Dallas QB Dak Prescott ready for an SEC experience against Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia

The NFC has four teams with two or fewer losses, and two of them will square off on Sunday, when the Dallas Cowboys visit the Philadelphia Eagles.

But Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said the NFC East rivalry game is a big deal regardless of the records.

“Even with these two teams aren’t playing this well, this game is still always one people look forward to,” Prescott said. “I damn sure do, especially playing in Philly.”

Prescott spent three seasons as Mississippi State’s starting quarterback before joining Dallas in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Prescott said playing at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia reminded him of going on the road in the SEC.

“It’s just a good atmosphere for football, honestly,” Prescott said. “I guess you could say having grown up in the SEC, lot of different venues and stadiums that you can feel it by the time you get near the stadium — eat, sleep, breathe the game of football, the fans’ excitement, the close games, the energy.

“When you walk in Philadelphia’s stadium, it’s no different. It feels like those old Saturday nights. Fans are going to get loud. You got to make sure your communication is top-notch. And then it’s always fun getting a win up there.”

Prescott has a 3-2 record as a starting quarterback in Philadelphia.

When asked if he could provide examples of the behavior of the infamous Philadelphia fans, Prescott couldn’t get too specific in front of the cameras.

“I don’t know how many I can share,” Prescott said. “Philly fans are serious. They love their team. They’re ruthless to the other guys, and if their team’s not doing well, they let them know that, too. Not any that are PG-13, to be honest with you, whether it’s language or driving into the stadium and seeing how the fans give you different signs, even show body parts of times – you know, the back end.”

Mississippi State had a 5-6 record on the road in the SEC with Prescott as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. In the final two SEC roads games of his career, Prescott threw for 811 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for two TDs as MSU defeated Missouri 31-13 and Arkansas 51-50.

Prescott started at Alabama once – when he had 290 passing yards, 82 rushing yards, two touchdown passes and three interceptions in a 25-20 loss in 2015.

That was the season before Jalen Hurts became Alabama’s quarterback and won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award as a freshman.

Hurts became the starting quarterback for the Eagles with four games left in the 2020 season.

Even though Philadelphia and Dallas play twice annually as division rivals, Prescott and Hurts have squared off only once in the NFL — a 41-21 Cowboys’ victory in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 27, 2021. Prescott threw three touchdown passes and Hurts passed for 326 yards and two TDs in that contest.

“Crazy to think it’s only been one time,” Prescott said. “… But, yeah, it’s a lot of excitement. Makes the game better, obviously. It’s a matchup we look forward to every year, and I’m sure they do as well. And it’ll be a great one, simple as that.”