What was Dak's finest clutch moment as our starter?

[Swagger]

Really this is about the only one I can think of that I would consider a really big time play.

Does he make some high level plays? sure. But not at a high rate and almost never when they are most needed.

It's just not in his skill set.

It's a great question because context has to be taken into account.
E.g., Tampa Bay were a horrific team that crawled into the play offs last season. Old, slow, banged up and woefully out of form. We would have cruised to win with a practice squad QB like Cooper Rush.

Prescott's best game for years was against the Eagles last season. Yet, they had their backup QB, Prescott handed the opposition a pick 6 at the start and the Eagles would have won the game had the Cowboys' centre not landed on the ball after Prescott fumbled late on. Add in the Eagles didn't need to win the game and the Eagles D really wasn't all that as was exposed in the SB. But Prescott was excellent and played to a high level on the whole with some excellent throws - credit to him.

The throw to Beaseley to win the game against the Giants was excellent...yet it didn't mean much as it was effectively a dead rubber to the Giants from memory?

Prescott's play with his legs in the play offs against the Seahawks was impressive and much needed. However, the reality is that the Cowboys had the superior team and should have won as they did. Russell Wilson outplayed Dak Prescott that day but he played on an inferior team and Pete Carroll didn't let him cook until it was too late.

I liked how Prescott played against the Vikings a few years back. Although we lost the game he played lights out apart from the late mistake. It was a rare game where I felt he was really let down by his team mates.

For me, I still really liked how Prescott played against Tampa Bay - I think it was in his first season as a rookie. It helped having a once in a generation offensive line, but it was a lovely balanced performance whereby he wasn't asked to be Patrick Mahomes and he was content to make regulation safe throws, use his wheels to extend drives and efficiently put points on the scoreboard whilst the team dominated time of possession. The problem is that a successful franchise wouldn't pay this type of QB elite money as he's in essence an efficient bus driver readily available whether in the draft or a solid vet. When you then ask that type of QB to do more...well Prescott showed the results last season.

The games that actually mattered would be:

Packers - play offs.
He mostly played very well especially for a rookie even factoring in the interception but how would a vet All-Pro have played against the worst pass defense the Cowboys have ever faced in the play offs and an All-Pro vet wouldn't have left time on the clock for Rodgers after the final offensive drive if he was unable to score the TD to win the game like Prescott.

Rams - play offs. Cowboys' run defense was shredded. Prescott didn't elevate the Cowboys but only an elite QB (top 3-5 in the league) could have given us any sort of chance. No issue here as Prescott was not helped by his team and he was on a rookie contract.

Eagles - to make the play offs. Wentz outplayed Prescott with deck chairs at WR and the Eagles were really banged up. The Cowboys had the better team yet lost.

49ers - play offs. Prescott had several drives to win the game in the 4th quarter in optimal playing conditions yet was unable to do so. A terribly interception thrown by Jimmy G kept the Cowboys in the game yet Prescott was unable to take advantage. A top 10 QB wins this race for the Cowboys in my view.

49ers - play offs. The most disappointing game for me as the Cowboys should have had a huge advantage at QB given the 49ers had a guy that was barely drafted and badly struggled against a strong Cowboys D. Prescott had countless opportunities to win this game yet couldn't make the play to get it down.

Overall he has shown to me that he isn't the guy to get it done unless the team is incredibly strong so he doesn't need to make the clutch throws. With such a team pretty much any starting QB in the league would be able to win.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

It was an easy pitch and catch. Got to give Moore credit for the play design.
Play is at 32:00

He strained his calf before he three it it was a great play call too. Typically great play calls are how quarterbacks win in clutch moments lol:”.

 

[Whirlwin]

Throws a bomb deep to the end zone to Cole Beasley to win against the Giants . Prescott pulls Tony Roval spin out to his left to Jason Witten in the end zone to beat the Eagles.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

It's a great question because context has to be taken into account.
E.g., Tampa Bay were a horrific team that crawled into the play offs last season. Old, slow, banged up and woefully out of form. We would have cruised to win with a practice squad QB like Cooper Rush.

Prescott's best game for years was against the Eagles last season. Yet, they had their backup QB, Prescott handed the opposition a pick 6 at the start and the Eagles would have won the game had the Cowboys' centre not landed on the ball after Prescott fumbled late on. Add in the Eagles didn't need to win the game and the Eagles D really wasn't all that as was exposed in the SB. But Prescott was excellent and played to a high level on the whole with some excellent throws - credit to him.

