It’s not a full-scale “Hard Knocks” treatment for the Cowboys here in the stretch run of the 2025 season, but it certainly is well-timed, as Dallas plays each game on its schedule as a must-win. That’s the position Dallas found itself in after falling to 3-5-1 heading into its bye week, but three straight wins have ignited some hope that the postseason could yet be in the cards.

One of the surprise revelations from the most recent installment of the popular HBO show, which is focusing on the NFC East this month, is the long-standing bond between quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Dak Prescott, with Winston having been a first-round pick for the Buccaneers in 2015 after a high-profile career at Florida State, and Prescott going to the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State.

Winston was a Pro Bowler as a rookie and a starter in his first five seasons with the Bucs, but has mostly been a journeyman since. Prescott, though, quickly became the Cowboys’ starter, and has held the job for 10 years, setting the franchise record for passing yardage in Week 12 against the Eagles.

Dak Prescott Gets Message on Cowboys Passing Record

That’s the spot, after a stunning Cowboys comeback win from a 21-0 deficit, where “Hard Knocks” picks up. Prescott is watching film at The Star and says, casually, “Jameis just texted me. What a great dude, bro. He texted me. Congrats on the record. What a dude.”

The camera cuts to Winston, explaining, “I just wanted to congratulate him for being the all-time leading passer in Cowboy history. And I also phrased it as, like, it’s America’s team. And just knowing him, I remember when me and Dak were roommates at the Peyton Manning passing academy in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and we shared with each other, ‘Hey, we both gonna make it.’

“And look at us now.”

Jameis Winston: Dak Prescott Message ‘Shows the Humility of Him’

After Prescott set the Cowboys record–he has it now at 34,698 yards, well past the 34,183 of his predecessor, Tony Romo–he got an influx of congratulatory notes and messages. But he did want to make sure to respond to Winston, his old roommate. That surprised and heartened Winston.

He told the camera: “He hit me back. He just said thank you. It was as simple as that. I’m sure he was flooded with messages. But it shows the humility of him when I knew I sent him a message when everybody had to be congratulating him, for him to hit me back. It just shows the respect and everything we have with each other.”

Cowboys Playoff Hopes Weigh Heavily on Thursday

Of course, much of what will make “Hard Knocks” watchable on HBO for Cowboys fans will depend on what happens on Amazon Prime on Thursday night when Dallas plays the Lions, another team in desperate shape when it comes to the playoffs.

According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff tracker, the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs rise to 41% if they win on Thursday, and fall to 9% if they lose.

The Lions are in much the same spot: Their chances jump to 45% with a win, but plummet to 12% with a loss.