Dak Prescott immediately became the favorite to win 2021 Comeback Player of the Year as soon as his 2020 season ended prematurely.
The star quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys suffered a gruesome ankle injury in a season in which he was betting on himself. The narrative was already on his side, not even factoring the kind of season Prescott could have.
Prescott was not only the heavy favorite to win CPOY, he was also squarely in the mix for MVP honors for much of this season. A calf injury and some disappointing outings took his name out of the hunt, but he was off to a remarkable year.
Overall, Dak Prescott has had a solid season. Yet, his substantial lead in the odds to win Comeback Player of the Year have dropped significantly.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR RACE
Dak Prescott — and the entire Dallas Cowboys offense — hit a rough patch late in the year. Players have been on the wrong page and several miscues have hurt the team. As a result, Prescott is not the shoo-in for the award that he once was.
A big part of that is because Joe Burrow and his play. Burrow has led the Cincinnati Bengals to an AFC North crown and a berth in the playoffs. His play, along with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, has made the Bengals must-watch television.
Burrow also had his season ended early last year due to injury, and he has been fantastic for large stretches of this season. He has closed the gap in the odds greatly.
Here is where the market stands as of the time of this post:
DraftKings: Prescott -140, Burrow +110
Caesar’s: Prescott -140, Burrow +110
Bet Rivers: Prescott -134, Burrow +105
Betting Pros: Prescott -134, Burrow +110
FOX Bet: Prescott – 133, Burrow +110
Prescott still holds a slight lead, but Burrow has made things more than interesting.
HOW PRESCOTT CAN WIN THIS WEEKEND
All that said, Prescott has an opportunity to secure the honor this weekend.
Why? Because, Dak Prescott is set to play, while Joe Burrow is not. The Cowboys are playing its starters versus the Eagles, whereas the Bengals have made the decision to rest its key players ahead of the playoffs.
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow tells reporters that he will not play Sunday to rest up for the playoffs. Expect several key Cincy players to be in similar situations.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2022
Prescott gets to play against an Eagles team that will be without several important players, including defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, among others. In the team’s earlier meeting this season, Prescott threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns with a 143.3 rating.
A similar performance on Saturday night in primetime could lock up Comeback Player of the Year honors for Dak Prescott.
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
