TAMPA. It may have been just the first stop on the Dak Prescott Redemption Tour, which was unveiled on Monday night to close out the first weekend of the NFL playoffs.
Who was that guy?
The quarterback who led the Dallas Cowboys to a 31-14 win, the franchise’s first playoff road win in 30 years, certainly wasn’t the Prescott seen a week earlier during the regular season finale in Washington. And Prescott certainly wasn’t the turnover machine that defined his regular season.
He was simply the best Prescott you’ve ever seen. Prescott became the first player in Cowboys history to throw five touchdowns in a postseason game, which is essential to have on your resume if you’re a high-profile NFL quarterback.
Yet Prescott’s impeccable performance meant much more.
Follow every game: Latest NFL Scores & Schedule
Did someone mention verification?
“LET IT GO”:Duck Prescott was pissed off about missed punches, but consoled Brett Maher after winning
WINNERS, LOSSERS:The cowboys move on; Tom Brady and Bucks Face Offseason Uncertainty
NFL NEWSLETTER:Subscribe now to receive football news in your inbox
High-profile quarterback work for the most notable team in the NFL has its perks, such as the many promotional deals that have made Prescott and his alter ego a crushing commercial success. However, he cannot have both. This high-profile performance is accompanied by excessive criticism and Internet memes.
Well, whoever released the last one, which showed Prescott in a cartoon image of a deer frozen in headlights, this one is on you.
Prescott’s performance – he completed 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards with four TDs and a £143.3 efficiency rating and also ran for 1 yard with sleight of hand – was shrouded in a composure he certainly needed not only to to guide his team, but to silence all those critics.
After Prescott led the NFL with a career-high 15 steals (in 12 games in total), another important Prescott statistic on Monday night showed zero – as did zero losses.
Now, aside from leading his team to the NFC Divisional Playoffs in San Francisco on Sunday, that’s what redemption looks like. At least for now.
And yes, the dismal performance in Washington in Week 18 had at least some of the motivation that fueled Prescott’s comeback for centuries. At least the last game reminded Prescott of what not to do with slightly higher stakes.
“I’ve given up on how I play this game,” he mused. With Washington, Prescott made just 37.8% of his shots and had a sixth pick, resulting in a dismal 45.8 passer rating. “I became greedy. force some shots, tried to take big shots, and that’s not who I’ve been throughout my career, taking what they give me, expecting a big hit. I think it was uncharacteristic, so yes, of course it was a way for me to dial it back.
“But I wiped it clean and I knew what this game meant. I knew how important she was to us, and like I said, (we) were ready.”
If anyone in the visitors’ locker room at Raymond James Stadium was surprised by Prescott’s composure and monumental comeback, they certainly didn’t show it late Monday night.
Let Zach Martin, the rock of Prescott’s offensive line, speak for the group.
“Everyone in our locker room knows what this guy is and what he’s made of,” Martin said.
No other Cowboys player has been as honored as Martin, who has appeared in eight Pro Bowl tournaments and was named to the Pro First Team for the sixth time last week.
Martin knows. He may be one of the best players in the NFL, but many of the general public, especially outside of Dallas, don’t recognize him without a helmet. He is a largely anonymous offensive lineman. He understands how different Prescott’s life is in the public eye and in the line of fire.
“And the quarterback role with the Dallas Cowboys is definitely a position that everyone loves to comment on,” Martin said.
Sequence. Self-control. These are the traits that Martin and others consider so important in defining Prescott. Last week, when questions about Prescott’s ability to recover dominated, Martin laughed it off.
“No offense,” Martin said to a small group of journalists gathered at his locker. “But it was food.”
And this is also Prescott’s world.
“Probably more people are talking about him now than any other player,” Martin said. You can’t humiliate him. endured, endured.”
Now here’s another chapter of adversity, thanks to his professional life. Prescott cited his preparation as the key to his ability to stay calm and steady on Monday night (while another quarterback, Tom Brady, was out of sync with big mistakes to show it). He told himself to keep any frustration that came up during the game under control.
“There was a bit of a disappointment, but this week I knew I couldn’t let it cross my mind,” Prescott said.
The net result is another week, another chance at redemption.
Prescott knows there’s going to be a lot of discussion this week about last year’s playoffs — and how it ended for the Cowboys against the 49ers and the serious time management bug that shut him out when time ran out. when the quarterback attempted to lift the ball to set up a potential game-winning field goal.
So here it is again, the 49ers, only in their own territory and on an 11-game winning streak in the NFL.
“It’s a scar for me and this team,” Prescott said of last year’s playoff loss. make sure I prepare correctly, leaving no doubt about the preparation.
DeMarcus (Lawrence) said earlier this week in a management meeting that it’s just an opportunity to get these guys back, that this thing is made especially for us to play against teams that have beaten us. Therefore, it is important for us to benefit. get ready, grab the day and make sure we’re ready to go.”
In other words, the Redemption Tour continues.
