DALLAS — It’s not like Dak Prescott was invisible throughout the rest of the game, but when the Dallas Cowboys needed him most, Prescott came through for the squad and his big play effort has garnered notice.
Following a game-winning performance, Prescott was nominated on Monday for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for his outing against the New England Patriots.
Prescott went 36 of 51 (70.6%) and threw for a Bill Belichick-era leading 445 yards while pitching in three touchdowns in Dallas' 35-29 overtime Week 6 win at Gillette Stadium. The frantic finish improved Dallas’ record to 5-1 and sent the Cowboys into their bye week with a five-game winning streak.
Cowboys fans now have the opportunity to vote for Prescott for the honor until Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET at NFL.com/FedEx. Fans can also vote for Prescott on Twitter via the @NFL published polls and also on the NFL Mobile app.
The Minnesota Vikings' Kirk Cousins is also among the nominees. The former rival from Washington connected on 33 of 48 passes (68.8%) for 373 yards and 3 TDs in a 34-28 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders is the final name to make up the trio of quarterbacks up for voting. Carr and the Raiders survived the sudden exit of disgraced former head coach Jon Gruden with a 34-24 victory over the Denver Broncos. Carr went 18 of 27 (66.7%) for 373 yards and 2 TDs.
Prescott was the only QB of the three nominated to turn the ball over, as the Cowboys allowed the Patriots to hang around during their back-and-forth affair in Foxborough, but he was so prolific in his undoing of New England that he out-paced the others up for the award by over 70 yards and proved cool under pressure with game-tying and game-winning drives.
Executive Vice President Stephen Jones feels as though it is that ability to perform in the clutch moments that makes Prescott special and gives Dallas a chance to win games like the one they snatched away on Sunday.
“Really I think anytime, and hats off to Dak, we feel this way — anytime he’s healthy and playing at the level he’s playing at, you feel like you’re going to win the game,” Jones said during his appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Monday. “[We] have all the confidence in him.”
During the 2021-22 NFL regular season, FedEx will make weekly donations of $2,000 in the name of the winning quarterback and running back ($4,000 total) to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country.
The FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week nominees include the Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in a 31-3 win over the Houston Texans. Dalvin Cook of the Vikings garnered 140 yards and a TD in the win over Carolina to earn a nomination.
The final nominee is a familiar face for those who watched Prescott and the Cowboys on Sunday as Patriots’ RB Damien Harris got the nod for picking up 101 yards on 18 carries with a score for New England. Ultimately, however, he was on the losing end to Dallas and Dak in Sunday’s thriller.
Where do you think Dak Prescott is currently ranked among the NFL MVP contenders? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.