Dak Prescott has called on the Dallas Cowboys to remain grounded following Thursday's victory over the New York Giants, saying their offense can improve after a poor second half.

The Cowboys were under pressure ahead of their trip to MetLife Stadium after back-to-back losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, but they got back to winning ways.

Two touchdown passes from Prescott in the first two quarters set them on their way to a 20-15 success, with the Dallas quarterback finishing 22 of 27 for 221 passing yards.

CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle took in touchdown passes from Prescott, who has now won on 13 successive starts against the Giants.

But with another tough test awaiting Dallas next time out versus the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, Prescott is refusing to get carried away.

"At the end of the day, as I said even after those two losses the past two weeks, it's a process," Prescott said. 

"So, we're not going to get complacent, we're not going to get overexcited about what we've done tonight. 

"It's about building and it's about figuring out what we can do better in all phases, but it's a lot easier to do that after a win."

A pair of Brandon Aubrey field goals were the only points the Cowboys managed after halftime, with Amani Oruwariye intercepting a Daniel Jones pass to seal the victory in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys' average of 330.8 yards per game this season is only the 11th-best figure in the league, while seven teams have bettered their 24.3 points per game.

Prescott was frustrated that the Dallas offense was unable to see things out in comfort, saying: "It didn't finish the way we wanted to, not to our standard. 

"We left it in the hands of our defense. Credit to those guys for finishing getting it done, not allowing any touchdowns. 

"But we're an offense that can finish better and score more touchdowns than we did tonight. So, we've got to look at ourselves in the mirror and go get that done."

Meanwhile, the Cowboys saw rusher Micah Parsons exit the game with an ankle injury in the closing stages, and he will now undergo an MRI to ascertain the full extent of the problem.

"Right now, I just iced it," Parsons said, sitting in the locker room after the win. "I know very little. I've got an MRI Friday, and I'm going to try to get back next week."

Micah Parsons is confident he will remain with the Dallas Cowboys but is currently more focused on winning than signing a lucrative extension.

The Cowboys have already signed Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to new deals, with Parsons next in line to be given a new contract.

He is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract, with Dallas already exercising their $21million fifth-year option on his deal.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year could land a deal that makes him the NFL's richest defensive player.

However, Parsons is in no hurry to put pen to paper as he knows his future lies in Texas.

"I know I'm going to be a Cowboy," he said on Monday on his 'The Edge with Micah Parsons' podcast. "There's nothing like Cowboy Nation. I think the love is very mutual.

"As for me, I'm just focused on winning games. I want to win those big games. I want to win those playoff games, get to the Super Bowl. For me, the contract is not really what I'm worried about."

Prescott and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year deal worth $240m hours before they opened the season with a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, while Lamb signed his four-year, $136m contract two weeks earlier, making him the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Parsons was happy to see his team-mates commit their future to the club, in particular heaping praise on Prescott's influence.

"We're happy it gets done because now, it puts a lot of talk to the side," Parsons added. "We're like, 'Man, we got our quarterback now.'

"We can really just focus, like Dak said, on winning games. ... So, having our guys, CeeDee Lamb and Dak done, it means the world to us.

"Dak is that guy, no BS. He deserves everything that he [gets]. He never cheated the game, he comes in every day with a positive attitude, great work ethic, and he's always first one in, last one out. Consistently being the best person/player you could possibly be.

"He never cheats the game, and that's the most important part. So, when a guy like that gets his money, you say he earned every single dollar. I could not be more happy for him."

The Cowboys will play their first NFL home game of the season against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

Dak Prescott has set his sights on Super Bowl success after signing a bumper new deal with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas struck an agreement with Prescott just prior to their opening game of the season on Sunday, with the new contract, which runs through the 2028 season, worth $240million with $231m guaranteed.

That makes Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history.

"A little emotional call," Prescott said when reflecting on receiving the video call from his agent while he was warming up for Sunday's clash with the Cleveland Browns.

Prescott went on to lead the Cowboys to a 33-17 victory, completing 19 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.

And the 31-year-old knows the pressure is on for him to deliver this season.

"It's my only motivation," Prescott said.

"Hold up my part of this deal. Just deliver that. That's my motivation.

"Right now it's about celebrating this win tonight. Hell of a win with these guys, excited for this plane ride back with them, but then turning the page tomorrow, getting on to the [New Orleans] Saints and taking it one game at a time.

"That is what is at the forefront of my mind. Not the money. It's about holding up my end of the deal. And I want to do it here."

