Dak Prescott on Landon Collins' Dig: 'Challenge Accepted'

Safety Landon Collins believes the New York Giants will shut down the Dallas Cowboys offense Sunday night if they slow down Ezekiel Elliott and the run game. And quarterback Dak Prescott is using those comments as bulletin-board material.

"We're making sure we close the air out of their offensive running game," Collins said on Wednesday, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. "If we do that, put the ball in Dak's hands, I think we'll have a better shot at winning."

"Challenge accepted," Prescott replied on Thursday. "Challenge accepted."

Prescott, who threw for just 170 yards without a touchdown in Dallas' 16-8 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, acknowledged he needs to step his game up.

"I didn't play well, and the only way I know how to play better is to go to work and put in the time, put in the time the right way with the right focus, and that has been my plan," he noted, per Archer. 

Prescott's early struggles were a continuation from his disappointing 2017 campaign. After a superb rookie season in which he threw for 3,677 yards, 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 67.8 percent of his passes, Prescott regressed last year, throwing for 3,324 yards, 22 scores and 13 interceptions while completing 62.9 percent of his throws. 

In his last four games, Prescott has thrown for one touchdown pass. And in seven of his last 11 games, Prescott has failed to throw for a single score (though he has three rushing scores in that span). Additionally, dating back to last season, Prescott has thrown for 200 or more yards just eight times in 17 games.

Two of those games came against the Giants, however. In Week 1 last season, Prescott threw for 268 yards and a score in a 19-3 win. In Week 14, he torched them for 332 yards and three scores in a 30-10 victory. So the visiting Giants may be just what the doctor ordered for Prescott. 

Dallas wideout Allen Hurns noted that the impetus doesn't fall solely on the Cowboys quarterback.

"As far as him saying it out loud, it doesn't change anything for us," Hurns said of Collins' comments. "Of course, he kind of called out our quarterback, but we know, week in, week out, we've got to make plays in the passing game."