Cowboys ‘very close’ to Super Bowl champion Eagles
Watching Sunday’s Super Bowl, it’s difficult to argue that the Dallas Cowboys are on the same level as the rival Philadelphia Eagles. Not only did the Eagles impressively dismantle the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with relative ease 40-22, but also they did it after having a dominant performance in the NFC Championship Game, defeating the Washington Commanders 55-23.
The gap between the Cowboys and Eagles doesn’t look all that close right now. But Dak Prescott doesn’t see things that way. He said Tuesday that the two are “very close.”
“I feel like we compete with the Eagles and beat them, for the most part, when we play them,” Prescott said while hosting a Children’s Cancer Fund event at NorthPark Center mall in Dallas. “I don’t want to say, ‘Check the record,’ when they’re the guys holding the (Lombardi) Trophy right now. Credit to them. They earned it and they deserve it, by all means.
“… To see them (do it) in such a dominating fashion, credit to them. It’s our turn, and it’s on us.”
Prescott is 9-4 in his career against the Eagles. However, during that time, the Cowboys have never reached the NFC Championship Game, while the Eagles have been to three Super Bowls, winning two.
This year was the first time in Prescott’s nine-year career that the Eagles swept Dallas in their season series. The Cowboys have swept Philadelphia twice during that time.
Prescott provided a health update Tuesday. He’s 90 days removed from having season-ending hamstring surgery.
“My health is good,” he said. “I’m doing a lot more. I’m getting there. I’m really looking to amp it up here. I got all my confidence. We’ll be fine.”
Prescott was in attendance two weeks ago when the Cowboys announced Brian Schottenheimer as the 10th head coach in team history. It seems pretty clear that the franchise quarterback is on board with the hire. While there will be changes, Dallas also wanted to keep some continuity on offense, largely because of the significant investments they’ve made in Prescott and star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
“He’s kind of old-fashioned,” Prescott said of Schottenheimer. “I’m looking forward to the grind and some things that we’re going to do and he’s going to add. Excited for him. I know he’s ready for it. He’s been in the system a long time. Something else I admire is the way he went on with the interviewing process.”
Prescott specifically mentioned how Schottenheimer has been putting together his staff and the time he’s devoted to finding the right assistants.
“I think (that) speaks highly of his approach,” Prescott added, “and the way he’s going to take care of things.”
There are several questions that need to be answered about the roster building over the next few months. But on the field, the biggest question with a new head coach who will be calling the offensive plays is: What will be the biggest changes? Even if Mike McCarthy remained head coach and play caller, changes were needed to an offense that had become stale.
In his introductory news conference, Schottenheimer talked about having a system flexible enough to fit players’ strengths. He mentioned cut splits with receivers and more shifts and motions. But he also talked about marrying their runs and passes to make those look similar.
The run game part was what Prescott mentioned when asked for his take on what could be different. Frankly, it has to be. It can’t be much worse. Dallas’ run game was near the bottom of the league last season, averaging only 4 yards per carry and 100 yards per game. The top running teams average around 5 yards per carry and 150 yards per game.
If Schottenheimer can fix that, things will be much easier on Prescott. Of course, the personnel must also improve for that to happen.