Dak Prescott Sends Message on Cowboys’ Playoff Hopes
With a big win in the books, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott believes there’s more ahead.
Prescott expects they will only get better amid the motivation found in honor of late teammate Marshawn Kneeland. The Cowboys played for the first time since the Nov. 6 tragedy and delivered a 33-16 blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday.
That has the Cowboys at 10th in the NFC with a 4-5-1 record and a tough slate of games ahead. Yet, Prescott believes they can turn around what has been a mostly dismal season.
“So, it’s about intensifying everything that we do to carry the legacy of Marshawn,” Prescott told reporters afterward. “Then over the next three games with the opponents coming in and us wanting to get to where we want to go, everything’s just got to heighten.”
“The discipline, the focus, the intensity, the aggressiveness, and that’s at practice. That will just carry over into the game,” Prescott added. “I’ve always said, ‘the game’s a celebration of the work that you put in throughout the week.'”
Dallas has a gauntlet ahead in the next three games with the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), Kansas City Chiefs (5-5), and Detroit Lions (6-4). Then, the Cowboys finish the season with the Minnesota Vikings (4-6), Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), Washington Commanders (3-8), and New York Giants (2-9).
Cowboys Turned Around Slow Start Against Raiders
For Monday, the Cowboys looked the part of a team aiming for the playoffs. Dallas took hold of the game after a 6-3 Raiders lead and pulled away with five consecutive scoring drives, sparked by Prescott’s three touchdown passes in the second quarter.
“Obviously, coming out there tonight and playing with the style that he played with, the intensity, the effort, the finish, super proud of the guys,” Prescott said. “This doesn’t put a cap on it. We’re going to continue to move forward, shining a light on Marshawn and carrying his legacy. And we need to play like this every week moving forward.”
Prescott went 25-33 for 268 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver George Pickens made Prescott’s job easy with nine receptions for 144 yards and a score, and fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb had five receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Jake Ferguson added four receptions for 16 yards and a score.
Cowboys running back Javonte Williams stepped up with 22 carries for 93 yards on the ground to support the passing attack. The Cowboys defense, meanwhile, played one of its best games of the season.
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams posted 1.5 sacks and four tackles in his debut. Osa Odighizuwa and Jame Houston had a sack apiece, and safety Markquese Bell had a pick.
Dak Prescott Pays Tribute to Marshawn Kneeland
The teams observed a moment of silence for Kneeland before the game, and the Cowboys players wore helmet decals with No. 94 and had shirts with Kneeland’s picture. Prescott’s wrist tape had “one love” on it for Kneeland.
“We love Marshawn and will continue to shine a light for him,” Prescott said.
For Prescott, it was close to home as he also lost his brother, Jace, to suicide five years ago.
“Titans Doomed for Historically Bad AFC South Mark - Proof Their Rebuild Is Broken
The Tennessee Titans, especially in recent years, are no strangers to disappointing campaigns in the form of low-win finishes. Mike Vrabel’s relative downturn before his firing just over two seasons ago was one thing, although Brian Callahan, his immediate replacement, mustering just three wins in his inaugural season was an entirely different sort of letdown.
Regarding the team’s current 2025-26 - half of which was under Callahan and now, after his departure, is led by interim head coach Mike McCoy - their 1-9 record looks bad enough on the surface, signaling a Titans’ potential final tally worse than what was previously thought plausible. Although below their one-win slate lies a tidbit of history that is most unfortunately in the making.
Unfortunate Record in the Making
Thus far this season, the Titans are 0-4 through four contests in the AFC South Division; two losses to the Indianapolis Colts and two to the Houston Texans, split at and away from home. If Tennessee fails to win either of their final two “in-house” battles over the second half of the season - both of which are against the Jacksonville Jaguars - they’ll end up winless in their league for the first time in over 40 years.
To boot, the last time the negative feat was achieved (if such a word is appropriate), in 1982, was before the Tennessee Titans existed at all.
Limiting Circumstances
The then-Houston Oilers, who finished with an overall record one loss shy of Tennessee’s current metric (1-8), were alongside the rest of the league’s teams in ensuring a strike-shortened, nine-game season, stripping many teams of opportunities for higher goals and development in either direction.
The result for the Titans’ predecessors, specifically, was an 0-4 finish in their division. A statistic that wouldn’t be repeated over the next near-half century, unless it happens now.
All the same, Tennessee can still put a stopper in the slamming door of history if they could just find a way to sync their array of moving pieces. In their last loss against the aforementioned Texans, 16-13, they came as close as they have been since their last win to doing so.
It’ll take an advanced effort on both sides of the ball, though the offense specifically has been the team’s greatest point of contention. If rookie quarterback Cam Ward can fully settle in, overcoming subpar performances from his veteran weapons and capitalize on what the defense gives him, perhaps the Titans can avoid this historical doom after all.
Although if Tennessee fans know anything at this point, it’s to not count on something good.
