Dak Prescott’s fourth-quarter magic continues for Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley was finally at a loss for words regarding rookie quarterback Dak Prescott.

Beasley — one of the primary beneficiaries of Prescott’s rise to prominence as the team’s leading receiver through 11 games — has been on point all season about the rookie fourth-round pick. He was one of the first to truly believe in the former Mississippi State star and has been a go-to guy for all things Prescott.

“I don’t know,” Beasley said when asked about Prescott’s late-game poise. “There is nothing I can tell you about why he is so good in the fourth. He is a baller man. He just makes plays. There is no trick to it. He is just a baller.”

With 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions, Prescott has been balling all season in leading the Cowboys to a franchise-record 10 consecutive victories and the NFL’s best record at 10-1.

The biggest reason why Prescott has officially replaced Tony Romo as the team’s starting quarterback is that the rookie seems to play his best when it matters most.

His passer rating for the season is 108.6, currently third in the league, and his rating in the fourth quarter is 109.1.

Even more astounding are his numbers over the past five weeks — a stretch that was supposed to bring the precocious rookie back to earth with games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins.

During that time, he is 36 of 48 in the fourth quarter and overtime for 404 yards, three touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 120.5.

“For the most part, I guess I’ve got three quarters under my belt at that point,” Prescott said. “I know what they’re going to give me for the most part, the rhythm of the game. I know my matchups and I’m locked in at that point.

“When you’re in a rhythm, I think that goes for everything. You feel the ball better. The ball comes out your hands better. You’re making better decisions. Sometimes your receivers are making better plays and that definitely helps and makes you feel like you’re in a rhythm.”

The rhythm is part of it. But it’s also about preparation and an ahead-of-his-time quarterback being able to hone in when it matters most.

Consider that being magical in the fourth quarter was a calling card of the team’s former starter. Romo owns the best fourth-quarter passer rating in NFL history at 102.7. His fourth-quarter rating was 98.3 when he led the Cowboys to a 12-4 record in 2014.

Prescott currently is blowing that away.

“We’ve talked about it before; he’s a pro,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said. “He smiles in the face of adversity. He never loses his cool, and that’s one of the best things about him. No matter what’s happening in a game, he keeps playing like it’s a regular down or so. I mean, that’s very good.”

If there is one criticism of Prescott, it’s that he’s been a slow starter of late. Of course, that is offset by his brilliant second-half performances.

But it’s not about the numbers. It’s about the moments over the past five games. It started with the victory over the Eagles, where Prescott was 5 for 5 for 56 yards and threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime. He then led the Cowboys to two touchdowns in the final 2 minutes of a comeback victory at Pittsburgh.

He completed his final 11 passes and had a fourth-quarter touchdown in a 27-17 victory over the Ravens before staving off the Redskins on Thanksgiving with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives on 6-of-7 passing in the final frame.

This story was originally published November 27, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Dak Prescott’s fourth-quarter magic continues for Cowboys."