Prescott failed with 13 of his passes against the Browns, and insists he must improve on that level.

"I put the most pressure on myself. Simple as that," he said.

I'm not happy with my performance and that's what motivates me. That's what pushes me. You try to be bummed about it in the locker room, but you know it's a win on the road, which is good for the team and then you got teammates telling you it was a hell of a day for you.

"I put the most pressure on myself. Nobody's a bigger critic than I am personally, and I expect greatness out of myself with my standards, my expectations and the same for this team."

Dak Prescott is set to sign a record-breaking, $240million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, according to reports.

Prescott's future has been up in the air but, just hours out from their season opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, it appears the Cowboys have struck a deal with their quarterback.

The deal includes a guaranteed $231m and an $80m signing bonus.

With an annual salary of $60m, Prescott will become the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.

This is the second extension the 31-year-old has penned with Dallas, where he will remain through the 2028 season.

Prescott led the NFL for completions (410) and touchdowns (36) last season.

Dak Prescott does not see the Dallas Cowboys' 2024 season opener versus the Cleveland Browns on Sunday as a deadline for the team to make him an acceptable contract offer.

Prescott is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $160million contract he penned in 2021, and talks over a new deal have been ongoing for several weeks.

The ninth-year quarterback is set to hit free agency in 2025, though he has repeatedly expressed confidence his agent Todd France will reach a deal with the team.

The Cowboys begin the new campaign with a potentially tricky visit to Cleveland, but Prescott says his approach to the season will not change if his new contract is not signed before then. 

"I'd say they're working. I don't know if that's necessarily the timeline," Prescott told reporters when asked if a new deal could be announced before the game.

"I can't say, 'I'll put a timeline to Todd and [Dallas executive] Stephen [Jones] if we don't get this done, this or that'. I know they're working.

"I'm going to still be working. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Prescott's 410 completions and passer rating of 105.9 in 2023 were career-best figures, while he also played all 17 regular-season games for the first time since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016.

However, the Cowboys collapsed to a stunning 48-32 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the NFL Playoffs, ensuring their wait for a record-equalling sixth Super Bowl crown will reach at least 20 years.

Roger Staubach (in 1971 and 1977) and Troy Aikman (1992, 1993 and 1995) remain the only quarterbacks to lead Dallas to Super Bowl glory, and Prescott maintains that winning it all with the Cowboys would mean more than doing so elsewhere.

"I don't think winning it any other place would be the same as winning it here," Prescott said. "That is a number one reason in wanting to be here, to be honest with you."

Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb held out on the Cowboys' training camp to force through his own new contract during the offseason, but Prescott's team-mate expects him to show nothing but full commitment while he waits on an agreement. 

"Obviously, Dak is doing a great job of not really bringing it into the workspace, but I know personally that it can take a toll on you," Lamb said. 

"He's doing a great job of leading us in the right direction. He knows that we're rooting for him. Me, the most, for sure. 

"We need to hurry up and get this done, so we can just put this all behind us and go win more ballgames."

Dak Prescott has revealed talks over a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys are "going well", though he is in no rush to get a deal sorted before the new season.

Prescott is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $160m contract he penned in 2021 and will make $29m in 2024.

With no agreement reached on a new deal for the 31-year-old quarterback, rumours about his future have abounded this offseason. If no agreement is struck, he will hit free agency in 2025 and cost Dallas $40m against the salary cap.

The Cowboys are also yet to tie down star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who has held out on returning to practice for three weeks, totalling over $1m in fines as he seeks a new deal.

Prescott, though, is confident his own future will be resolved, though he has not put a timeframe on negotiations.

"I'm not putting that much thought into hoping it gets done now, hoping it gets done in a couple of weeks, during the season or whenever it happens," Prescott said on Thursday. 

"I just know conversations are on the right way. I enjoy being a Cowboy 1,000%, I enjoy living in Dallas, I enjoy everything about it.

"But this is a business. Conversations are going well, but I'm thankful to be where I am right now and that's here."

Prescott's 410 completions and passer rating of 105.9 in 2023 were career-best figures, while he also played all 17 regular-season games for the first time since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016.

Prescott has managed to stay largely injury-free since an ankle issue limited him to just five outings in 2020, and he puts his availability down to thorough work away from the field. 

"It's something that I do each and every day, making sure I'm staying focused on it. Not trying to miss anything," Prescott said of his fitness regimen.  

"If anything, it's just going to be maybe a rest here and there. No long-term [issues], especially with the schedule we're on. 

