Cowboys’ Dak Prescott explains, reacts to ‘confident’ comment from Mike McCarthy ahead of battle with WFT

It may not have drawn the ire and fire of Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera, but Dak Prescott can’t get enough of what Mike McCarthy was serving up in his return from COVID-19 this week. The Dallas Cowboys head coach was discussing his gameplan for the Week 14 matchup against Washington — the first battle between the two clubs in 2021 — when he expressed his mission of going into FedEx Field and grabbing a win (as opposed to planning for a loss). The comment was interpreted by many as a guarantee and, as those usually go in sports, it was amplified and went viral on Thursday.

There’s another way to interpret what McCarthy was saying, but that’s neither here nor there at this point, because what is irrefutable is that he said aloud what coaches usually keep in meeting rooms. And given how intense and toxic the history is between these two franchises, it fits right in with the toxicity of one of the best rivalries in all of sports.

“We’ve got to do whatever we’ve got to do to win the game,” McCarthy told media. “But these guys are very accountable. The work ethic of our football team — the whole space is very high. They’re very accountable. 

“We know what people think of us. We love that. We’re comfortable who we are, where we are. I’m excited about what’s in front of us. We’re going to win this game. I’m confident in that, just the prep that’s going into it.”

When asked for his reaction to McCarthy’s confidence, Prescott got straight to the point.

“Sh-t yeah,” he said, then going on to elaborate on what McCarthy actually meant. “No, it doesn’t put us in a bad spot. I mean, obviously if you’re preparing for this game and you’re a Dallas Cowboy, if you’re a fan, you expect to go in and win each and every game. I don’t think he’s said anything different than everyone in this building’s thoughts. 

“He just voiced it. Now we have to make sure we’re accountable for our words. I think that’s all that is, the coach setting the tone for the week and first day back, making sure everybody understands where his mind is and the team’s mindset is.”

The Cowboys are 8-4 on the season after starting the month of December with a win over the New Orleans Saints, one that was much needed after floundering in November. Their rivals from the nation’s capital, however, didn’t lose a single game last month — rattling off four consecutive victories to climb back into the playoff picture with a 6-6 record. They’ll not only square off for the first time in 2021 this coming Sunday, but again two weeks later, making the next three weeks critical for both teams. 

But if you’re hoping McCarthy’s confidence raises the expectations for the Cowboys, Prescott says hold your horses, because there shouldn’t and isn’t any space remaining for them to be raised any higher than where they’ve been all season in Dallas:

Aimed at Super Bowl LVI.

“I mean it shouldn’t raise it because your expectations and accountability and preparation should already be at an all-time high,” said the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback. “It’s a division game. We know obviously what this game means. We know what playing the Washington Football Team means. So yeah, it’s just holding us accountable to our words now. 

“We’ve got to go out and go win. Simple as that.”