Dak Prescott Owns Cowboys History Now — The Hard Part Starts in Brazil

Dak Prescott spent most of his career chasing Tony Romo in the Cowboys record book. As of Sunday, he's the one being chased.

Prescott's 24-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb in Dallas' 37-20 win over Washington was the 249th of his career, moving him past Romo for the most touchdown passes in franchise history. It was the finishing touch on a game that answered a week's worth of questions after a humbling 28-20 season-opening loss to the Giants in New York.

The turnaround was sharp and it was Prescott's doing. After a Week 1 line of 175 passing yards with two touchdowns and an interception, he was efficient and decisive against the Commanders. Through two games he's completed 73.8 percent of his throws for 454 yards, six touchdowns, one interception and a 117.1 passer rating, adding 40 yards on the ground. He's also taken just two sacks, a product of getting the ball out on time.

"I'm super honored," Prescott said of the record, before adding that he wants to double it. That's the right instinct — he's now the standard-bearer for a franchise that has historically defined itself by its quarterback play, and the milestone reframes the season's narrative around him rather than around the Cowboys' recent playoff droughts.

What the record doesn't fix

The win over Washington was convincing, but the underlying numbers are less flattering than the scoreboard. Dallas is averaging 28.5 points per game while allowing 24.0, and the defense is surrendering 392 yards per game — a number that would put enormous pressure on any offense. The running game has been nearly nonexistent at 67.5 yards per contest, meaning Prescott's efficiency is carrying more weight than a coaching staff would like.

The injury report makes that margin thinner. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is out with a hamstring issue, safety Malik Hooker is out with a forearm injury, and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been limited and carries a doubtful designation with a back problem. Those are depth losses on a defense that already ranks among the league's most generous.

Baltimore, and a long flight to São Paulo

Week 3 sends Dallas to Maracanã Stadium in Brazil to face Baltimore, nominally a Cowboys home game. The matchup is a genuine stress test for a defense still finding its footing. The Ravens are averaging 29.0 points and 434.5 yards per game, with Lamar Jackson throwing for 559 yards at a blistering 10.0 yards per attempt and adding 74 more on the ground.

Jackson has thrown only two touchdown passes through two games, and Baltimore's own injury sheet is crowded — Zay Flowers carries a doubtful tag with a hamstring issue, and Mark Andrews, Derrick Henry and Justice Hill have all appeared on the report in varying capacities. The Ravens are also coming off a 24-17 home loss to New Orleans, their first of the season.

Oddsmakers have installed Baltimore as roughly a 3.5-point favorite, with the total sitting in the low 50s — a nod to both offenses' scoring ability and to Dallas' defensive problems. The power-rating picture tells a similar story: the Cowboys sit 21st nationally but have climbed six spots in a week, a rating of -4.6 that is moving in the right direction even as the market still prices them optimistically.

That's the tension of this Cowboys season in one week. Prescott just authored the most significant individual moment of his career, and his team got the response it needed. But the record won't block for the running game, and it won't cover receivers in Brazil. If Dallas is going to turn a bounce-back win into a real season, the quarterback who now owns every meaningful passing mark in franchise history has to keep dragging the rest of the roster along with him.