ARLINGTON, Texas – All week long, I was right there with anyone who suggested this was a "must-win." I knew the Cowboys had to find a way, and they did. It wasn't pretty at all, but the final score certainly was.

So when that happens, and the team you cover executes the way it did, one might think the best thing that happened would fall somewhere within those four quarters of action.

Nah, not for me.

The best thing I saw and heard on Sunday was the reaction Dak Prescott had after the game, in the locker room and in his postgame press conference, when the topic centered around him becoming the Cowboys' all-time leader in passing touchdowns.

Now, if you're one of those who doesn't care much about records – only the record of your team, which is now 1-1 – I get it. But stick with me here because it'll all come full circle.

Let me start by saying that I'm always a little sentimental about records in general, only because of the player who is getting passed up. I remember when Tony Dorsett's rushing record was broken by Emmitt Smith. Tony D was always my guy, but you know, Emmitt just did it better and obviously earned it.

Just like anyone who has come along and broken records. Tony Romo broke Troy Aikman's passing records, and now Dak is breaking his. I know this: Both Dak and Romo would trade them all to have the shiny rings Aikman and Roger Staubach own. Obviously, it has become a passing league, and these records are falling. It doesn't mean they're the best quarterbacks in franchise history, but it does mean they've done it for a long time and at a high level.

The thing I loved the most about Dak Prescott on Sunday wasn't just the four touchdown passes, but the way he continually embraces the role and the position he owns as the leader of the Dallas Cowboys, the most visible and polarizing franchise in all of sports.

He walks into the press conference room wearing Staubach's No. 12 jersey. You guys should have seen the look in his eyes when Quinnen Williams respectfully asked who Staubach was and Dak proceeded to list all of his accomplishments – from the Heisman Trophy to serving his country in the Navy, to winning two Super Bowls, being in the Hall of Fame and, of course, Staubach's off-the-field success in business.

Let's not forget that most of that also occurred before Dak was even born, which was in 1994. Why is that relevant? Well, Dak Prescott was barely walking when the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl, yet he understands the goal. He understands the position – even more now than he did in college.

Dak playfully brought up his own naivety from a tweet he fired off back in college, saying he's a Cowboys fan but can no longer defend Tony Romo after a specific game or loss.

Dak acknowledges now that he didn't know what he didn't know, and that he has a much greater respect for what it means to be the quarterback of the Cowboys and maybe the hill that Romo was trying to climb. It's the same hill Dak is scaling as well, but his journey is just different – and has been for the last decade.

You know what I loved the most about Dak's press conference? No, not the cowboy hat or the 12 jersey, but his answer when asked what a 23-year-old Dak might have thought about being the Cowboys' all-time leader in every passing category.

"Yeah, I probably would've thought that."

He qualified it by calling himself naïve and maybe "a little arrogant," but let's not forget one thing: That's exactly why Dak Prescott is what he is. That's why he was able to get thrown right into the fire as a rookie and never blink. He was ready to become the leader of this team and this franchise, even when so few around him thought it was possible.

We didn't know if Dak was ready to even be the backup quarterback as a rookie. And then he goes in as the starter, wins 10 games in a row, leads the team to a 13-3 season and wins Rookie of the Year? Yeah, he did all of that and has continued to do it. Now he's the all-time leader in passing yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns, having surpassed Romo's 248 career TDs.

But as Dak sits with 249, he's on a different level than all of those guys, and it's not just about the numbers.

It's the way his teammates rally around him. They absolutely love playing alongside him. I remember being a part of the interview we did for the Deep Blue documentary The Wall 2.0, and the offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin all agreed that it felt like they were playing "for" Romo but they're playing "with" Dak.

Now, part of that could come down to their age and Romo's veteran status at the time. But others recognize the way Dak embraces all of his teammates – top to bottom – and just feels like he's one of them.

This isn't a knock on Romo at all. I'm a huge fan of No. 9 and have stories upon stories about his unreal journey. Aikman was about the same way, and maybe Roger was, too.

But with Dak, it's just different. He's one of the guys. He's just at the top of the list. And now he's at the top of every passing list there is. But let's not get it twisted, there is one thing he is still chasing.

And I'm sure of this one thing: Dak believes the Cowboys can do it. Just like he truly believed he could take over as the starter as a rookie. Just like he truly believed he was good enough to be the Cowboys' all-time leader.

And yes, he truly believes he will one day be standing on the podium with the Lombardi Trophy.

But if you don't think so … that's fine. Go ahead and doubt him. That seems to drive him even more.

Who knows, maybe Dak's journey won't include a Super Bowl. But I know this: He's already had a career that no one ever expected.

Well, no one except Dak.