3 reasons why Dak Prescott will have a better season than Patrick Mahomes
Although Dak Prescott has received his fair share of mountainous praise, Patrick Mahomes, despite playing in the league for only a handful of years, is already being compared to the all-time greats.
The expectations, while lofty, have been well warranted. In his first full year as a starter, Mahomes took home the league MVP. Mahomes led Kansas City to a Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons, winning one in 2019.
Prescott, in his own right, has been a great player. During his six-year career, he's been named to two Pro Bowls, has thrown for at least 3,300 yards outside of his injury-hit 2020, and most importantly, Prescott has dragged the Dallas Cowboys to three postseason appearances. Still, placing Prescott and Mahomes in the same category has often been viewed as laughable. With that said, it won't be a laughing matter anymore next season.
With only a few months remaining until both players grace the field, check out the three reasons Prescott will have a better 2022 season than Mahomes.
Three reasons Dak Prescott will outshine Patrick Mahomes this season
#1 - JuJu won't offset the loss of Tyreek Hill
The offseason moves of the Kansas City Chiefs would've been impressive. That is, until they allowed one of the best receivers in the entire league to slip through their fingers.
Initially, little to no one believed that the Chiefs would allow Tyreek Hill to walk away. Although Hill stoically played hardball, considering his overwhelming importance to Mahomes, it made more sense to pay him top dollar to keep him happy and in a red and white uniform.
Despite those beliefs, Hill was ultimately traded to the Miami Dolphins. To replace his production, Kansas picked up two fairly small pieces in the offseason.
While solid, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster aren't the receivers that can push a playoff-bound squad over the championship hump. Losing Hill and the 1,239 receiving yards and nine touchdowns he provided will hurt big time.
On the other hand, Prescott has everything working in his favor this upcoming season. Although Dallas did hand Amari Cooper his walking papers, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup should pick up the extra slack with more offensive touches.
In addition to having a better receiving core, the erosion of Ezekiel Elliott's game will place more of an emphasis on Prescott's arm. More throws and a better receiving core screams a better year for Prescott.
#2 - Tough sledding
Either someone in the NFL office doesn't like the Kansas City Chiefs, or maybe someone is a gigantic fan of the Dallas Cowboys.
Mostly everyone around the NFL waited patiently for the release of the 2022 schedule. Once it was unveiled, Dallas fans were thankful. Officially, the Cowboys are tied for the weakest schedule next season. Dallas will face tenuous defenses and anemic offenses based on their opponent's win percentage last year. Kansas City, however, will be in for a long year.
Mahomes will attempt to navigate his new offensive pieces against the fifth toughest schedule in the entire NFL. During one fierce stretch, the Chiefs will face off against the LA Chargers, LA Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, and the new and improved Denver Broncos.
Mahomes will be hounded daily as Prescott inflates his stats against the lowly Washington Commanders and New York Giants.
#3 - Weakest division in all of football
Although it's conjecture, the AFC West could be, and in our opinion should be, considered the best division in the entire NFL. Currently, it's the only division that can proudly claim that every single one of its starting quarterbacks has been named to the Pro Bowl.
Derek Carr has routinely thrown for over 4,000 passing yards. He'll also be joined on the battlefield by Devante Adams every Sunday. Justin Herbert is fresh off a 5,000-yard passing season. Also, Russell Wilson will make Denver instant title contenders.
During divisional games, Mahomes will be forced to play the best of the best at least twice during the regular season. Denver, especially, will be a handful. During the 2022 season, Denver trotted out the third-best defensive team.
While Mahomes struggles with his nightly battles in the AFC West, Prescott will have a proverbial cakewalk in the NFC East. The New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles aren't impressive squads from top to bottom. Meaning, Prescott should be able to feast on the NFC least while simultaneously fattening his stats.