Dak Prescott: Cowboys have target on their back

After winning six consecutive games, the Dallas Cowboys suffered an embarrassing 30-16 loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos last weekend. Denver scored 30 points before Dallas found the end zone with under five minutes to play in the game.

The Broncos clearly brought their best on Sunday, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott believes he knows why teams often surprise the nation when they play Dallas.

“It’s obvious. America’s Team,” Prescott said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “You’re the most watched team on TV. … We know we’re gonna get everybody’s best shot. But if you ask me or anybody else in this building, we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Had the Cowboys topped the Broncos, it would have been their first 4-0 home start since 1999. Since AT&T Stadium opened in 2009, Dallas now has a 56-44 record. Since 2016, they are 29-15.

Prescott is right about the TV viewership his team garners; Dallas is frequently listed on the most-watched games each season. The Cowboys 2021 opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the most-watched NFL Kickoff Game since a 2015 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. In total, 26 million viewers watched the opener.

In addition to the volume of viewers, the Cowboys checked in as the nation’s most valuable team in 2021 for the 15th straight year. The organization is worth $6.5 billion, and they have an operating income of $280.4 million, nearly double the operating income of the second-place New England Patriots. The Cowboys increased in value by 14% from 2020 to 2021.

Quinn-Falcons reunion set for Sunday

Dallas will look to get back on track this weekend against the surging Atlanta Falcons. After starting 1-3, Atlanta has won three of their last four games. Of note for this weekend, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the Falcons head coach from 2015-2020.

The Cowboys released their injury report on Thursday, and several big names were on the list. 

Wide receiver Amari Cooper and running back Ezekiel Elliott were limited in practice Thursday. They played last week against Denver, but they did not post their usual stats. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was a full participant in practice, which is great news, especially if Cooper is not 100%. Wideout Cedrick Wilson did not practice.

The game kicks off at noon CT on Fox. The Cowboys are favored by 9 points at home.