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[Dallas Cowboys]

Dak Prescott’s NFC East domination is even more impressive than you think

The Cowboys aren’t exactly having their best season so far, but Dak Prescott certainly is. Over the last four weeks, he’s completing 71.4% of his passes while averaging 270 yards a game and has thrown 13 touchdowns without a single turnover. He’s also second in EPA/play over that stretch.

His stellar play continued this Sunday, when he helped lead the team to a dominant win over the Commanders. During the game, the Fox broadcast aired an illuminating graphic highlighting Prescott’s particular dominance against his divisional rivals:

Since 1970 pic.twitter.com/gPvWy5qylz

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 19, 2025

Any time you’re included on a list with Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Cowboys legend Roger Staubach, you’re in good company. Throw in Andrew Luck, a Hall of Fame talent who was forced to retire too early.

As impressive as this is for Prescott, it’s made even more meaningful with a little bit of context. Dominating your division is important, as it’s a surefire way to get to the playoffs, but not all divisions are created equal. And in the case of Mahomes, Brady, and even Luck, all of them had (or have, in Mahomes’ case) the benefit of playing in divisions that weren’t particularly strong.

Mahomes came into the league at a time when his entire division was playing catch up to the Chiefs. Since becoming the starter, Mahomes has seen the rest of the AFC West post a .443 winning percentage. Only the Chargers have a winning record in that time, and just barely at 59-57.

Brady had an even longer period of easy access to the playoffs. While the AFC East had a combined .445 winning percentage during Brady’s time with the Patriots, that was slightly inflated by the Bills, who began to ascend the division ladder just as Brady prepared to leave for Tampa Bay. None of the AFC East teams posted a winning record over that span, while his short stint in the NFC South only saw two teams post a winning record for even one season. Brady also won the division with an 8-9 record in his final season.

Luck had a shorter career than the other two, unfortunately, but he was also quite lucky (sorry). The Texans were the only saving grace of the Colts’ rivals, but the AFC South (sans Luck) still had a .382 winning percentage during his run as the starting quarterback.

Compare that to Prescott, who has seen the NFC East with a .491 win percentage. Not only is that higher than any of the other three, it’s also largely deflated by the very consistent run of terrible years the franchise from Washington was experiencing until this past season. The Eagles, with a 90-57-1 record since Prescott entered the league, are easily the toughest divisional opponent of any quarterback being discussed here.

That’s evident by the fact that Philadelphia has (brace yourselves) won two Super Bowls during Prescott’s career. The closest that any of the other three quarterbacks ever came to seeing a divisional rival in the big game was when the Jets reached consecutive AFC Championship games but failed to advance either time. As an aside, the offensive coordinator for those Jets teams was none other than Brian Schottenheimer.

Prescott has dominated his division since entering the league, and that means something. He’s gone 14-2 against the Giants, without a loss since his rookie season; 12-2 against the Commanders; and even against the Eagles, with their two league titles, he’s 9-5.

On its own, that’s already impressive, but when you factor in the competition he’s actually faced in this division, it’s even more of a Herculean feat. Mahomes, Brady, and Luck never had to face such a tough division and – with the exception of Mahomes – their records are below Prescott’s.

Need just one more fun fact to justify Prescott’s quality? How about career wins when trailing by 8+ points in the fourth quarter:

Career wins after trailing by 8+ points in the 4Q, select QBs:

Patrick Mahomes – 6
Josh Allen – 3
Lamar Jackson – 3
Dak Prescott – 3
Bo Nix – 2
Jalen Hurts – 2
Jayden Daniels – 1
Jake Browning – 1
Justin Herbert – 0
Joe Burrow – 0

— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) October 21, 2025

Not only is Prescott dominating a tougher division than Brady once did, but he’s tied with the last two league MVP’s for overcoming big deficits.

Obviously the season is still young, and a lot can happen. But Prescott is playing at an MVP level right now, and he’s been doing this kind of thing for a long time already. It’s about time the rest of the league showed him that respect.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...nfc-east-domination-patrick-mahomes-tom-brady

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys fans trying to stay optimistic as team heads to Denver

The Dallas Cowboys 2025 season has been a roller-coaster that somehow has ended up in the mid-point between the ascent and the drop, a dead-even 3-3-1 record through seven games. Say what you want, but Cowboys games this year rarely lack for excitement. Overtime wins, overtime ties, last-second field goals, points lighting up the scoreboard; if nothing else, the Cowboys are entertaining this year.

But all that back and forth can take a toll on the fanbase. One week they’re up, the next they’re down. That’s the NFL though, a week-to-week league if there ever was one. And so this week Cowboys fans are feeling optimistic. The offense has always been there in 2025, but a decent game from the defense in the 44-22 thrashing of the Washington Commanders has elevated the mood around the team.

We asked Cowboys fans if they were confident the team was headed in the right direction and 64% said they were.

That is almost a season high, only after the Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles was the confidence level higher at 68%.

While 64% are confident in the long-term direction of the team, that doesn’t play the same for everybody in the short-term. The Cowboys are 3.5-point underdogs (FanDuel) in their road game against the Denver Broncos. 53% of fans think Dallas will beat the Broncos in Week 8. That’s 11% less than the confidence in the long-term direction.

Check out FanDuel for all the odds.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...rediction-denver-broncos-game-week-8-bet-odds

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Dallas Cowboys: Reading between the lines (defense)

This episode of Between the Lines we flip the attention to the defensive line, where chaos meets strategy. This is where the Cowboys’ games are won and lost, so let’s dive in.

Interior Defensive Line​

Osa Odighizuwa ​

(2025 Stats: 292 Total snaps, 19 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 20 Pressures, 1 Sack)

Grade: 58.3

Solomon Thomas ​

(2025 Stats: 218 Total snaps, 17 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 8 Pressures, 0 Sacks, 1 PD)

Grade: 64.1

Kenny Clark ​

(2025 Stats: 315 Total snaps, 15 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 23 Pressures, 2 Sacks)

Grade: 59.8

Mazi Smith​

(2025 Stats: 72 Total snaps, 2 Total Tackles, 0 TFL, 2 Pressures, 0 Sack)

Grade: 51.2

Jay Toia​

(2025 Stats: 56 Total snaps, 2 Total Tackle, 0 TFL, 0 Pressures, 0 Sack)

Grade: 28.6

Denver blocks really well and have allowed only 47 total pressures this year, that’s the second-best this year. Sean Payton’s main four guys of Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey, Quinn Meinerz, and Luke Wattenberg has been one of the league’s stabilizing forces. ESPN’s tracking has the Broncos first in Pass Block Win Rate (73%) and league-average 18th in the run game (71%). Even zooming out, their front was profiled as the main strength on the roster after finishing top-six in both win-rate metrics last year.

That protection feeds Bo Nix, who’s not been the best when it comes to quarterbacking but has stayed efficient with 1,556 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, four interceptions, and a passer rating of 87.3 QBR through the first seven weeks. He’ll also punish soft interiors with some sneaky keepers and scrambles and regularly layers play-action and quick RPOs to keep linebackers flat-footed. All this lets Nix throw on rhythm, and starts with the offensive line.

The ground game has pace also. J.K. Dobbins is thriving in orange with 105 carries, 523 yards, and four touchdowns. He’s a downhill, patient runner who hits creases without bouncing sideways. Since 2024, Denver has also gotten real rushing value from the quarterback spot, which forces interior rushers to collapse with lane discipline, not just fury. Expect change-ups from Jaleel McLaughlin in space and a dash of fullback to stress run fits.

Ok, so with all that, what should Dallas’ interior do about it? Make first down ugly to begin with. One thing the Cowboys have shown this year is they can squeeze zone tracks when Clark anchors square and Odighizuwa spills across to fit running plays. The Cowboys interior can sugar both A-gaps like they did more of last week, and trust the interior duo to anchor down the middle.

Against play-action, collapse the depth of the pocket rather than chasing the fake, Nix is less comfortable when the pocket shrinks and the throwing lane narrows. Finally, treat Dobbins like a true threat to this game with his quick cuts by shutting the cutback lanes.

Defensive End​

Marshawn Kneeland​

(2025 Stats: 126 Total snaps, 11 Total Tackles, 3 TFL, 3 Pressures, 1 Sack)

Grade: 54.7

Sam Williams​

(2025 Stats: 244 Total snaps, 15 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 15 Pressure, 1 Sack, 1 FR, 1 PD)

Grade: 40.8

Dante Fowler Jr.​

(2025 Stats: 187 Total snaps, 6 Total Tackles, 2 TFL, 18 Pressures, 1 Sack, 2 PD)

Grade: 75.0

Donovan Ezeiruaku ​

(2025 Stats: 235 Total snaps, 16 Total tackle, 5 TFL, 14 Pressures, 1 Sack, 1 FF)

Grade: 70.8

James Houston​

(2025 Stats: 122 Total snaps, 18 Total tackles, 4 TFL, 10 Pressures, 4 Socks, 1 FF, 1 FR)

Grade: 70.8

Jadeveon Clowney​

(2025 Stats: 96 Total snaps, 11 Total tackles, 1 TFL, 9 Pressures, 1 Sacks, 1 FR, 2 PD)

Grade: 63.4

Dallas’ edge unit needs to set the tone for the defense this week. Dante Fowler Jr. is the key tone-setter and he’s slowly getting back to form. His sprinter’s start, heavy hands, and the confidence to convert speed into a jolt that rocks a tackle’s base is kind of skill set that’s going to be needed to defeat Denver’s protections. Donovan Ezeiruaku got his first NFL sack as he continues to show aggressive pass rushing technique. Ezeiruaku plays like the battery never dies with his wide alignments, relentless chase, and an instant retrace when the bootleg shows up.

Depth also matters here. Jadeveon Clowney had what you could call his breakout game for Dallas last week and seemed to be involved in every broken play when he was on the field. His experience and knowledge on how to handle this Denver offensive line will be vital for the rest of the guys, especially if the edge group hit a rut and need pulling out. James Houston will also be important as the closer on obvious pass downs

Run defense is where this edge group can quietly win the day. Dobbins is a decisive runner, he’ll press outside zone, plant, and knife through the first crease. That puts a premium on keeping the outside shoulder free and squeezing the C-gap so cutbacks die. If the Dallas edges force Dobbins to bubble laterally, the interior can rally.

Expect Denver to answer with chips, slides, play-action (a lot of play-action), and screens meant to slow Dallas’ get-off.

Injury Update​

Marshawn Kneeland is questionable with an ankle issue.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...ve-line-scouting-report-denver-game-pass-rush