Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott believes the offense needs to find a better rhythm on the ground as the team prepares for Monday night’s road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas enters the game following consecutive losses, scoring just 29 combined points in those defeats. Although the NFC East remains within reach, Prescott knows the Cowboys need to start winning if they want to remain in the playoff race.
Dak Prescott emphasizes urgency for Cowboys
Despite Dallas’ 2-4 start, the Cowboys still have an opportunity to compete for the NFC East title. However, Prescott believes the team cannot rely indefinitely on the idea that there is plenty of time left in the season.
“I would say determined, and I would hope urgent,” Prescott said of the team’s mindset. “We can only say ‘we’ve got a lot of games in front of us’ for so long. Might be already past us, right? We’ve got to go win. Gotta go win. You’ve gotta go win.”
The quarterback acknowledged that losing games the team expected to win makes the path to the postseason more difficult.
“You want to give yourself a chance to be a winning team, to be a playoff team, you’ve got to win as many games as you can. When you drop two games, and particularly games that we didn’t expect to drop, it makes it that much harder. So urgent, urgent to get it done now.”
With another divisional matchup approaching, Dallas needs to turn that urgency into improved execution. A victory over Philadelphia would help the Cowboys regain momentum and strengthen their position in the NFC East.
Cowboys look to establish the running game against Philadelphia
Getting the ground game going could help Dallas avoid predictable passing situations and give Prescott more favorable opportunities through the air. A productive rushing attack would also allow the Cowboys to control possession and put additional pressure on opposing defenses.
Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio presents another challenge. The Eagles frequently rush four or fewer defenders, but Prescott expects they could blitz more often against Dallas after the Cowboys struggled to handle pressure in their previous two games.
“More particularly because we haven’t handled it the way that we should,” Prescott said. “So I expect more than they do on average, but I don’t expect Vic [Fangio] coming out and just using the game plan from the Packers or the Bucs.”
Prescott added that he expects Fangio to stick with his defensive principles while potentially adjusting the frequency of his blitzes.
“Very confident in his scheme, his guys are well coached, and he’s gonna play to what he believes in. But I would not be surprised if there’s more blitzes in this game than he’s done in the past.”
Prescott welcomes the challenge of playing in Philadelphia
Prescott also discussed the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Cowboys will face a hostile crowd on Monday night.
“It’s one of the few opportunities that you get that you feel like you’re truly on the road,” Prescott said. “You know you’re hated. It’s you guys and those guys on that sideline versus the world, it feels like. And that’s what football is supposed to be when you go on the road and you go to someone else’s house.”
Prescott explained that silencing the home crowd is part of what makes the experience enjoyable.
“There’s nothing better than hearing them quiet or getting them to boo their team. It’s just a great atmosphere. They love football out there. They expect to win, and that’s what makes the environment so fun and hectic.”
The Cowboys will need to handle that atmosphere while executing more effectively on offense. Improving the running game, protecting Prescott against pressure and limiting mistakes will be important as Dallas tries to end its losing streak.