The throw to Beaseley to win the game against the Giants was excellent...yet it didn't mean much as it was effectively a dead rubber to the Giants from memory?

Prescott's play with his legs in the play offs against the Seahawks was impressive and much needed. However, the reality is that the Cowboys had the superior team and should have won as they did. Russell Wilson outplayed Dak Prescott that day but he played on an inferior team and Pete Carroll didn't let him cook until it was too late.

I liked how Prescott played against the Vikings a few years back. Although we lost the game he played lights out apart from the late mistake. It was a rare game where I felt he was really let down by his team mates.

For me, I still really liked how Prescott played against Tampa Bay - I think it was in his first season as a rookie. It helped having a once in a generation offensive line, but it was a lovely balanced performance whereby he wasn't asked to be Patrick Mahomes and he was content to make regulation safe throws, use his wheels to extend drives and efficiently put points on the scoreboard whilst the team dominated time of possession. The problem is that a successful franchise wouldn't pay this type of QB elite money as he's in essence an efficient bus driver readily available whether in the draft or a solid vet. When you then ask that type of QB to do more...well Prescott showed the results last season.

The games that actually mattered would be:

Packers - play offs.
He mostly played very well especially for a rookie even factoring in the interception but how would a vet All-Pro have played against the worst pass defense the Cowboys have ever faced in the play offs and an All-Pro vet wouldn't have left time on the clock for Rodgers after the final offensive drive if he was unable to score the TD to win the game like Prescott.

Rams - play offs. Cowboys' run defense was shredded. Prescott didn't elevate the Cowboys but only an elite QB (top 3-5 in the league) could have given us any sort of chance. No issue here as Prescott was not helped by his team and he was on a rookie contract.

Eagles - to make the play offs. Wentz outplayed Prescott with deck chairs at WR and the Eagles were really banged up. The Cowboys had the better team yet lost.

49ers - play offs. Prescott had several drives to win the game in the 4th quarter in optimal playing conditions yet was unable to do so. A terribly interception thrown by Jimmy G kept the Cowboys in the game yet Prescott was unable to take advantage. A top 10 QB wins this race for the Cowboys in my view.

49ers - play offs. The most disappointing game for me as the Cowboys should have had a huge advantage at QB given the 49ers had a guy that was barely drafted and badly struggled against a strong Cowboys D. Prescott had countless opportunities to win this game yet couldn't make the play to get it down.

Overall he has shown to me that he isn't the guy to get it done unless the team is incredibly strong so he doesn't need to make the clutch throws. With such a team pretty much any starting QB in the league would be able to win.

The whole “he can’t win unless they are incredibly strong” is such a flawed argument. Literally every contender has a strong team except maybe Mahomes.

 

[Whirlwin]

The whole “he can’t win unless they are incredibly strong” is such a flawed argument. Literally every contender has a strong team except maybe Mahomes.

Mahomes has the strongest team. And coaching.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Mahomes has the strongest team. And coaching.

Coaching for sure. I think he has the weaker receiving unit of all contenders. I’m not in the mood to get into arguments with people about how Mahomes is the GOAT and doesn’t have talent so I just automatically eliminate him lol.

 

[5Stars]

For instance with Romo, I can think of a couple like Buffalo Bills 07, Giants 14, Commanders 14, etc


What would you say is Dak's finest clutch moment thus far? Cheers

I cannot remember the game, but it was when the team was getting ready to score, and Dak and Zeke faked run to his right, and he took off left with the ball and damn near just walking in for the TD.

Maybe someone already posted that play?

 

[McKDaddy]

He threw a game winning touchdown right after suffering a right calf strain in OT lol….

Ok, but a calf strain isn't exactly debilitating. He got it done, I'm not trying to take anything away from him on the play it just doesn't meet my criteria for being a big time play. Again, I would have expected anyone to hit Lamb on that play.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Ok, but a calf strain isn't exactly debilitating. He got it done, I'm not trying to take anything away from him on the play it just doesn't meet my criteria for being a big time play. Again, I would have expected anyone to hit Lamb on that play.

Maybe give me an example of what you mean?

