Are the haters done questioning Dak Prescott yet?
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback once again put up monster numbers in a win, throwing for 444 yards and three touchdowns on 29 of 46 attempts in Sunday's 35-27 road win in Detroit.
"Our offensive line did a great job, giving me some time," Prescott said after the win, via The Associated Press. "I had some time to go through the progressions once and a couple times, go through them again to find the open guy."
That comment is a major indictment on Matt Patricia's defense but also underscores Prescott's development. The signal-caller is patient in the pocket, willing to let plays develop, but simultaneously doesn't linger too long.
With the Cowboys defense unable to snuff out a backup QB on Sunday, Prescott was forced to answer repeatedly. Time and time again, the signal-caller responded with a spot-on throw.
One particular gorgeous sideline pass to Amari Cooper for a first down in the fourth quarter even had Lions corner Darius Slay shaking his head.
"They have a bunch of guys who can make plays and it is tough to account for all of them," Slay said. "There were plays where I thought we had them shut down, but someone would get open by a step and Dak would hit the throw or he'd get out of the pocket and run."
A bunch of playmakers stepped up for the Cowboys, with Michael Gallup going for nine catches and 148 yards and Randall Cobb busting Detroit for four grabs, 115 yards and a TD. It's Prescott, however, who deserves the bulk of the credit.
The signal-caller recorded his third 400-plus pass yard game of the season. Through 10 games, Prescott has four tilts of 375-plus yards and two-plus TDs. The only other player in NFL history to accomplish that feat in 10 games is Joe Montana in 1990 (Peyton Manning has the most such games in a season with six in 2013).
"It's humbling anytime you get thrown in with the name Montana," Prescott said. "It's great, right? For me, it's let's go get another win and maybe I will get a fifth one. It's all about moving forward and getting better."
Prescott's play has improved immensely this season under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Prescott became the fourth QB in franchise history to throw for 20-plus TD over the first 10 games of a season (21) -- Tony Romo (2007 and 2013), Don Meredith (1966) and Danny White (1983). He is the first Cowboys QB to reach 3,000-plus pass yards over the first 10 games of a season in franchise history.
The Cowboys are averaging 444.6 total yards per game, most in franchise history -- Dallas has never averaged 400-plus yards in a season.
"Dak spread the ball around," Ezekiel Elliott said. "Dak is playing the best football I have ever seen him play, he definitely took his game to the next level, just the things he has been able to do. Come up to the line, change the plays, getting us in the right plays versus certain looks."
Anyone left arguing that Dak isn't a franchise quarterback is either legally blind or willfully ignorant and sticking with a preconceived perception that has proven to be faulty.