"When I put the cleats down and I'm done. I want it to be on my terms and not because my body said that's not enough."

Dak Prescott’s seventh season with the Dallas Cowboys was an up-and-down affair.

Prescott helped lead Dallas to a 12-5 regular-season record and a Wild Card Round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - just the Cowboys’ fifth playoff victory since 1996.

But Prescott also threw 15 interceptions last season - tied for the most in the NFL - in just 12 games, and backup Cooper Rush was 4-1 while Prescott was out with a broken thumb.

Despite Prescott’s inconsistent year, executive vice president Stephen Jones believes the Cowboys have the right quarterback to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 1995 season.

“I've got all the faith in the world we can win this thing with Dak,” Jones told reporters Monday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.

"Because we know him. We know what he's about. His leadership skills are undeniable. Impeccable work ethic. Other than he hadn't won some key playoff games, he's everything you want in a quarterback.

"From the day he walked in the door, he's won a lot of games. We just got to get over the hump."

Prescott is signed through 2024, and his contract carries a cap hit of over $49 million in the 2023 season.

Assuming Dallas is as confident in him as Jones’ comments indicate, the Cowboys could sign Prescott to a contract extension to create extra salary cap space over the next few seasons.

“We've got to have a plan to ultimately extend Dak,” Jones said.

The Cowboys’ offense is poised to undergo a transformation after the departure of Kellen Moore, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022.

Brian Schottenheimer takes over as OC in 2023, but veteran head coach Mike McCarthy will assume offensive play-calling duties.

“Obviously he's the head coach of this football team, and he made a compelling argument that making him the playcaller was going to help us,” Jones said. “I mean that's part of the coaching, be one click better. He feels good about it. He's had a lot of success as a playcaller.

“And he's observed for three years. I think he's been a super leader in that aspect in terms of having the respect for Kellen and the offensive group working with Dak, that that was the better way of doing it.”

Despite the continuity of McCarthy and Prescott remaining in place, Jones thinks that the Cowboys’ offense could evolve in 2023.

“I think [McCarthy] believes now, although they believe in a lot of things the same, there's that 15-20% that they don't. And I think that Mike just thinks that they'll do more with the way he wants to do it [and] that we'll be a better offensive football team.

“I just think it's some of it's the fundamentals, how you block it, how you coordinate and marry the run game to the pass game, what your pass game is philosophically, what your run game is philosophically.”

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott accepted responsibility for his side's 19-12 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round after throwing two interceptions.

The Cowboys extended their losing run in Divisional Round games to 7-0 since 1997 as they were eliminated from the playoffs by the 49ers for the second straight season on Sunday.

In a game where both teams' defenses shone, Prescott completed 23 of 37 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown but two interceptions.

The two picks, from Fred Warner and Deommodore Lenoir, led to six points for the 49ers, which was telling given the final margin.

"Those are throws you can't have, not in the playoffs," Prescott said. "Not when you're playing a team like that [and] on the road. No excuses for it. Those are 100 per cent on me."

Prescott had a career-high 15 interceptions in the regular season, becoming the first QB to tie or lead the league while missing five or more games.

The Cowboys QB also finished the season with his sixth multi-interception game, tied for most in the NFL.

Prescott labelled his interceptions as "ridiculous" and vowed that that total would never be so high again.

"On the first one, I hitched one too many times with [Michael Gallup]," he said. "Understandably, hitching three times, thought I was gonna go on a scramble but the guy just came back to the ball and made a play.

"I've gotta throw that one away or use my feet and get out of the pocket. On the second one, the nickel [cornerback] squeezed, and I tried to throw it to CeeDee [Lamb], but the [defender] was able to make a play on it. He tipped it in the air and to the [middle linebacker]."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he felt "sick" after another playoffs exit, while head coach Mike McCarthy lamented their inability to convert on offense.

"We knew it was gonna be a slugfest," McCarthy said. "We just didn't get enough. You can go through the decisions, the statistics, but I think, defensively, we did a really good job, for the most part.

"Would we like to have a couple more snaps? Yes. Would we like to have a couple more third-down conversions on offense? Yes, we could've used those, too.

"Just extremely disappointed. This has been an incredible journey with this group of men, we just came up short tonight to a very good football team."

The San Francisco 49ers booked their place in the NFC Championship game after emerging 19-12 winners in a defensive struggle against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Ranked as the NFL's two best defenses in the regular season based on DVOA, the respective defensive units were both at the top of their game early, with the first four drives resulting in three punts and an interception.

