ARLINGTON, Texas – The stat line in regulation wasn't pretty: 14-of-34 for 229 yards and an interception.
Overtime for Dak Prescott was, well, statistically perfect.
The Cowboys' unflappable rookie quarterback overcame the most inconsistent performance of his young career in the final minutes with two late touchdown passes in Sunday night's 29-23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The first was a 90-yard drive and 22-yard TD throw to Dez Bryant that tied the game with 3:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Next was a flawless extra frame: 5-for-5 for 58 yards and the winning 5-yard TD throw to Jason Witten with 7:48 left in overtime.
And the best stat of all: a 6-1 record for the first-place Cowboys atop the NFC East.
Prescott has drawn national praise for his composure and efficiency in seven starts for an injured Tony Romo. He entered Sunday night's nationally televised game with the league's fifth-best passer rating (103.8).
That poise was tested in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys trailed by double-digits in the second half for the first time all season.
"He didn't blink," wide receiver Dez Bryant said. "It's as simple as that. I've been saying it since day one. The man is special."
The Eagles made Prescott, 23, look his age for most of the game.
They brought different pressures, sacking him twice. He missed throws. He threw an interception in the end zone, the second of his career, when he didn't see linebacker Jordan Hicks dropping into coverage.
"They did a good job of getting home sometimes, making me get the ball out quicker than I wanted to," Prescott said.
[embeddedad0]But, as the Cowboys have noticed about their fourth-round pick since May, he didn't lose confidence. Trailing 23-13 in the fourth quarter, a defensive takeaway led to a field goal drive, then the 90-yard tying TD drive despite a holding penalty that made it first-and-20 from the Dallas 12.
Prescott saved his best for last: overtime. Five plays after he picked up a first down with a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles' 28, Prescott improvised on the winning TD, spinning back across his body to the left side of the field and buying an extra second for Witten to get open in the end zone.
"It was supposed to be a quick pass," Prescott said. "I kind of moved around and rolled to my right and I realized nothing had gone well all night going that that way, so I decided to turn around and Witten was there clear as day. When he's that wide open I just wanted to get it to him. I didn't want to overthrow him. It was great."
Prescott and the entire team surrounded Witten to celebrate the 14-year veteran scoring his first touchdown of the season in such dramatic fashion.
Witten has been through plenty of these up-and-down games. Prescott hasn't. Sunday night was the most adversity he's faced as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
"I don't care how bad I play. I'm not going to give up," he said. "I've got great, unbelievable teammates around me giving me confidence, no matter what I've done."
He did plenty right when it counted.
