For Dak Prescott, Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles was all about refusing to flinch. Dallas climbed out of a 21-0 hole to steal a 24-21 victory, and the quarterback said the entire sideline leaned on one theme as the comeback gathered steam: belief.
Prescott kept telling teammates to trust that the game wasn’t over, later explaining that he “never blinked,” was “a thousand percent” convinced they would rally, and even heard guard Tyler Booker repeat his own “believe” mantra back to him in the fourth quarter.
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer pulled the same emotional lever at halftime. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, he said he directly confronted the unit about how the first half unfolded.
“So I challenged them at halftime on the fact that we were beating ourselves, and if we just started executing a little bit better, we’d be fine—and the belief was there,” Schottenheimer said. “I literally asked the guys, I said, Do you guys believe? And to a frickin’ man, they all screamed, ‘Yes.’”
From that point on, the performance matched the talk. Prescott finished 23-of-36 for 354 yards with two passing touchdowns, a rushing score, and one interception, repeatedly punishing Philadelphia downfield.
George Pickens was uncoverable, posting nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown as Dallas chipped away with a third-quarter TD, a fourth-quarter strike, and the game-winning field goal with three seconds left.
Complementing the surge on offense, the defense finally flipped the script late. Two takeaways, including a crucial Saquon Barkley fumble, gave the Cowboys extra possessions and kept the Eagles from answering once momentum swung.
What started as a potential embarrassment turned into a signature divisional win that pushed Dallas to 5-5-1 and kept its playoff hopes very much alive.
Ownership noticed who tilted the field. Jerry Jones raved about Pickens afterward, calling him “the difference” over the last two weeks and framing the midseason addition as central to the Cowboys’ offensive identity.
With the wideout piling up production and a tricky contract decision looming, his breakout is already reshaping both the present and future in Dallas.
Between Schottenheimer’s fiery challenge and Prescott’s steady message, the Cowboys walked out of AT&T Stadium with more than a comeback. They left with proof that their belief talk actually holds when the scoreboard looks ugly.