It was Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott who threw that interception, and it was a sign of things to come in what was a day to forget for the Cowboys' franchise centrepiece.

Prescott put Dallas ahead with a touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz in the second quarter, but it would be their only touchdown of the game as they had to settle for only two field goals in the second half.

The 49ers led at half-time thanks to three Robbie Gould field goals, and after Brett Maher made one for the Cowboys in the third period to tie things up, star running back Christian McCaffrey forced his way into the endzone with the first play of the fourth quarter to give San Francisco a 16-9 lead.

After the two sides traded field goals, the Cowboys would get two chances to march down the field for a potential game-tying touchdown, but they would end in disappointment after a three-and-out left not enough time for Prescott to complete a miraculous comeback.

Prescott completed 23 of his 37 passes for 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while his rookie counterpart kept things far cleaner.

Brock Purdy finished 19-of-29 for 214 yards and no turnovers, but it was George Kittle who was the star for the 49ers. He led all San Francisco receivers with five catches for 95 yards, including a crucial, juggling, 30-yard reception on the game-winning touchdown drive.

The 49ers will play the Philadelphia Eagles next, with a place in the Super Bowl on the line.

The San Francisco 49ers Divisional Round clash against the Dallas Cowboys is a game where the number 11 tells a different story for both sides.

For the 49ers, their run of 11 straight wins, each of which has come without multiple turnovers, puts them in good stead to advance to the penultimate round of the playoffs under the stewardship of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy.

No side in NFL history has ever recorded 11 consecutive wins in a single season without conceding multiple turnovers in any of those games, with the last such occasion for the 49ers being a trio of turnovers against Kansas City in Week 7 – the second game in a row that saw three turnovers for San Francisco.

The 49ers' winning run has come with Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, excelling in a remarkable run that could result in accolades should San Francisco go all the way.

Purdy has become one of 12 QBs in NFL history to enjoy a six-start undefeated stint with 120.0 or better passer rating and had his team score over 200 points, with all the previous 11 either winning the Super Bowl or an MVP award in their careers.

Despite throwing three touchdown passes and accumulating 332 passing yards against the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round, Purdy was not at his best, finishing the game with 60 per cent passing accuracy, completing 18 of 30 attempts.

While Purdy boasted the third-most passing yards of the Wild Card round, behind only Josh Allen (352) and Tom Brady (351), only Tyler Huntley threw fewer completions (17) in last week's contests.

Averaging 11.07 yards per completion, incomplete passes did not hinder the 49ers against Seattle but better efficiency against the Cowboys may be required.

In contrast to the 49ers' fine winning streak this season, Dallas are looking to bring an end to a disappointing franchise record, having failed to reach the Championship Game in their last 11 playoff appearances.

Dallas' last Championship Game appearance came 27 years ago, on their way to victory at Super Bowl XXX, with their streak being the longest across the NFL in that regard.

Victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week was only their fifth playoff win since Super Bowl XXX, and the Cowboys' hopes rest on Dak Prescott.

Prescott enters the game on the back of a stellar performance against the Buccaneers, where he became the first QB in NFL history to complete 75 per cent of his passes (when counting players with at least 30 attempts), throw four TD passes without an interception and rush for 20 yards and a TD in a single game.

A similar performance will likely be required to cause an upset against the in-form 49ers, though last season's defeat in the Wild Card game at home to San Francisco may serve as encouragement.

Dak Prescott ignored the doubters to lead the Dallas Cowboys to the NFC Divisional Round with a 31-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

Prescott completed 25 of his 33 passes for 305 yards at Raymond James Stadium, throwing four touchdowns and rushing for another with no turnovers to record the best playoff performance of his career to date.

It was ultimately a comfortable win for Dallas to record their first postseason victory on the road in 30 years, despite sections of the media casting doubt on whether the team was ready to make an impact in the playoffs.

"Didn’t listen," Prescott said after the game. "Simply just didn’t listen to anybody else's opinions, anybody else's thoughts. [I] made sure I was conscious of what I put in my own head.

"[I've] got a great supporting cast in my team, people that believe in me. That's all that really matters to me, and just stay focused on what I can do."

It was a less successful outing for kicker Brett Maher, who made NFL history by becoming the first player to miss four extra points in one game.

The 33-year-old remarkably missed his first four attempts before finally sending his fifth effort through the posts in the fourth quarter to an almost sarcastic cheer from the Cowboys fans in attendance.

