The next great NFC QB rivalry?
While I am guessing there will be no instant impact on Jason Garrett’s job status late Sunday night when an EaglesCowboys winner is determined, we probably can assume the same about Dak Prescott and his contract “battle” with Carson Wentz.
It’s unfortunate. In a reality show society, I think Prescott should be awarded slightly more than what Wentz received this spring (four years, $128 million) if the Cowboys win, but forced to sign for less should the Eagles emerge victorious. It would add a fun element of desperation at least for one player at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.
More realistically, as these teams battle for the league’s worst firstplace record, we get to learn more about whether Prescott vs. Wentz is going to become one of the game’s great quarterback rivalries — a modern day version of Meredith vs. Starr, Staubach vs. Theismann or Aikman vs. Young, if you will.
As it stands right now, Prescott has the upper hand 32, but I think it should be 31.
The teams played at the end of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with playoff status clinched. In 2016, Prescott played some but many of the Cowboys starters did not, and the Eagles won a meaningless game.
The roles were reversed in 2017 as Philadelphia was on its way to a Super Bowl and only Garrett seemed energized by the Cowboys’ 60 win. (Wentz didn’t play in the game, anyway.)
Regardless, last year is when the rivalry finally took flight. The quarterbacks met in two important games in a year in which both teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs. You never would have guessed the Eagles were going to travel so far when Dallas won the second meeting 2923 in overtime and Prescott threw for a careerhigh 455 yards (since broken with his 463 vs. Green Bay).
Despite Philly’s secondary being an absolute mess, Wentz kept his team alive with three touchdown passes. For the year, he threw five against Dallas with just one interception while completing over 70 percent of his passes in the two Eagles defeats.
Despite the losing record against Prescott and the Cowboys, after three seasons, I thought Wentz had the upper hand as a player. It wasn’t by much. But never having had a running back close to Ezekiel Elliott to rely on and usually playing behind a good not but great offensive line, Wentz had more of a load to carry on a weekly basis than Prescott.
That, along with the fact that Wentz went second in the 2016 draft and Prescott was taken 135th, made me believe Wentz would remain the higherpaid player when they got new contracts. It seems like there’s a great chance I will be wrong about that whenever the Cowboys finally sign Dak, but that’s fine. I’ve been wrong once or twice before.
This year both quarterbacks are having to prove themselves without top weapons.
The Cowboys are preparing to play without Amari Cooper, who left the Jets game early with a quad injury. Michael Gallup, who appeared to be emerging as the Cowboys’ strongest No. 2 receiver in years, missed two games with a knee injury and played poorly Sunday in New York.
Meanwhile, DeSean Jackson returned to the Eagles this season and showed he remained capable of deepthreat glory in the season opener, catching eight passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Washington.
Jackson has played only a few snaps since and not at all since Week 2 because of an abdominal injury, but he might return against Dallas.
Last week’s Deshaun WatsonPatrick Mahomes clash in Kansas City showcased what could be the AFC’s next great quarterback battle over the coming decade. They were taken in the first round the year after Wentz and Prescott arrived on the scene.
WentzPrescott could become the NFC’s equivalent. For the season, Prescott has the better passer rating than Wentz largely because of Jackson’s absence. The Eagles have been forced to rely on short passes, with few breakaways. Prescott’s efficiency is much higher as well, although Wentz’s 12to3 touchdowntointerception ratio is superior to Dak’s 11to6.
But we all know these quarterbacks will be judged by their victories and their performances in January, not their passer ratings. Wentz has the slightest of edges here (some would say it doesn’t even exist) since he led his team to an 112 record in a year the Lombardi Trophy came to Philadelphia. But Nick Foles had to fill his shoes for the playoffs.
Prescott actually has one more win and two more defeats in the postseason than Wentz.
Despite the 33 records, it still feels like a heck of a budding rivalry at the quarterback position. The fact that Prescott is even in the discussion is a tribute to him and the Cowboys’ scouting department. And if he maintains the upper hand against Wentz on Sunday night, much of the mess of the past three weeks will be swept away.