Kyle Shanahan has a deep admiration for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Shanahan was asked on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area's “49ers Game Plan” what he thought about the Dallas signal-caller ahead of a crucial "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the two storied franchises.
“Dak’s a stud,” Shanahan told Greg Papa. “I think he’s a true CEO of a company. In terms of, you can tell he’s the obvious leader. He’s the guy who never gets too up, never gets too down. I think he’s one of the better competitors in this league, he’s going to fight you to the end.
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“If you let him know what the coverages are, if he knows where to go, if you let him get in a rhythm, he can dice you up as good as anyone. Although he’s not ultimately fast or a guy who’s really going to scare you with his legs. If you fall asleep on him, he makes you pay. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win and that’s why you’ve got to handle him.”
Prescott had his best year as a pro last season, finishing second in the NFL MVP voting behind Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The 31-year-old parlayed that performance into the richest contract for a player in NFL history, signing a $240 million deal the day before the season started.
The results since then have been mixed as Prescott and the entire offense have regressed. Poor decision-making and poor play from the receiving corps have led to an uptick in interceptions and missed passes. Throw in a leaky defense that cannot do anything to stop a high-powered offense and you have the recipe for a mediocre record.
Both Dallas and San Francisco sit in a precarious spot in the NFC playoff standings, on the outside looking in with time running out to right the ship. So, the prime-time matchup carries extra weight this time around, with the loser falling even farther out of postseason contention.
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Given the way the 49ers limited Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs' offense last week, Prescott and the Cowboys' offense will have their work cut out for them on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium.