The 2025 season has been a paradox for the Dallas Cowboys. On one hand, the year has felt like a slow-motion collapse, primarily due to a defensive unit that failed to show up for the first two months of the schedule. By the time they reached a 3-5-1 start, allowing 22 or more points in nine straight games, any legitimate playoff hopes were essentially on life support. Yet, amidst the wreckage of a lost season, the offense has been operating at a historical clip.
With CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens both crossing the 1,000-yard mark and Javonte Williams anchoring the ground game with his own 1,000-yard season, Dak Prescott has been the engine of a high-powered machine. Prescott recently locked in his fourth career season with at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, but as the finale against the Giants approaches, he is chasing a milestone that even the greatest legends in Cowboys history never touched.
Dak Prescott and A Potential Franchise First for the Cowboys
Entering the final week of the regular season, Dak Prescott sits atop the NFL with 4,482 passing yards. He holds a precarious 34 yard lead over Rams veteran Matthew Stafford, who currently sits at 4,448. If Dak can maintain his lead, he will become the first quarterback in the 65-year history of the Dallas Cowboys to finish a season as the league’s passing yardage leader.
It is a staggering reality considering the franchise’s lineage, neither Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, nor Tony Romo ever managed to claim the yardage crown. Romo came closest in 2012 with over 4,900 yards but still finished third in a pass-heavy year.
For Prescott, Sunday’s matchup against the Giants is about more than just a trophy for his mantle, it’s about personal pride and maintaining a standard of competitiveness. Dak has been vocal about his desire to play the finale despite the lack of playoff stakes. In every season where he has remained fully healthy, Prescott has never finished with a record below .500.
A victory in New York would bring the Cowboys to 8-8-1, preserving that streak. His path to the passing title is made easier by the likelihood that Stafford will be watching from the sidelines, with the Rams locked into the NFC’s sixth seed, Sean McVay is expected to rest his starters to ensure health for the Wild Card round.
Can Anyone Catch the Cowboys’ Star?
While Stafford may be out of the running, a few other names still linger in the rearview mirror. Jared Goff trails with 4,233 yards, but with the Lions officially eliminated, it is highly probable he joins Stafford on the bench to avoid unnecessary injury. That leaves New England’s MVP favorite Drake Maye (4,203 yards) as the only realistic threat to Dak’s throne. However, Maye would need a monstrous 280 yard swing to overtake him, a tall task considering he has only surpassed the 300 yard mark once this entire season. Prescott remains the heavy favorite to cross the finish line as the NFL’s yardage king.
A win on Sunday wouldn’t just benefit Dak’s resume, it would save the Cowboys from the ignominy of back-to-back losing seasons, a slump the franchise hasn’t suffered since the dark days of 2000-2002. But regardless of the outcome in New York, the front office faces a grueling offseason.
Dallas fans are now entering their 30th year since the team last reached an NFC Championship game, a drought that feels even more painful given that every other franchise in the NFC has reached that stage at least once since 2010. If the Cowboys want to stop wasting historic statistical seasons from their quarterback, fixing the defense must be the only priority in 2026.
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