He was backed by coach Mike McCarthy to bounce back in next week's Divisional Round clash against the San Francisco 49ers though, with NBC DWF quoting McCarthy as saying: "We need to get him ready to go [for San Francisco].

"We need him. He's been super clutch for us all year."

Maher made 50 of 53 extra point attempts in the regular season, but does hold the NFL record for most 60+ yard field goals with four.

Tom Brady gave no indication about his playing future after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were beaten by the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 in the Wild Card round on Monday.

It was a tough game for the Buccaneers, failing to score in the first half as they went in at half-time trailing 18-0, and they were unable to make the Cowboys nervous down the stretch.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott produced the best playoff performance of his career, completing 25 of his 33 passes for 305 yards, throwing four touchdowns and rushing for another, with no turnovers.

Things were far more difficult for Brady, who completed 35 of his personal playoff record 66 attempts for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Brady, who this season set the new NFL record for pass attempts and completions in a regular season, will be 46 years old by the time the 2023 season begins.

He made no commitment one way or the other when asked about his future during his post-game media availability.

"I'm going to go home and get a good night's sleep – as good as I can tonight," Brady said. "This has been a lot of focus on this game, so it will be just one day at a time, truly."

Brady went on to discuss why he felt the Cowboys deserved the result, and the pain of falling short.

"It's always tough, but we didn't earn it, and they did," he said. "I think that there's a part of football where sometimes you get lucky, but most of the time the team that earns it, wins.

"They played good all year, they played good tonight, they played well as a team, they're very coordinated, they played well on offense, they played well defensively... we just couldn't get enough done offensively to put any pressure on them.

"There's lessons for all of us in every year of our life. You always want every year to end great, but unfortunately sport doesn't work that way. 

"There's 32 teams in the league, and they're all very competitive, and only one is going to feel really good at the end of the year. There's many teams that won [this weekend], and there's going to be seven of the eight that don't feel great at the end of the year.

"That's why it feels good to be on top, when you win it all – it's a great feeling."

Brady is now an unrestricted free agent, and will have his choice of potential destinations if he decides to play on in 2023.

The Dallas Cowboys are through to the Divisional round after manhandling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers en route to a 31-14 drubbing in Monday's Wild Card fixture.

In a completely one-sided beatdown, the Cowboys faced almost no adversity the entire game, jumping ahead by three scores in the first half before cruising to the finish.

It was the best playoff performance of quarterback Dak Prescott's career, finding Dalton Schultz for a touchdown in both the first and second quarter, and Prescott also rushed for a touchdown to open up an 18-0 lead at the long break.

The only issue for the Cowboys was the performance of their kicker, as Brett Maher became the first player since 1976 to miss three extra points in the first half, and he missed another to begin the third period, marking five misses in a row dating back to Week 18.

But Dallas did not need the extra points, and sent Maher out once more following Prescott's fourth touchdown pass of the game, when he finally converted.

Prescott ended up completing 25 of his 33 passes for 305 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers, adding a fifth touchdown with his legs as he tallied seven carries for 24 yards.

Tom Brady, who broke the NFL pass attempts and completions record this season, was again asked to sling it and he completed 35 of his 66 passes for 351 yards, two late touchdowns and one interception in what could be the final game of his legendary career.

The Cowboys will travel to face the San Francisco 49ers next for a chance to make the NFC Championship game.

The Dallas Cowboys headed into Week 18 still in contention for the number one seed in the NFC, but a desperate display from quarterback Dak Prescott saw them instead end the regular season on a bum note.

Although wins for the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers elsewhere meant the Cowboys would have finished as the fifth seed regardless, any optimism and momentum built up over the second half of the season was sapped by a stunning loss to the Washington Commanders.

The Commanders, already eliminated from the playoff race, crushed the Cowboys 26-6, helped by the worst performance of Prescott's career.

His completion percentage of 37.8 (14 of 37) was a career low, as was a yards-per-attempt average of 3.46. Only twice had the QB previously dipped below his Week 18 passer rating of 45.8.

"There's a lot we can learn from and get better and use this tape," said Prescott afterwards, and past experience at least suggests that is likely.

On the previous four occasions Prescott has completed under half of his passes in a game, he has guided Dallas to a win in his next outing. Across those four subsequent games, Prescott has completed 80.7 per cent of his passes for six touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Cowboys have won by 22.3 points on average.

A repeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round would represent a significant turnaround from the start of this season, however.

