayron Kearse will be the first to tell you they’ve got the horses to chase down any offense in football. But this is a team that is more complete than many gave it credit for this summer.

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“Just being real, I know what we can do on our side of the ball with the guys that we have,” Kearse said. “And we have 4 and 88. That’s enough for me … I believe that is the best quarterback-receiver duo in the league.”

That duo has certainly put themselves in the conversation for the top spot. After trouncing the Washington Commanders 38-10 in Week 18, Prescott finished the season with 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions – a nod to those riled up over last season’s numbers.

This is Prescott’s best season since the 2016 run that locked him in as the franchise quarterback for America’s Team. It isn’t surprising that Lamb, his most frequent target and a superstar in his own right, had a career year as well.

Lamb was targeted 181 times for a league-leading 135 receptions. His 1,749 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns were both easily career-best.

As a result, the Cowboys aim to get ahead early and force teams to throw the ball. They’ve proven they have to firepower to do just that and the defense to complement it. With a dynamic secondary – headlined by record-breaking corner DaRon Bland – and an elite pass rush, the plan is simple. Jump out in front and wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

“We’re 12-5,” Kearse said. “This is a fine time to break through.”

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With a home playoff game locked in, it will be the Green Bay Packers who come to Jerry World hoping to pull off the upset. The last time they played mid-January football in Arlington, head coach Mike McCarthy was calling the shots.

Now as the lead man for the Cowboys, he acknowledged the drama and the theatrics. Kearse, however, is dead set on advancing to the Divisional Round, regardless of who is on the schedule for Sunday.

“This is a team that’s in our way,” he said. “Let’s not make it bigger than what it is.”