Ever since Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott were drafted in 2016, many of Prescott’s critics have asserted that Zeke was the reason for Dak’s success. For supporters of Dak Prescott it was hard to argue otherwise. We all witnessed what happened in 2017 when Elliott was suspended for 6 games. Last season, the Cowboys had a 8-2 record when Ezekiel Elliott had 25 or more touches but a pathetic 1-4 record when he did not. How many times have you heard the phrase “This team will only go as far as Ezekiel Elliott will take them”? The truth is, this was never a one man show. In reality, the 2018 Dallas Cowboys were at their best when both Elliott and Prescott performed well. In fact, the Dallas Cowboys posted a 9-2 record in 2018 when Dak Prescott had a passer rating of 90 or higher but when his passer rating was lower than that, their record was only 1-4. This begs the question..In 2018, was Ezekiel Elliott or Dak Prescott MVP? Contrary to popular opinion, the 2018 Dallas Cowboys were Ezekiel Elliott’s AND Dak Prescott’s team.
Fast forward to 2019 and the script has been flipped. Not only is Dak Prescott MVP of the Dallas Cowboys, but he is even being mentioned in the conversation of league MVP. A far cry from the overwhelming opinion of most fans and experts last year and throughout the offseason. This season, the Dallas Cowboys are 6-1 when Dak Prescott posts a passer rating above 90 and they are 0-3 when his passer rating falls below that mark. Meanwhile, the impact of Ezekiel Elliott has been far less considerable. This season, the Cowboys are 2-1 when Zeke has 25+ touches but still 4-3 when he does not. Furthermore, the Dallas Cowboys boast a winning record (2-1) when Ezekiel Elliott has less than 20 touches in a game this season! It appears that the 2019 Dallas Cowboys will only go as far as Dak Prescott will take them.
Now that the mindset of the fanbase and folks in the media is beginning to shift, those of us fans who have supported Dak Prescott all along must remain calm. All it takes is one or two games for the world to turn on us all once again. Much like much of the world has turned on Ezekiel Elliott. The truth is, the Dallas Cowboys are 6-4 and although they currently lead the division, they are not where they want to be. For them to succeed and reach their ultimate goals the successful formula must include Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and the Dallas Cowboys defense. The best script to follow for this team going forward is that Dak plays well, the defense plays to its potential, and while playing with a lead, the Cowboys bludgeon opposing defenses with a steady dose of #21 to close out games.
Through 10 games the Dallas Cowboys can overwhelmingly consider Dak Prescott MVP, but if they wish to reach an NFC championship for the first time since 1995, they will need Ezekiel Elliott and their defense to also be included in the conversation.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
**All Data and statistics obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/