Upon this time a year ago, consternation swirled regarding Dak Prescott's mounting interceptions.
He would end the regular season with a league- and career-high 15 interceptions, opening up an offseason’s worth of conversation regarding his sudden turnover woes.
Prescott's and the Dallas Cowboys' aim to remedy those ills have most certainly come to be, as the 30-year-old has nearly cut his INT total in half and is poised to finish the year leading the NFL in touchdowns.
"At that time last year, I knew this is who I am, just as I talked about then," Prescott said Tuesday, via ESPN's Todd Archer. "Some things were tough, balls weren't going exactly the way I wanted to, some crazy bounces here and there, and some tight throws that weren't working in my favor. And then your occasional bad interception, which is still happening this year.
"For me, it's just about staying true to myself, keep working and not allowing other people's opinions -- critics really -- affect my game or the way that I approach this."
Prescott, who has eight interceptions in 16 games, is approaching history as he and the Cowboys look to clinch the NFC East with a win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
His 32 touchdown passes are tops in the NFL, with the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, who isn't playing, at second with 31. Trailing beyond that are the Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love (30 TD passes) and three others tied at 28. Should Prescott finish the campaign with the TD toss crown, he would join Hall of Famer Roger Staubach (1973 season) as the only Cowboys QBs to lead the league in touchdown passes. He would also join another Hall of Famer, Bob Waterfield (1945-46), to lead the league in touchdowns a season after leading it in interceptions, per NFL Research.
Prescott had four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 45-10 Thanksgiving throttling of the Commanders earlier this season, so he's certainly got a shot at history.
Most importantly, though, is Prescott and Co. can head into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed with a victory and at least some of that success can be attributed to the QB's 1.4 interception percentage -- the second-lowest of his eight-season career.
While Prescott was determined to cut down his INT numbers this year -- and has done so emphatically -- he's not spent too much time rejoicing his statistics this year.
"It's numbers. It's stats. It's part of it. That's why I don't get caught up in that stuff," Prescott said. "A lot of great quarterbacks were injured this year, unfortunately. I just worked to be my best each and every day and make sure the guys around me are [working too]. Numbers are numbers, I don't get caught up in them."
Plenty of critics were caught up in his INT numbers last season, and with one game left, Prescott is poised for a historic statistical turnaround.
