'Slump'? Dak Prescott Responds in Unique Record-Setting Cowboys Win over WFT

"I never said we were in a slump. Those were your words,” Prescott says. “(But) I think it’d be hard for you to say that now.''

Remember when Dallas-Washington was a rivalry? Remember when Dak Prescott was in a "slump''?

The Cowboys treated their longtime NFC East spoils like a rag doll Sunday night, flinging the Football Team around AT&T Stadium’s artificial turf with little regard for Washington’s feelings or playoff hopes.

The 56-14 deconstruction by Dallas cemented a fact that became official before kickoff in Arlington. The Cowboys (11-4) are the class of the division, and the WFT (6-9) is nothing more than a footnote in season that witnessed a resounding changing of the guard.

Yes, the WFT won the NFC East last year and reached the playoffs. The Cowboys were a mess in Mike McCarthy’s debut campaign, namely due to Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury.

The roles are reversed in 2021. WFT quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was lost before the season was a game old, giving way to an overmatched Taylor Heinicke. Prescott returned with a vengeance, out to prove he again belonged among the elite at the position.

Dallas' offense hasn't quite clicked in recent weeks, prompting talk of a Dak "slump'' - and that was the first question lobbed at him by the media after the game.

“You tell me? I never said we were in a slump. Those were your words,” Prescott said. “(But) I think it’d be hard for you to say that now.''

The numbers make it easy to say: In the first six games of the season, the Cowboys averaged 461 yards and 34 points per game. Then Dak hurt his calf. ...and over the course of six games from Week 9 to before Sunday, the Cowboys averaged 352 yards and 25 points over the next six games.

“The calf injury has been behind me for weeks now,” Prescott said. “You guys can continue to talk about it if you want, as I said, I hadn’t played my best ball, but I promise you it’s not because of my calf.”

To be clear: It isn't about the calf (or his 2020 surgically-repaired ankle). But it can be about the alteration in footwork that comes from leg injuries. But whatever the problem was - "slump'' or otherwise - it's as buried as the WFT now.

Here, Prescott became the first quarterback to throw a touchdown pass to a tight end, running back, receiver and offensive lineman in the same game, all part of a dazzling blowout that comes as part of the week's package that includes a playoff berth and the NFC East title.

Dak Prescott to Terence Steele for the Fat Guy Touchdown!pic.twitter.com/Vf1SC7kj40

— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) December 27, 2021

And speaking of dazzling: Dak, who in the first half alone threw for 321 yards and four TDs (he retired for the night with 330 yards) is now 9-1 against the WFT.

Dak to Zeke. 7-0. #Cowboys offense ‘untracked’? O Vs. D bet score: 1-1. pic.twitter.com/CBSGc2r0QJ

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) December 27, 2021

None of this ensures future success. But it is a resounding way for Dak and Dallas, in the No. 2 slot in the NFC with a chance to climb, to begin a stretch run to the playoffs.

“I’ve been No. 1 in the league in offense,” McCarthy said. “That doesn’t guarantee you a championship, and when you’re team is lopsided that way, it’s a lot harder on the defense and the special teams. I think you’re seeing a team that’s more balanced. It’s more complementary and has the ability to win the game in all three phases, and that’s what we want to be. ... We want to be complementary football. This ain’t about statistics.”

And now, it's ain't about a "slump.''