Dak Prescott’s unwavering, late-game confidence reminds of the QB who left New England

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Dak Prescott generates a belief that no game is out of reach, no ask is too big as teammates and fans wait to see what comeback he’ll pull off next.

This ask is a little different.

Prescott fashioned another late-game comeback, the 17th of his career, against New England. His pass to CeeDee Lamb with 3:52 left in overtime went for 35 yards and a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 35-29 walk-off victory.

The problem arose when Prescott tried to walk off the field. The quarterback came down awkwardly on his right ankle after making the game-winning throw. He suffered a strained calf and showed up for the postgame interview wearing a protective boot.

Prescott overcame a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle to be ready for training camp. A shoulder strain then forced him not to throw for three weeks and wiped out his preseason.

And now this.

“Life keeps throwing punches, and I’m going to keep throwing them back,’’ said Prescott, who will undergo an MRI Monday after the team returns to The Star. “It’s part of this game.

“I’ll be fine.’’

All calf strains aren’t created equal. But even though Prescott said he could have stayed in the game if that ball hadn’t been completed to Lamb, even though he maintained on several occasions he’ll be fine, consider this:

Receiver Michael Gallup suffered a calf strain in the season-opening loss to Tampa Bay and hasn’t played since.

“I figure we’re not playing for a week, so I’d give you guys [media] something to talk about and speculate on,’’ said Prescott as this team goes into the bye with a 5-1 record.

“So there you go.’’

Such a flair for the dramatic.

Tom Brady engineered one, remarkable game-winning drive after another during his days at Gillette Stadium before moving to Tampa Bay.

Prescott hasn’t accumulated the hardware Brady has through the years. But the quarterback’s performance Sunday afternoon reminded Patriots fans what they’re now missing.

The Cowboys appeared intent on self-immolation for most of the game. Dallas was penalized 12 times for 115 yards and turned the ball over twice. The team snapped the ball in the red zone on five different possessions and came away with only two touchdowns.

Both turnovers belonged to Prescott. The first was an interception in the end zone. The second was a fumble while trying to dive into the end zone on fourth-and-goal.

“For the offense to bite itself in the butt all game long, my turnovers down in the red zone, missing out of points, but to have the chance to tie the game and win the game, it speaks to the resiliency of this bunch,’’ Prescott said. “We’re not going to give up.

“All we need is a chance.’’

A chance? Prescott presided over an offense that scored two touchdowns and added two field goals on his final five possessions. The one time the Cowboys didn’t score in that stretch was because Greg Zuerlein missed a field goal try.

Head coach Mike McCarthy called it a herky-jerky game with a number of major penalties that Prescott did a wonderful job managing.

“I just thought Dak did a tremendous job of pace of operation and keeping the whole system, kept charging, kept charging, kept playing,’’ McCarthy said. “That’s a big part of our success. His approach and his efficiency.

“I can’t say enough about Dak Prescott and the way that ball was being distributed and the calmness and the confidence he had in the pocket.’’

Dallas trailed by three points when it got the ball back with 125 seconds left in regulation. Prescott hit Cedrick Wilson for 13 yards on fourth-and-4 and three plays later found Lamb deep down the middle for 24 yards to set up Zuerlein’s 49-yard field goal to tie the score with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.

The quarterback had completions of 14, 6, 9 and 7 yards in overtime before the game-winning strike to Lamb.

Prescott completed 36 of 51 passes for 445 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. That’s the most passing yards a team coached by Bill Belichick has ever allowed.

Remember, the Patriots have played against some pretty good quarterbacks through the years.

“I mean, I just think the biggest thing he taps into is his confidence,’’ McCarthy said of Prescott. “He never wavered.

“He’s on top of his game right now. He stayed steady, was strong and confident and very precise and detailed in the clutch.’’

Prescott was asked if he finds these late-game situations fun or nerve-wracking.

“Oh, it’s fun,’’ Prescott said. “As long as you have a chance.’’

Prescott always gives the Cowboys a chance.

Now, everyone must wait to see if this calf strain gives him a chance to play Minnesota on Halloween night when the Cowboys return from the bye.

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

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