Dak Prescott says the Cowboys can make the playoffs as they are, with no deadline trade

Dak Prescott thinks the Dallas Cowboys already have a playoff roster. After Sunday's 27-23 win at Indianapolis lifted Dallas to 4-5, the quarterback said the team does not need another addition before Tuesday's trade deadline, ESPN reported. He praised the front office for the roster it has built and said that if there is a chance to improve, the team should take it. He also put the responsibility on the players: "It's on us now. Period."

Jerry Jones appears to agree. Speaking before the game on the team's flagship radio station, the owner and general manager said he did not see a deal coming, and ESPN's Todd Archer reported that sources described trade talks as quiet. Dallas already made its big move on Oct. 1, sending a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder to Pittsburgh for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Brian Schottenheimer also backed the current group and pointed out that Dallas won without several key players.

The win in Indianapolis did not settle much. Dallas outgained the Colts 508 yards to 271 but committed 14 penalties for 153 yards. Prescott then led the 28th fourth-quarter comeback of his career, capped by a 1-yard Javonte Williams touchdown with 1:08 left. Yahoo Sports noted that the game ended on Caleb Downs' first career interception. George Pickens, Porter and DeMarvion Overshown were all inactive. The standings add more pressure. The Giants are 5-2-1 and hold the tiebreaker over Dallas from their Week 1 win, and Prescott said every game the rest of the way is a must-win.

What it means for the 49ers game

Dallas has not won two in a row this season. The results have gone W, L, W, L, L, W, L, W, L, newest first, so beating San Francisco on Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium would end that pattern. Home games have been the bigger problem. The Cowboys are 1-3 in Arlington, and their only home win came against Washington. They are 3-2 on the road. They have scored 246 points and allowed 236 over nine games, about 27.3 scored and 26.2 allowed per game, and they have given up 30 or more three times. According to ESPN, Dallas has lost its last four games against the 49ers, including the 2021 and 2022 playoff meetings. San Francisco is also one of five teams left on the schedule that are leading their division or ahead of Dallas in the playoff race.

The board for the game has the 49ers favored across all 11 venues. On the moneyline, Novig has San Francisco at -208 and Dallas at +203. Novig lists the 49ers at -4.5 on the spread, priced at -100. The best price anywhere on San Francisco is at DraftKings, which has the 49ers at -3.5 for -115. That means the venues disagree by a full point on the margin. Sportsbook hold on the spread runs from 2.9% to 5.0%.

The total is 55.5 at Novig, with the over at -113 and the under at -102. Elsewhere the number ranges from 55 at BetRivers to 56.5 at Hard Rock Bet, both at -110. That is a point-and-a-half range, and it sits slightly above the roughly 53.5 combined points Dallas has averaged in its own games.

The front office is staying put, so the players Prescott vouched for will have to back him up against a team that has beaten Dallas four straight times.