INDIANAPOLIS -- With a 4-5 record after their bizarre 27-23 win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott said the Cowboys have enough talent to be a playoff team without making an addition at Tuesday’s trade deadline.
“Obviously, credit Jerry [Jones], credit the front office and those guys of if you can always add, go do it,” Prescott said. “Even if you think you have enough, if you can make sure you have enough and get better, go do it. I encourage that. But, yeah, they’ve done a hell of a job with the team they’ve put together.
“It’s on us now. Period.”
On Oct. 1, the Cowboys gave up a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Jones, the owner and general manager, has said on numerous occasions that he would be willing to make a deal to help this year’s roster even at the expense of the future.
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan’s pregame show Sunday, Jones indicated nothing is on the horizon, and multiple sources said things are quiet regarding trade discussions.
“At this point,” Jones told the team’s flagship station, “I don’t see it.”
The Cowboys are in playoff contention in part because of the state of the NFC East, although the New York Giants are 5-2-1 and hold the tiebreaker against Dallas based on their Week 1 win at MetLife Stadium.
The Cowboys let opportunities against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and last week against the Arizona Cardinals slip away. Dallas also lost to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.
Dallas was one minute, 37 seconds away from a similar blown win against the Colts until Prescott engineered the 28th fourth-quarter comeback of his career and Javonte Williams scored from 1 yard out with 1:08 to play.
The Cowboys were without wide receiver George Pickens (shoulder, hamstring), Porter (heel) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (back, hamstring) Sunday.
Despite outgaining the Colts 508 yards to 271, the Cowboys were forced to sweat out the win because of 14 penalties for 153 yards and a defense that nearly imploded in the second half for the second straight week until Caleb Downs sealed the win with an interception.
Asked whether the Cowboys need to make a trade, coach Brian Schottenheimer said, “We just came off a big win with missing some key guys, and we ended up playing really well. So I love our team. I love our roster. I love the way they worked and performed tonight. I’m really proud of them.”
Last year, the Cowboys were 3-5-1 when they traded a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-rounder to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Though the Cowboys won their first three games after that trade, they finished the season 7-9-1. In 2018, the Cowboys were 3-4 when they traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Raiders, lost their first game with him and then won seven of their final eight to win the division.
Five of the Cowboys’ final eight games this season come against teams leading their division or ahead of Dallas in the playoff race: the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Giants.
The Cowboys have not won back-to-back games this season and face the 49ers on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys have lost four straight games to San Francisco, including playoff games in 2021 and 2022.
“Our record, we’ve done it to ourselves,” Prescott said. “We put ourselves in this position. It is what it is. At this point, just thank God for the opportunity that we have to fight out of this hole that we’ve put ourselves in. Understanding the Giants did win today, so it’s not like they’re making it easier for us, so at this point, it’s as simple as that, yeah, it’s a must-win. Every game’s a must-win.”