Upon this time a year ago, consternation swirled regarding Dak Prescott‘s mounting interceptions.
He would end the regular season with a league- and career-high 15 interceptions, opening up an offseason’s worth of conversation regarding his sudden turnover woes.
Prescott, along with the Dallas Cowboys, has definitely achieved their goal to rectify their shortcomings. The 30-year-old has almost halved his total number of interceptions and is set to conclude the year as the leading touchdown scorer in the NFL.
“Last year at this time, I had a clear understanding of who I am, just as I had articulated then,” Prescott stated on Tuesday, as reported by Todd Archer of ESPN. “There were some challenges. The balls weren’t always going in the direction I intended, with some unusual bounces and tight throws that didn’t work out for me. Plus, the occasional frustrating interception, which is a problem that persists this year.”
For me, it’s essentially about remaining authentic, persisting in my efforts, and not letting the views of others, especially critics, influence my game or my approach to it.
Prescott is on the verge of making history, with eight interceptions in 16 games, as he and the Cowboys aim to secure the NFC East by defeating the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
His 32 touchdown passes are tops in the NFL, with the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy, who isn’t playing, at second with 31. Trailing beyond that are the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love (30 TD passes) and three others tied at 28. Should Prescott finish the campaign with the TD toss crown, he would join Hall of Famer Roger Staubach (1973 season) as the only Cowboys QBs to lead the league in touchdown passes. He would also join another Hall of Famer, Bob Waterfield (1945-46), to lead the league in touchdowns a season after leading it in interceptions, per NFL Research.
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Prescott had four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 45-10 Thanksgiving throttling of the Commanders earlier this season, so he’s certainly got a shot at history.
Most importantly, though, is Prescott and Co. can head into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed with a victory and at least some of that success can be attributed to the QB’s 1.4 interception percentage — the second-lowest of his eight-season career.
Prescott was resolute about reducing his INT numbers this year and has decisively succeeded. However, he has not devoted excessive time to celebrating his statistics this year.
“Numbers and stats are only part of the picture, so I don’t obsess over them,” Prescott expressed. “Regrettably, a lot of outstanding quarterbacks were injured this year. I focused on improving myself daily and ensuring those around me were doing the same. I don’t get swept up in the numbers game.”
Many critics were engrossed in his INT numbers last season, and with only one game remaining, Prescott is on the brink of a historic statistical rebound.
