Dak Prescott optimistic about Cowboys chances of going on run to playoffs: 'Why not?'

The Dallas Cowboys are feeling good about themselves after a dominant 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football. Monday was Dallas’ first game since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who took his own life Nov. 6.

The team dedicated the performance to Kneeland, their fallen teammate. On the field, the Cowboys put together their best defensive performance and continued to be dangerous on offense. At 4-5-1 and 10th in the NFC, now is the time for Dallas to get hot if it wants to return to the postseason. The Cowboys’ leader, quarterback Dak Prescott, believes they can do it.

“And I know I’ve been saying that, [and] I’ll probably keep saying that, ‘Why not?’ And it’s more about we’re in control, right? We’re in control, and life’s going to throw things at us, and it threw us a hell of a curveball this past week,” Prescott said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “And how are we going to respond? That’s what I was telling the team. To have a testimony we’ve got to go through a test. And this is a big test to our brotherhood and who we are, and to this organization, to us individually.

“Let’s have pride and let’s honor our brother. And if we can continue to do that, move forward carrying that light and play the way that we did tonight, why not?”

Can the Cowboys still get in the playoffs?

The Philadelphia Eagles have a 3½-game lead over the Cowboys in the NFC East. Dallas and Philadelphia meet this Sunday at AT&T Stadium, kicking off a tough stretch of games for the Cowboys. After the Eagles, they play the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Thanksgiving and the Detroit Lions the following Thursday.

According to the New York Times’ simulator, the Cowboys have a 10% chance of making the playoffs. If they beat the Eagles, that goes up to 18%. A loss knocks them down to 4%. Basically, Dallas’ postseason hopes are riding on this game. But if the Cowboys play how they did in Las Vegas, who can stop them?

“This is more about us,” Prescott said. “We go in each and every game saying, ‘It’s about us.’ And [the Raiders win is] an example of that, it was a dominating win. Sure, I understand that they’re struggling. But if we play that way, I don’t care who it is, the score might not be that big, [the] margin might not be that way, but there’s no reason that we can’t be confident and feel like we’re going to come out on top if we can play with that same intensity and effort.”