Dak Prescott threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday’s crucial win over the Chiefs. The Cowboys quarterback relied on its dynamic receiving duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who combined for 13 receptions for 200 yards and a score, to produce its first consecutive games with 300-plus passing yards since the 2023 season.
The Thanksgiving victory comes after Prescott and Co. erased a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to knock off the Eagles last Sunday. The two big wins against the Super Bowl LIX representatives of the AFC and NFC are part of the Cowboys’ three-game winning streak, their first such streak since the 2023 season.
“We can be whatever we want to be,” Prescott said. “It’s all in front of us. I was just telling the offense that when we’re on our knees at the end of the game, but that’s not going to happen next Thursday. It’s going to happen on Sunday when we get into the building.
“It’s just taking it one day at a time, giving it your all, understanding that we work this week with our preparation and that we just get to come here and play the game we love and play it freely. All these wins, all they’ve done is just give us more and more confidence.”
While the Cowboys offense has been hot, it has been their defense that has really stepped up.
The Cowboys defense has allowed 21.7 points per game since acquiring Quinnen Williams before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, a remarkable improvement from the 30.8 PPG the unit allowed from Weeks 1-9, which ranked 31st in the league that span.
Williams’ presence has boosted Dallas’ pass rush, which has tallied 8.0 sacks in the last three games since his arrival. The Cowboys have also improved on their rushing defense in the winning streak by allowing no opposing backs to top the 60-yard mark in that span.
After a shocking Week 9 loss at home to the Cardinals on “Monday Night Football,” Dallas strengthened its defense and rallied after a Week 10 bye to become one of the league’s hottest teams heading into December.
The Cowboys currently sit in the No. 9 playoff spot in the NFC. They head into another key game next week against the No. 8 Lions before dates with the Vikings and Chargers at home.
Schottenheimer believes his team is ready for a tight race going into the season after recent victories.
“I’ve heard everybody talk about, ‘Oh hey, they’ve got to play the Eagles, and then they’ve got to play the Chiefs, and then the Lions and the Vikings. We’re going to play that. We’re going to play anybody,'” Schottenheimer said. “And the reason you play those games is if we have a chance and we make the playoffs, it proves to you that you’re beating teams that have been to the Super Bowl. You’re beating teams that have won championships. And that gives all the guys in that room all the confidence in the world to go play anybody in the world.”