Most people would pick Dak Prescott over Kirk Cousins as their franchise quarterback without hesitation. However, their statistics are more similar than you might realize. Cousins has been in the league four more years than Prescott, but they are playing at a similar level right now. The big difference between them is their supporting casts. Where Dak’s offensive line has been a force and strength basically since he came into the league, Kirk’s line has been a significant weakness. However, this year their circumstances have been more equivalent.
Prescott will be making $160 million over the next four years, while Cousins most recently signed a two-year extension for $66 million. That’s a pretty significant difference between the two comparable QBs despite being five years apart in age.
The Cowboys are 5-1 this year while the Vikings are 3-3, but that does not mean Dallas is a lock to win on Sunday night. Cousins kept Minnesota in all of its games so far this season, and it would only take a different outcome on a handful of plays for them to be 5-1 or even 6-0.
Let’s look at their career starts thus far. Cousins has a significantly larger sample size with 115 games; Prescott only has played in 75. Their completion percentage is nearly identical, with Cousins at 67.1% and Prescott at 66.6%. Cousins has 30,141 passing yards while Prescott has 19,447.
Their per-game stats are very similar as well. Cousins averages 22.8 completions on 33.9 attempts. Prescott averages 22.3 completions on 33.5 attempts. They both average around 260 yards passing each game: Cousins averages 1.8 TDs per game while Prescott averages 1.6 TDs.
When it comes to rushing, Dak is a much more efficient and proficient athlete. He has over 40 more rushing attempts and over 600 more yards. He also has eight more TDs.
So when it comes to the question of who you want as your franchise QB, it matters what you are expecting them to do. The playmakers around them also make a significant difference in how they will perform—and how they will be perceived.
This season, Prescott’s completion percentage is 73.1%, while Cousins’ is 69.5%. Cousins is attempting and completing more passes overall. Prescott averages 302.2 yards per game and averages 2.7 touchdowns per game, while Cousins averages 2.2. Prescott is averaging 0.7 interceptions per game, while Cousins is averaging 0.3.
You might be tempted to think that this means that Kirk is playing conservatively and not taking shots down the field. However, he has had several opportunities this year to go with the safe option but chose to go for the kill. This would include the most recent game they played when Cousins threw it down the field to K.J. Osborn instead of settling for an easier, shorter completion to Adam Thielen in overtime. He has become a much more vocal and physical leader as well. (Remember after the Detroit Lions game when he and Zimmer exchanged shoves?)
Prescott’s Cowboys have the edge in the standings, but only one of the teams they beat, the Los Angeles Chargers, has a winning record this year. The rest of the season will determine who is the better option for a franchise QB.
Barring significant injury or illness, Dak will be in the league for longer than Kirk because he is that much younger. But as far as this season goes, it has been nice to see Cousins develop a new toughness and take a stand for his team and his decisions. He has been a better leader than in years past. These guys have dominant running backs in Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, who can take over the game when needed. What separates one quarterback from the other is how they run the end-of-game scenarios, whether it is a four-minute drill where they are trying to milk the clock or a two-minute drive to get a touchdown or field goal at the end of a game.
Who is the better franchise QB between Dak and Kirk? It comes down to who you ask and what kind of offense you are trying to run. Prescott is a mobile QB who can get you a lot of yardage with his legs and avoid sacks. Cousins is a more precise pocket passer who has shown he can be clutch. I believe that most would still think that Prescott is a better QB, hands down. But as you can see from these statistics, it is very close.
