The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott are enjoying one of the greatest seasons this year. Both on the offensive and defensive sides, the team has become a nightmare for rivals, especially for the underdogs. The franchise just doesn’t beat the teams; they do so by a big margin.
Except for a recent loss against the Philadelphia Eagles days ago, the Cowboys showcased a promising performance to be labeled as a potential Super Bowl contender. Prescott is leaving no stone unturned to push his team towards the goal by showing an MVP-level performance. Besides on-field excellence, the quarterback has recently drawn attention by taking a dig at his critics in an advertisement.
Dak Prescott roasts rivals in ad encouraging colon cancer screening
Dak Prescott recently joined forces with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, actor Ryan Reynolds’ creative agency Maximum Effort, and actor Rob McElhenney for a bold and humorous campaign aimed at raising awareness about colon cancer. The campaign, titled “Lead from Behind,” features Prescott promoting the at-home screening test, Cologuard, while Reynolds delivers a comically engaging voiceover.
Prescott cleverly addresses the stigma surrounding the topic by saying, “As a professional quarterback, I get a lot of s—And I get it. When you’re not a fan of something, s—-ing on it can make you feel good. But what if I told you that now it could do some good too?”
Probably gonna get a lot of $h!t for this. @LeadFromBehind pic.twitter.com/lcwEtDJ3PP
— Dak Prescott (@dak) December 8, 2023
The signal-caller cleverly used this relatable humor to segue into discussing the importance of at-home screening tests for colon cancer. By suggesting placing stickers representing things one might not be a fan of on the test’s sample collection container, he humorously shed light on the simplicity of the process.
The Cowboys star playfully placed stickers representing various subjects, ranging from animals like dolphins to sports team mascots, onto the containers. It was initiated to encourage individuals to take charge of their health by engaging in this simple yet vital screening process.
The Lead from Behind campaign’s website offers fans the opportunity to download a set of stickers, including representations of NFL teams and referees in a subtle manner. It aims to engage audiences, using humor as a vehicle to spark conversations about a critical health issue.
Dak Prescott’s involvement in this cause is deeply personal, as he tragically lost his mother, Peggy Prescott, to colon cancer in 2013 while he was in college at Mississippi State. Since then, the QB has been committed to philanthropic efforts and community service, particularly supporting organizations that aid individuals and families grappling with cancer’s challenges.
Prescott evokes memories of Matt Ryan and Cam Newton
Though Cowboys owner Jerry Jones lamented over the Philadelphia Eagles close winning matches days ago, many fans and analysts are seeing striking resemblances between the traits exhibited by the Cowboys and those commonly associated with past Super Bowl-winning teams.
Colin Cowherd, the host of The Herd on Fox Sports, discussed the current Cowboys’ campaign and said this team reminds him of the Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton in 2015 and the Atlanta Falcons with Matt Ryan in 2016.
“This year for Dallas reminds me of the Cam Newton year and the Matt Ryan year where the Panthers and Falcons got to the Super Bowl. Everything is lining up”, he said via YardBarker.
"It reminds me of the Cam Newton year and Matt Ryan year."
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 6, 2023
— @ColinCowherd lays out how Dallas could be primed for a Super Bowl run pic.twitter.com/7EzPPEs3mJ
The analyst mentioned how this season has been tough for some elite quarterbacks, as Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow went down with season-ending injuries. He also mentioned how Patrick Mahomes is struggling with a young wide receiver room and Josh Allen is doing a poor job on the offensive side.
By drawing comparisons to Cam Newton’s and Matt Ryan’s breakthrough years, he highlighted Prescott’s strong case for MVP recognition. Cowherd’s most compelling argument was the striking similarity between Prescott’s performance in 2023 and Ryan’s MVP-winning season in 2016. Both quarterbacks successfully managed challenging seasons with a high number of turnovers before experiencing their breakout campaigns. Ryan recorded 16 interceptions the year prior to winning the MVP, while Dak had his least favorable turnover season last year with 15 recorded.
“Matt Ryan had come off a heavy interception year and the year they got to the Super Bowl he cut way down on his picks. Dak last year was tied for the NFL lead in picks, they’ve come way down this year.”
The parallels extend beyond individual performances as the coaching setup is reminiscent as well. Dan Quinn, the defensive mastermind behind the 2016 Falcons’ Super Bowl run, now steers the defensive strategies for the Cowboys.
Besides that, both the 2016 Falcons and the current Cowboys boasted star receivers like Julio Jones for Atlanta and the rising CeeDee Lamb for Dallas. Both teams featured a standout pass rusher, a stellar offensive lineman, and the guiding hand of a Dan Quinn-led defense.
However, Cowherd also offered a cautionary note, saying while these similarities are striking, he doesn’t perceive the current Cowboys as a ‘great’ team similar to the dominant 2016 Falcons.
What’s your take on this?
