The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles‘ final results were similar; however, how both teams reached their early playoff exits was vastly different. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was squarely in the MVP conversation, and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts had a down year following a Super Bowl appearance.
Both ended their campaigns in disappointing fashion but with two different season trajectories leading up to it. However, when given the chance to rank the two, their peers seem to believe that Hurts is superior to Prescott, even with the down year.
Our Cowboys and Eagles analysts discuss the ranking and give their take on how the list shook out to see if they got it right.
Jalen Hurts Ranked Ahead of Dak Prescott on NFL Top 100 List
As the NFL continues down its list of the top 100 players in the NFL, as voted by the players, the countdown has reached the 20s. Players Nos. 20-11 have been released, with the list being highlighted by Prescott at No. 16 and his division foe, Hurts, coming in one spot ahead of him at No. 15.
Considering the way both of their seasons unfolded last year, the order could be viewed as a bit of a surprise, and according to Pro Football Network’s Top 100 Players, the list does, in fact, look noticeably different.
According to PFN, Prescott came in as the No. 32 overall player in the league and the No. 5 quarterback. As for Hurts, the Eagles signal caller came in as the No. 42 overall player and the No. 7 quarterback.
FREE: Subscribe to PFN’s NFL Newsletter
Prescott finished the 2023 season second in MVP voting after leading the league in touchdown passes, while Hurts had a down year in 2023, throwing 15 interceptions. However, despite Hurts’ struggle of a season, he is only one full season removed from a Super Bowl appearance, and his ability to run the football makes him a truly unique quarterback.
The players clearly feel that Hurts is the superior NFC East quarterback despite the vastly different statistical seasons both quarterbacks had. While there isn’t a huge gap between the two, the order in which they came in is certainly noteworthy.
Is Hurts Actually Better Than Prescott?
When looking at the NFC landscape, you can’t tell the story without mentioning these two NFC East powers. Much of that consistency and ability to be top-tier teams in the NFL comes from the play of Prescott and Hurts.
While one season doesn’t define a career, both have had their struggles in recent years. When examining the body of work between the two, is Hurts truly the better quarterback heading into 2024? Our Cowboys and Eagles analysts weigh in on the matter.
Tony Catalina on Hurts and Prescott’s NFL 100 Ranking
Taking nothing away from Hurts, who is a tremendous quarterback with a unique skill set, the answer in this scenario is Prescott, and it’s pretty definitive in my mind. The now 32-year-old Prescott is coming into the prime of his career, fresh off his best statistical season in the first year of a new offense.
The reality is that, as good as Prescott has been, there is a chance he could take it a notch further as he gets more comfortable in Mike McCarthy’s West Coast system. Despite the woes that have plagued the team over the last 30 years in the playoffs, the Cowboys have found themselves turning a fourth-round pick into a top 5-7 quarterback in the NFL.
Prescott led the NFL in touchdown passes, was in the top three in passing yards, and kept his interceptions out of double digits while, according to TruMedia, leading the NFL in big plays (188), a statistic that calculates the number of plays made over 10+ yards in a season.
The difference between the two quarterbacks, just looking at the numbers last season, is stark. And while we concede that they are two entirely different styles of quarterback, the passing numbers must be taken into account.
Prescott threw for 13 more touchdowns, six fewer interceptions, and had a higher completion percentage (69.5% compared to 65.4%).
A deeper dive into the numbers and analytics provided by TruMedia paints an even clearer picture. Prescott led Hurts in QBR by 12.6 points and had a higher passer rating by a margin of 16.8 points. His TD percentage per attempt was 6.1% compared to Hurts’ 4.3%, and his interception percentage was 1.5% compared to Hurts’ 2.8%.
In addition, Prescott’s TD-to-INT ratio was 4.0 compared to Hurts’ 1.5; additionally, Hurts was sacked more often while Prescott converted first downs through the air more frequently.
The bottom line: In almost every major category, Prescott was better than Hurts last season.
SEE MORE: NFL QB Rankings 2024
The Eagles have had far more team success in recent years — playoff runs, Super Bowl appearances, and all that is conceded facts. However, it’s hard to sit here and say that Prescott is the reason for the Cowboys’ failures while lifting up and saying Hurts is the reason for the Eagles’ accomplishments.
Perception plays into opinion, and the negative aura around the Cowboys almost certainly contributes to Prescott’s lack of respect at times. However, the reality is that he is an excellent quarterback who has been for most of his career and has a chance to be even better this year.
He enters Year 2 in a system that fits him like a glove, setting up what could be another benchmark year for him. While Hurts has a chance to bounce back and be the quarterback we have seen him be in his young career, if you look at Prescott and Hurts isolated away from the logo on their helmet, Prescott is the better quarterback as we sit today.
Anthony DiBona on Hurts and Prescott’s NFL 100 Ranking
Hurts and Prescott entered similar situations in 2023 as both players were working with a new offensive coordinator who received an internal promotion. While many people blame Hurts’ poor performance on Philadelphia’s play calling, Prescott was dealt a similar hand and exceeded expectations.
Therefore, it’s hard to rank Hurts ahead of Prescott strictly based on their respective level of play last season. Yet that’s exactly where the gray area of this list comes into play. It is believed that the NFL polls players for their top 100 list between late November and early January.
If a majority of players were polled in late November, when the Eagles had the top record in the NFL and Hurts was the frontrunner for MVP, of course he would rank highly on their lists.
But as the regular season progressed, the Eagles spiraled out of control and lost five of their final six games. Hurts regressed down the final stretch as well, throwing just five passing touchdowns and five interceptions.
To put Hurts’ struggles into perspective, here’s where he ranked in several key statistical categories from Week 13 to Week 18 of the regular season: Hurts threw the fourth most interceptions, ranked 27th in passer rating, ranked 25th in completion percentage, and 21st in passing touchdowns among all quarterbacks, according to TruMedia.
During that same stretch, Prescott rose to the occasion for the Cowboys. Prescott threw the third-fewest interceptions, ranked sixth in passer rating, ranked fourth in completion percentage, and second in passing touchdowns among all quarterbacks.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
While it’s easy to pin Philadelphia’s offensive struggles on poor play calling, that will no longer be an excuse in 2024. The Eagles hired Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator, who ironically had plenty of success working with Prescott in Dallas.
Given Prescott’s success under Moore, Hurts will surely draw a ton of criticism if he continues to struggle following a change at offensive coordinator. Yet there is no denying that Hurts has the supporting cast in place and the individual ability to return to MVP form in 2024.
Following last season, it’s quite easy to say that Prescott is currently better than Hurts. He outperformed Hurts in nearly every statistical category in 2023, despite being surrounded by a less talented supporting cast on offense. While Hurts certainly has the potential to leap ahead of Prescott this upcoming season, he has plenty of work to do.