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Dak Prescott isn’t setting unrealistic expectations for himself as he attempts to lead the Dallas Cowboys to victory following several injuries on the team’s defense.
“I don’t break the huddle and say, ‘I’ve got to go be Superman here,’” Prescott said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “But I’ve been able to break some tackles. I’ve been able to do some things that have helped people out, used my feet more, make the throws. So I don’t think it’s anything outside of my game that I got to try to do.”
The Cowboys have lost two of their past three games.
They’ll be without star pass-rusher Micah Parsons on Sunday due to a high-ankle sprain, via Archer. Defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence was also placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.
While injuries have hampered Dallas’ defense, offensive struggles have also been rampant during the team’s slow start.
After the Cowboys finished with the league’s best scoring offense in 2023, they’ve dropped to No. 11 at the start of the 2024 season. Over their last three games, they’re averaging just 21.3 points per contest.
Prescott has completed 64.4 percent of his throws for 1,072 yards to go along with six touchdowns and two interceptions in 2024. He’s improved as the year has progressed, recording a season-high 125.5 passer rating during Dallas’ Week 4 win over the New York Giants.
The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback signed a massive four-year, $240 million contract extension on Sept. 8. The deal made him the new highest-paid player in the NFL on an average annual basis, per Spotrac.
Prescott made it clear that he isn’t letting the contract affect his approach on the field.
“I don’t think it has as much to do with the franchise [quarterback] or the contract as it is who I am and what I’m capable of doing,” Prescott said, via Archer. “So, to me, it’s about going out there and being my best and preparing my best to be able to go and do that. And contract or not, those are the expectations, standards that I have for myself.”
The 31-year-old will attempt to lead the Cowboys to their third win of the season against a Pittsburgh Steelers secondary that owns the ninth-best pass defense in the NFL.