Game day has arrived in Arlington, as the Cowboys will take on a Ravens team hungry for their first win. For Dallas to win this one, Dak Prescott will need to outshine Baltimore’s two-time MVP, Lamar Jackson.
The Cowboys are off to a 1-1 start, after a dominating defensive performance against the Browns, and a defensive meltdown against the Saints.
In both games, the Dallas offense never really took off. With Cleveland, Prescott only threw for 179 yards, while the team’s leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliott, ran for just 40 yards.
Statistically, there was improvement against New Orleans, but the team only scored 19 points.
On the Baltimore side, their stats have not resulted in wins. Despite leading the league in yards per game, ranking second in total yards, and fifth in passing yards, the Ravens and Jackson are 0-2.
Lamar Jackson among QBs through Week 2
– No. 1 in total yards (687)
– No. 1 in rushing yards (167)
– No. 4 in passing 1st downs (25)
– No. 5 in passing yards (520)
– T-5 in passing yards per game (260.0)
– T-5 in completions (47)
– No. 9 in adjusted net yards per attempt (6.33) pic.twitter.com/EulAtZcoJ2— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) September 18, 2024
The winner of this game, however, will likely be the team with the better-performing quarterback. So, let’s compare Prescott and Jackson to see who could come out on top.
Dak Prescott: Throwing The Rock Around
When it comes to passing the ball today, the Cowboys and Dak Prescott must have the advantage. If they don’t, things could get ugly.
Prescott threw for 293 yards last week, but it came with two interceptions and was overall not nearly enough. Today, he needs to have his first 300+ yard day and be turnover free.
Is that a large ask? Perhaps, but when he hit his stride in 2023, those numbers were no problem.
We’re talking about the guy who was the runner-up to Jackson in the MVP race last season, and if you take a look at the numbers, Prescott was easily better.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott finished second in NFL MVP voting.
Lamar Jackson won by a large margin, receiving 49 of 50 first place votes
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 9, 2024
This is 2024 now, and Prescott is the highest paid player in the history of the NFL.
It is on his shoulders to deliver a big performance in the passing game today; the Ravens almost always beat you in the ground game, and if they manage to also beat you in the passing game, things get ugly fast.
The Cowboys’ leader can not allow Jackson to outdo him in the passing game today.
Lamar Jackson: Unbeatable Running Game
Let’s not be unrealistic here: Dak Prescott is not going to out-run Lamar Jackson today. As a now two-time MVP, Jackson is better than anybody at rushing the ball from the quarterback position, and that won’t change today.
Despite the 0-2 record, Jackson is the league’s highest rusher at QB once again, and he ranks 11th in the league in rushing.
LAMAR RUSHES INTO ELITE COMPANY 🔥
He’s now third all-time in rushing yards by a QB (5,321+), trailing only Cam Newton and Michael Vick 💨 pic.twitter.com/BNFAv2BamW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 6, 2024
In contrast, we are years removed and a major ankle injury away from his peak-rushing days.
Don’t get me wrong, Prescott can still run and scramble, but Dallas just does not risk it as much anymore. In the two prior weeks of this season combined, he ran the ball just three times for 15 yards.
While Mike McCarthy may try to keep up with Jackson by designing a few more runs from Prescott, it still won’t be enough to top him, nor is it worth it.
Dak Prescott’s strength is in the passing game now. This isn’t Mississippi State anymore. Lamar Jackson will win the rushing battle in today’s game.
Who Wins The Quarterback Battle?
Now, the question is which quarterback, Prescott or Jackson, will win the real battle of the day. It’s early in the season, but both of these guys need a win in this game.
The Ravens have gotten out to an uncharacteristic 0-2 start, while the Cowboys are 0-1 at home with that blowout loss under their belt. Neither team wants their early-season trend to continue past today.
So, that brings us to the answer to this question, and the answer is Dak Prescott. Dallas’ star quarterback has yet to have a signature performance this season; we have not seen him at his best yet.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott against the New Orleans Saints:
– 39 attempts
– 27 completions
– 69% completion
– 293 passing yards
– 1 passing touchdown
– 2 interceptions
– 2 rushing attempts
– 12 rushing yards— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) September 16, 2024
This is the kind of game that would be the perfect time to have that signature performance.
Baltimore is a tough opponent, and their defense is going to be difficult to beat, but Prescott and the Cowboys need to pull it off.
They can not afford to fall to 0-2 at home, and a continued struggle to beat tough opponents is the last thing they need around their neck.
Prescott will answer the bell today and outperform Jackson. If he doesn’t, Dallas is in trouble.
