A 50-game sample size in the NFL indicates where a player’s career stacks up against his peers. To put it in terms of how many seasons that would be, the math adds up to around three years (17 regular season games x 3 = 51 games).
CBS Sports posted a graphic on X (formerly Twitter) comparing Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott to Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. The numbers show that both signal-callers have had similar success over the last three seasons in the regular season.
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— NFL on CBS š (@NFLonCBS) June 12, 2024
Prescott has undeniably been one of the best regular-season quarterbacks statistically through his first eight seasons in NFL history. However, his inability to propel Dallas past the Divisional Round casts a shadow over his otherwise stellar performance, leaving him short of universal praise.
Mahomes, despite a relatively subdued year by his own inhuman standards in 2023, is currently basking in the glory of yet another Super Bowl victory, further embellishing his already impressive trophy case.
Let’s be clear: Prescott and Mahomes are not in the same zip code. The only time Prescott was mistaken for being Mahomes was by young Aaiden Diggs on Hard Knocks in 2021. The sheer magnitude of Mahomes’ achievements in a short period of time commands respect and awe and propels him to a Hall of Fame conversation.
Patrick Mahomes was recently named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Dak Prescott just won the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for the second time this year.
Should be a good matchup Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium pic.twitter.com/qTlN1dDZUY
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 17, 2021
On the surface, it’s at least intriguing to see Prescott’s regular-season stats align with those of a player who’s considered one of the game’s greatest. Since Wednesday, the graphic from CBS has sparked a lively discussion on X, reaching over 3.2 million and still gaining traction. It’s evident that NFL fans are eager to weigh in on the stat comparison.
Championships and Super Bowl trophies were not a part of this equation. That is a massive piece of the puzzle. The last three seasons of Prescott’s career have been among the best of his football journey. 2023 alone earned him enough praise to finish second in MVP voting. Cowboys fans already know Prescott is an excellent quarterback during the regular season, but if he can achieve the same stats as Patrick Mahomes, why haven’t the Super Bowl victories followed?
Unfortunately, Prescott has not been the same quarterback as Mahomes in the postseason. Since 2018, Mahomes’ first season as a starter, he’s played in 18 playoff games. During the same stretch, Prescott has played in six. Mahomes’ passer rating is 105.8. Since 2018, Prescott has had a playoff passer rating of 90.0. Mahomes has three Super Bowl wins, Prescott has yet to reach the Championship Round. Those are the numbers that truly matter in the end.
The Cowboys would like to get an extension done with the face of their franchise. We still don’t know if that will happen. What we do know is that if Prescott had Mahomes’ success in the playoffs, we would never have reached the current contract impasse, regardless of regular-season stats.