Prior to the Commanders game, Week 1 against the Buccaneers – a 19-3 loss – saw the most recent example of Prescott's pass completion dipping alarmingly, completing 14 of 29 attempts for 48.3 per cent.

On that occasion, a thumb injury ruled him out of the end of the game and then a chunk of the season before he was able to respond on his return.

The Cowboys went 8-2 over Prescott's next 10 starts, with both defeats coming in overtime. Dallas scored 351 points across that period, the highest-scoring 10-game span in team history.

Between Weeks 7 and 17, Prescott's 71.0 per cent pass completion led all QBs with 100 or more attempts. As only Patrick Mahomes (23) topped his 22 TD passes, the two-time Pro Bowler led the way for TD percentage (6.7).

But the Cowboys remained reluctant to rely too heavily on Prescott, running passing plays only 53.5 per cent of the time over this stretch – the sixth-lowest rate in the NFL.

This reluctance was understandable, too, given the clear warning signs ahead of that Washington game. Even without the ball regularly in his hands, Prescott threatened to derail his team.

His 13 interceptions were also a league high over those 11 weeks, meaning a pick six against the Commanders saw him end the year tied for the lead for picks (15) and pick sixes (three). Prescott played only 12 games to co-leader Davis Mills' 15.

Now, heading into the playoffs, Prescott is on a run of seven straight games with at least one interception. It is the longest such streak of 2022, while only five players have endured worse runs since he entered the league in 2016.

Prescott's careless aggression was already prompting murmurs from Jerry Jones before a Week 18 in which he averaged 10.9 air yards per attempt, up on his season mark of 8.2 air yards per attempt to that point.

He at least retains Jones' support heading into the playoffs, but the Cowboys owner will now want to see some return on a contract that pays Prescott $40million a year – in line with the deal signed by last season's Super Bowl-winning QB Matthew Stafford.

To this point, Prescott's playoff experience is made up of only four games and a single win.

In that regard, he stands at odds with his opponent this week. Tom Brady may have been unconvincing this year, too, with his 25 pickable passes third in the NFL, but he is the master when it comes to the playoffs.

Brady's 13,049 postseason passing yards dwarf not only Prescott's total (1,048) but that of every other playoff QB combined. The 13 other projected starters have a total of 9,184 playoff career passing yards.

The Buccaneers have looked likely to be accommodating postseason opponents for much of this year; they limped to the NFC South title at 8-9 and rank 17th by Stats Perform's efficiency versus expected model, with the 12-5 Cowboys seventh in EVE. There should be a clear favourite in this matchup.

But Brady has spent his entire career delivering in big moments, whereas Prescott crumbled last week.

The Cowboys may only ask their QB not to single-handedly cost them this game, yet Prescott still must prove even that is not beyond him.

Dak Prescott was just glad to get the job done as the Dallas Cowboys kept alive their hopes of winning the NFC East division with a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

The Cowboys improved to a 12-4 record after capitalising on a series of penalties to lead from start to finish, leaving them hot on the trail of the 13-2 Philadelphia Eagles in their division.

Mike McCarthy's team must now defeat the Washington Commanders in the final game and hope the Eagles lose both of their remaining two to claim top spot.

Prescott threw both touchdown passes for Dalton Schultz, but also stretched his run to six games with an interception, giving up two in the second quarter as the Titans rallied to 10-6 at half-time with two Randy Bullock field goals.

"A win's a win, and we're going to take it and we're going to get better from the mistakes and make sure that we're improving," said Prescott.

"But a road win, short week, you've got to take them all. And style points and all that, that's for all of you who think games are won on paper."

Asked about the preparations required for the Cowboys' potentially pivotal clash with the Commanders, Prescott added: "Obviously get the rest we need, get our bodies back underneath us and then mentally understanding what's to come.

"Take a couple of days or two and get away from it, but know when we come back we've got to finish this season off on the right foot and we've got a long, long run ahead of us that we know we're capable of making."

Prescott completed 29 of 41 attempts for 282 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, tying Troy Aikman with 165 passing TDs for second most in franchise history.

While McCarthy recognised some shortcomings in the team's performance, much like Prescott he was just content to put another win on the board, particularly with a growing injury list.

"I'm in tune with the injuries and all the things that are going on," he said. "All the little stuff. Yeah, it wasn't clean. This was not a clean performance. We recognise that. I'm not disputing that at all.

"But I do know my football team. I know that they came out of a hard victory on Sunday and took a little longer to get their bodies back.

"That's what Thursday night football is. It's a tough challenge. But the most important thing is we answered the bell and we got it done."