Yeah a calf strain isn’t a ACL injury but it was a injury that not only had him miss a game ke two but seemed to effect him later on throughout the season.

And this is what I talk about when it comes to Dak….just seems like an unfair criticism to judge him based how his game winner went. A game winner is a game winner. We don’t do this with any other quarterback. Pat Mahomes will literally throw a 4 yard slant where Kelce breaks 3 tackles and will get credit for it.

 

[Pass2Run]

Bucs 2022.

Dropped the first game. Kept us alive to move passed Brady.

Easy answer. Dak isn't as bad as people want to believe. I think that game proved it.

 

[Pass2Run]

I thought his playoff performance in the WC win against Seattle in 2018 was pretty clutch. Keeping it himself for the TD run to go up 14-24 and put the game away was big time. That Seattle team, while on the tail end of their run, still had some of the Legion of Boom aura surrounding them and Russel Wilson was not yet a broken QB.

What about carving the Eagles up this year in week 16? That game was a monster performance and, at the time, kept Dallas right on Philly's heels for the division crown and 1-seed.

You say this. It makes me think. Beasley hopefully learned a lesson or two about burning bridges. He could have come back had he not thumbed his nose at Jerral et al on his way out.

 

[Pass2Run]

Yet, more & more people are coming to the conclusion that the concerns I raised as far back as 2017 are valid.

BTW, You are one of the poster children most of this board thinks of when it comes to failed evaluations.

I heard if you don't feed them they starve...

Shrugs

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

Really this is about the only one I can think of that I would consider a really big time play.

Does he make some high level plays? sure. But not at a high rate and almost never when they are most needed.

It's just not in his skill set.

So it's not about Dak's lack of big plays (They have been caught on film)

Moreso about peoples lack of retention skills ?

Just not their skill set I guess

 

[DCwarrior]

Have we seen his finest clutch moment? If so we have been jipped!

 

[Dallasfann]

Clutch wise definitely the Seattle Run in the wild card. The Beasley catch was beautiful but a loss really didn't do much if I remember correctly.

 

[Floatyworm]

Still waiting....

 

[plasticman]

I choose the Seattle Seahawk playoff game in 2018.

With two and a half minutes left in the game the Cowboys lead 17-14 and it is 3rd and 14 at Seattle's 17 yard line.

The most probable outcome is the Cowboys tying the game at 17-17 with a field goal and giving Wilson and the Seahawks the ball with over two minutes left in the game. Not good.

So on 3rd and 14 Dak goes back to pass but instantly sees an opening and runs through a bunch of Seahawks to gain 16 yards and a 1st and goal. He scores a TD on the next play.

There was little doubt in my mind that Seattle would have scored at least a field goal with that much time. Dak's run gave the Cowboys the playoff victory in a high pressure playoff situation. That is clutch.

 

[McKDaddy]

Maybe give me an example of what you mean?

Yeah a calf strain isn’t a ACL injury but it was a injury that not only had him miss a game ke two but seemed to effect him later on throughout the season.

And this is what I talk about when it comes to Dak….just seems like an unfair criticism to judge him based how his game winner went. A game winner is a game winner. We don’t do this with any other quarterback. Pat Mahomes will literally throw a 4 yard slant where Kelce breaks 3 tackles and will get credit for it.

The play went exactly as planned. Lamb was wide open it was an easy throw. Nothing about the individual contributions deserve great praise.
If there had been a free defender who had burst thru and the QB was forced to evade and making a difficult throw into coverage would be a play deserving of the "big play" label.

I don't give Mahomes or any other QB great credit for ordinary plays. Now when Mahomes makes 12 things happen in order to get off that 4 yard slant between three defenders, that's a different story.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

The play went exactly as planned. Lamb was wide open it was an easy throw. Nothing about the individual contributions deserve great praise.
If there had been a free defender who had burst thru and the QB was forced to evade and making a difficult throw into coverage would be a play deserving of the "big play" label.

I don't give Mahomes or any other QB great credit for ordinary plays. Now when Mahomes makes 12 things happen in order to get off that 4 yard slant between three defenders, that's a different story.

You’ve yet to give an example of what you’re saying though. Are you insinuating Mahomes doesn’t get help from a great play call?

 

[erod]

Probably the tb playoff game last year- 1st road win in 30 years and best performance of his career in a big spot...

Any playoff team would have run over that gawd week awful team though. They were bad this year.